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Category: Books and Reviews

The dark heart of Russia’s faith: a review of Lucy Ash’s The Baton and the Cross

The Russian Orthodox Church has played a key role in justifying Moscow’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Its close links with the state have a long history, with Lucy Ash’s latest book exposing a relationship that now holds up the Kremlin’s ultra-conservative ideology.

April 2, 2025 - Aleksander Palikot

“War is always somewhere around”: a review of Jen Stout’s Night Train to Odesa

International coverage of Ukraine has often focused on high politics, with little in the way of discussion about its society. Despite this, Jen Stout’s recent work has challenged this issue in a creative way. Bringing to life the experiences of Ukrainians across the country, the journalist sheds light on the emotional toll of the ongoing war.

March 21, 2025 - Nicole Yurcaba

“A scrapbook approach”: a review of Leigh Turner’s Lessons in Diplomacy

Diplomacy’s role in the past three and a half decades of Central and Eastern Europe’s history is sometimes underplayed, sometimes misunderstood, and sometimes, for good reason, kept secret. Leigh Turner, a former British diplomat and ambassador to, amongst other places, Ukraine, gives a thoughtful, entertaining and informative insight into what role it really plays.

March 5, 2025 - Jonathan Hibberd

How to convey a war: a review of Oleksandr Mykhed’s The Language of War

Ukraine’s continued resistance against Russian aggression is also clear in the field of literature. While many writers now serve in the military, others are making a contribution through their continued engagement with writing. Oleksandr Mykhed’s new book offers a vivid insight into this development that is helping to document the nation’s struggle for freedom.

January 7, 2025 - Nicole Yurcaba

Depicting natural wonders, the rich cultural heritage and the mentalité of Bulgaria all while baring the bones of taboo topics

It is rare to find books on Bulgarian history in the English language – it is even more uncommon to come across works of fiction with a historical twist which are set in Bulgaria. Ellis Shuman’s Rakiya: Stories of Bulgaria shines a light on the idiosyncrasies of Bulgarian life and rich historical heritage while exposing angles on Bulgarian mentality of which the country’s citizens are often oblivious.

October 21, 2024 - Radosveta Vassileva

What each Ukrainian felt: a review of Kateryna Pylypchuk’s The War that Changed Us: Ukrainian Novellas, Poems, and Essays from 2022

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has seen the creation of a number of works detailing everyday trauma. In Kateryna Pylypchuk’s new collection, we can see how such writing can ultimately allow for a strengthening of the spirit in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.

September 2, 2024 - Nicole Yurcaba

“One formula. Forty-eight nations”: a review of Russian Colonialism 101: How to Occupy a Neighbor and Get Away with It

As Russia’s aggression against Ukraine drags on, it is important to remember the wider forces that brought about this war. Exposing a centuries-old tradition of oppression emanating from the Kremlin, Maksym Eristavi has compiled a powerful book that demands an end to such colonial tendencies.

May 24, 2024 - Nicole Yurcaba

A Eurovision party with CEE

The 2024 edition of the largest European musical event of its kind placed a spotlight on popular music in Central and Eastern Europe.

May 16, 2024 - Arkadiusz Zając

The diaspora, the meaning of family, and Ukraine’s difficult 20th century: a review of Megan Buskey’s Ukraine is Not Dead Yet

Ukraine’s troubled modern history has naturally had a profound effect on the millions of Ukrainians present in the diaspora. Among these people is Megan Buskey, who returned to the country of her ancestors and found a part of herself of which she knew very little.

April 19, 2024 - Nicole Yurcaba

Trip to Lazaret: symbolizing wounds

The Belarusian experience of exile has left many wounds for those affected. Exposing the trauma caused by separation from home, artist Darya Cemra’s latest exhibition explores the prospect that such pain may never truly heal.

April 4, 2024 - Bahruz Samadov

The Oscar which Ukraine wished it never won

The Ukrainian film 20 Days in Mariupol recently won an Oscar for its vivid depiction of Russia’s aggression against the city. Set in the early weeks of the invasion, the documentary gives insight into the struggles and brutality faced by Ukrainians to this very day. Indeed, for many the film is still too difficult to watch.

March 27, 2024 - Kateryna Pryshchepa

Through Lendvai’s eyes. A unique perspective on Austrian politics

A review of Austria Behind the Mask. Politics of a Nation since 1945. By: Paul Lendvai. Publisher: Hurst, London, 2023.

February 7, 2024 - JP O'Malley

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