Vladislav Davidzon, a writer, translator, and art critic joined me in the 26th episode of the Ukraine Decoded podcast to discuss the cultural and political transformations in Ukraine during the ongoing war against Putin’s Russia.
Mr. Davidzon is a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center. Since 2012, he also serves as the European culture correspondent for the Tablet magazine. In 2015, Davidzon founded the Odessa Review magazine and served as its chief editor until July 2018. His work has been featured in numerous publications, including the Wall Street Journal, World Policy Journal, the New York Observer, and the American Interest.
We talked about his Odessa Review and his book From Odessa With Love that he wrote while living in Ukraine for years.
Mr. Davidzon shared his memories about the first February days of the Russian invasion when he visited Kyiv.
We remembered how he burned his Russian passport in front of the Russian Embassy in Paris (France) as a protest against the Putin’s war.
It was interesting to hear his opinion about those Russians who ask for an asylum in the US because they fled Russia due to the military conscription.
Mr. Davidzon shared his thought about political legacy of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and how his Ukrainian-Jewish identity helps him to mobilize support from the West and Israel.
We also discussed the new documentary film Superpower released this year by the famous Hollywood actor and movie producer Sean Penn, and what is wrong with the Oscar.
Listen to this episode on Spotify!
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