S8 Ep817: The Origins of the Russian Imperial Project in Ukraine In 1888, a statue of Bohdan Khmelnytsky was raised in Kyiv, symbolizing his dual role as a Ukrainian founding father and a figure who united Ukraine with Russia through a 17th-century allegiance to th
The John Batchelor Show
John Batchelor
4.5 • 2.8K Ratings
🗓️ 2 May 2026
⏱️ 11 minutes
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Summary
In 1888, a statue of Bohdan Khmelnytsky was raised in Kyiv, symbolizing his dual role as a Ukrainian founding father and a figure who united Ukraine with Russia through a 17th-century allegiance to the Tsar. While Khmelnytsky sought protection, the Tsars viewed the alliance as a means to dismantle Ukrainian culture and freedoms. By 1783, under Catherine the Great, this evolved into an Imperial Project, where "New Russia" was established through colonization and the forced integration of southern Ukraine and Crimea. This historical tension underpins the modern debate over Ukrainian sovereignty versus Russian dominance. Guest: Professor Eugene Finkel. (1/8)
1840
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is CBS Eye on the World. |
| 0:08.5 | Here's John Batchelor. |
| 0:11.8 | This is CBSI on the world. |
| 0:14.1 | I'm John Batchelor. |
| 0:15.6 | It is 1888 in Keefe. |
| 0:19.0 | A new statue is raised. |
| 0:24.8 | The statue is to a man named Kerminski, a hero, to the Ukrainians, to the Crimean Cossacks, to the Russians, even to the Soviets in the future. |
| 0:34.8 | Who is he? 17th century man and on the statue's plinth. And originally, because it was a product of |
| 0:42.9 | Russian nationalist, activist nationalist in Kiev. They wanted to write, oh, it will be better. |
| 0:50.0 | Oh, it will be more beautiful. When in our Ukraine, there are no Jews, no Poles, no Christians |
| 0:57.8 | from the West, Uniate Church. It goes on to say, a united, indivisible Russia to |
| 1:05.3 | Hetman Bodan Kaminsky. Professor Eugene Finkel is here. |
| 1:11.5 | His new book is Intent to Destroy, Russia's 200-year quest to dominate Ukraine. |
| 1:17.9 | That statue is a big clue as to what was happening in the 17th century, what is happening |
| 1:24.7 | in the 21st century. |
| 1:26.7 | Eugene Finkel is the Kenneth Keller Professor of International Affairs, |
| 1:31.5 | Johns Hopkins University of Advanced International Studies. |
| 1:35.6 | He joins us from Europe to comment on Kaminsky's statue. |
| 1:41.3 | Professor, the phrase is that they did not write, although they were approved by the |
| 1:46.9 | Tsar, I believe. They tell a story of woe. Who was he? Why was he important to everyone that they |
| 1:54.4 | raised a statue to him? Good evening to you. Good evening. Thanks for having me, John. So, |
| 2:00.1 | who Bogdan Hamelnitsky is? |
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