Award‑winning Canadian author Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch returns to discuss her newly completed Kidnapped From Ukraine trilogy, set in Mariupol and grounded in the lived realities of Russia’s war on Ukraine. Her work continues to illuminate the human cost of this war for young readers at a time when few authors are writing into this space.

This follow‑up conversation builds on last year’s Nash Holos interview discussing the first book in her trilogy. In this conversation, we discuss how she wove real‑world events into the storylines and how those events impacted her personally as well as professionally through the craft of writing the books.

For the transcript of this interview, visit the Nash Holos blog.

You can find our previous conversation — with the full transcript and embedded player — on the Nash Holos blog here.

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Gene Berezovsky of Ukraine War Amps joins Pawlina with a clear, unvarnished update on the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Ukraine as Russia escalates winter attacks on civilian infrastructure.

He discusses how sustained missile and drone strikes have left seniors, families, and thousands of displaced children struggling to survive in unheated dwellings with limited water, heating and electricity.

Gene details Ukraine War Amps’ current relief efforts:

• Supplying footwear for displaced children

• Delivering food parcels across Ukraine

• Assisting wounded veterans and amputees, including volunteers now helping distribute aid

He also shares firsthand accounts from volunteers and beneficiaries, offering a grounded look at daily life under bombardment and the impact of donor support during the harshest winter of the war.

For more information or to contribute, contact theukrainewaramps@gmail.com or visit Ukraine War Amps on Facebook or Instagram.

Full Transcript at our website.

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Originally recorded in 2014 and first published in 2025. Resurfaced for listeners who may have missed it.

In this Nash Holos exclusive interview from 2014, Pawlina speaks with Mirko Petriw, Vancouver-based author of two spy thrillers set in Ukraine and president of the Ukrainian-Canadian Congress Vancouver branch.

Recorded during the Maidan Uprising, in the tense weeks leading up to Russia’s annexation of Crimea, this conversation delves into the intersection of energy politics, propaganda, and democratic struggle in Ukraine.

Listeners will hear about:

• Ukraine’s shale gas ambitions and what they could have meant for energy independence

• How Russia and Gazprom sought to block Ukraine’s EU association and undermine shale gas development

• The propaganda battles around fracking and environmental fears, echoing debates in the West

• The political crackdown on protesters, including restrictive laws and state-directed violence against demonstrators

• The broader struggle for sovereignty, democracy, and Ukraine’s future direction

Petriw’s insights reveal how hopes for energy independence collided with Russian influence, Gazprom’s pressure, and authoritarian tactics during one of Ukraine’s most pivotal moments.

This interview originally aired on the Vancouver edition of Nash Holos on AM1320 CHMB on January 18, 2014.

Transcript at our blog here.

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In this 2011 interview, Valya Dudycz Lupescu discusses her debut novel, The Silence of Trees, a story that moves between post–World War II Ukraine and contemporary America. Drawing on years of interviews with elders who had never spoken about their wartime experiences, she explores the fear‑driven silences, cultural traditions, and fragmented memories carried by the Ukrainian diaspora.

We talk about the real histories that informed her fictional heroine, the trauma and secrecy surrounding displaced‑persons camps, and the complex reasons so many immigrants chose not to speak about their past. Valya also reflects on the novel’s early reception, including its success in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award competition and the strong support from Ukrainian communities worldwide.

This conversation from 2011 lands differently in 2026. The forces shaping her story haven’t disappeared; they’ve re‑emerged, making this discussion newly relevant.

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Canadian veteran and sniper Wali was among the first foreign volunteers to answer President Zelensky’s call in early 2022. He served near Kyiv, Irpin, Bucha, and in parts of the Donbass during the most uncertain weeks of the full‑scale invasion. After speaking to the Ukrainian community in Vancouver, he joined Pawlina to discuss what compelled him to go, what he witnessed on the ground, and how those experiences continue to shape his support for Ukraine today.

In this interview, Wali reflects on

• why he felt an immediate obligation to volunteer

• the urgency and chaos of the invasion’s early days

• the psychological impact of facing overwhelming force

• the realities of sniper work versus popular portrayals

• the challenges of language, logistics, and training

• why he describes his experience as a “frustrating victory”

• his ongoing efforts to provide equipment and resources, especially drones

This episode offers a clear, personal look at the motivations and experiences of a foreign volunteer who chose to stand with Ukraine at a critical moment.

Check our website for the full transcript.

This episode also marks a small addition to the Nash Holos ecosystem: we’ve recently opened a Substack as another place to share selected transcripts and occasional background notes. It’s still very new, but you’re welcome to take a look if you’d like to follow along as it develops.

Listeners can also hear the full original broadcast, including music and additional segments, on Mixcloud.

Links:

Website

Substack

Mixcloud

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A previously aired conversation with Paulina Zelitsky, author of the two‑volume memoir The Sea Is Only Knee Deep. She discusses her work as a marine engineer at a soviet submarine station in Cuba at the height of the Cold War, her experiences inside the soviet system, and her 1971 defection to Canada with her two young children. The interview also includes a discussion about possible recently (2020) renewed russian activity at the Cuban site where she once worked.

This conversation originally aired in 2020 in two parts as part of the Ukrainian Jewish Heritage series.

• Nash Holos website here.

• Full episode archives on Mixcloud — follow Nash Holos

• Subscribe to this podcast and to the blog for transcripts

• Subscribe to my Substack — all articles are free

• Follow me on BlueSky, LinkedIn, and Instagram

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Harvard’s Ukrainian Research Institute (HURI) has long been a global leader in advancing the study of Ukrainian history, language, literature, and contemporary issues.

In this episode, Pawlina speaks with Dr. Oleg Kotsuba, Director of Publications at HURI, about the institute’s remarkable grassroots origins and its role in establishing Ukrainian studies as a respected academic field at a time when Ukraine had no agency under Soviet rule.

Dr. Kotsuba shares insights into HURI’s publishing program, which began even before the institute was formally founded. Today, it includes scholarly monographs, translations of contemporary Ukrainian literature, and works that document the lived experiences of Ukrainians amid war, displacement, and cultural revival. He discusses how authors such as Volodymyr Rafeyenko, Olena Stiazhkina, and Serhiy Zhadan are reshaping global understanding of Ukrainian identity—many of them transitioning from Russian to Ukrainian as an act of cultural reclamation.

The conversation also explores how HURI selects its authors, the crucial role of translators, and the institute’s commitment to amplifying under‑told Ukrainian stories. Dr. Kotsuba reflects on the challenges of running a micro‑press with a small team, the impact of geopolitical shifts on funding, and the importance of making Ukrainian voices accessible to readers worldwide.

For full transcript, visit our website

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In this Knyzhka Corner book review, Myra Junyk takes a fresh look at Serhii Rudenko’s Zelensky, a gripping biography of Volodymyr Zelensky—comedian, political outsider, and ultimately the wartime president who galvanized Ukraine after Russia’s full‑scale invasion.

Myra highlights Rudenko’s vivid storytelling as he follows Zelensky from his early life in Kryvyi Rih and his unexpected rise to the presidency to the defining moments that shaped his leadership under fire.

With its candid portrayal of both strengths and controversies, this biography offers listeners a compelling window into Ukraine’s modern history and the making of a global symbol of resilience.

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