This fall, hisÂtoÂriÂan TimÂoÂthy SnyÂder is teachÂing a course at Yale UniÂverÂsiÂty called The MakÂing of ModÂern Ukraine. And he’s genÂerÂousÂly makÂing the lecÂtures availÂable on YouTube–so that you can folÂlow along too. All of the curÂrentÂly-availÂable lecÂtures appear above (or on this playlist), and we will keep adding new ones as they come online. A sylÂlabus for the course can be found here. Key quesÂtions covÂered by the course include:
What brought about the UkrainÂian nation? Ukraine must have existÂed as a sociÂety and poliÂty on 23 FebÂruÂary 2022, else UkrainiÂans would not have colÂlecÂtiveÂly resistÂed RussÂian invaÂsion the next day. Why has the exisÂtence of Ukraine occaÂsioned such conÂtroÂverÂsy? In what ways are PolÂish, RussÂian, and JewÂish self-underÂstandÂing depenÂdent upon expeÂriÂences in Ukraine? Just how and when did a modÂern UkrainÂian nation emerge? Just how for that matÂter does any modÂern nation emerge? And why some nations and not othÂers? What is the balÂance between strucÂture and agency in hisÂtoÂry? Can nations be choÂsen, and does it matÂter? Can the choicÂes of indiÂvidÂuÂals influÂence the rise of much largÂer social orgaÂniÂzaÂtions? If so, how? Ukraine was the counÂtry most touched by SoviÂet and Nazi terÂror: what can we learn about those sysÂtems, then, from Ukraine? Is the post-coloÂnial, mulÂtiÂlinÂgual UkrainÂian nation a holdover from the past, or does it hold some promise for the future?
The MakÂing of ModÂern Ukraine will be added to our colÂlecÂtion of Free Online HisÂtoÂry CoursÂes, a subÂset of our meta colÂlecÂtion: 1,700 Free Online CoursÂes from Top UniÂverÂsiÂties
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RelatÂed ConÂtent
Putin’s War on Ukraine Explained in 8 MinÂutes
I saw the first two lecÂtures and was a lot of conÂtext with litÂtle conÂtent.
The SylÂlabus sets forth the required readÂing that proÂvides the conÂtent. The prof is proÂvidÂing the conÂtext that you can’t get just by readÂing.
Where can we get the required readÂing you menÂtion. I didÂn’t see any links or guide on how to get to it, except for being a Yale stuÂdent in the course.
The required readÂing is in the Course SylÂlabus. UnforÂtuÂnateÂly, that sylÂlabus is only availÂable to Yalies. LuckÂiÂly for you, I am an ancient Yalie (Ph.D. 63) and can email you a text copy if you promise not to tell anyÂone where/how you got it.
Stan
email sb******@ao*.com
Not true. The sylÂlabus is availÂable to all. (Why would Prof. SnyÂder make the lecÂtures availÂable but not the sylÂlabus? Think about it … )
Link to the sylÂlabus here:
https://snyder.substack.com/p/syllabus-of-my-ukraine-lecture-class
SnyÂder pretÂty much says up front you’ll be lost if you don’t do the required readÂing. There’s like nine books on the readÂing list. Would anyÂone attempt to lisÂten to some 27 lecÂtures withÂout the required readÂing?
Since we’re libÂerÂatÂed from the required readÂing, is anyÂbody keepÂing a list of litÂerÂaÂture he menÂtions in lecÂtures? So far I’ve got:
Heart of DarkÂness
CanÂturÂbury Tales
HamÂlet
Ovid’s MetaÂmorÂphisÂes
IceÂlandic Sagas
I’m sure I’ve missed a bunch.
I mean, I’ve got a job and a famÂiÂly and not a whole ton of time to take classÂes. But I also want to get a seriÂous hisÂtoÂriÂan’s explaÂnaÂtion of how that part of the world became what it is today. So, in the time it takes me to clean up the kitchen in the evening, if I can lisÂten to a lecÂture… I mean, I’m not tryÂing to pass the final. So, no. Not doing the readÂing. And so far, I’m getÂting what I want to get, and enjoyÂing the lecÂtures. I also don’t plan on writÂing any term papers.
I underÂstand your time conÂstraints. But you are missÂing out on some fasÂciÂnatÂing readÂing. You might want to build a list that you can read in future, at your leisure. I recÂomÂmend “Black Sea” and “The Red Prince” in parÂticÂuÂlar. One of the joys of attendÂing Yale is to get the proÂfesÂsors’ readÂing recÂomÂmenÂdaÂtions. TimÂoÂthy SnyÂder’s “required” and recÂomÂmendÂed lists are worthÂwhile, and his own books are terÂrifÂic.
Thanks! I’d defÂiÂniteÂly love to do some of it some day. I’ve read Black Earth, and I’ve found his work realÂly engagÂing. Right now I’m able to occaÂsionÂalÂly Wikipedia some of the names that he menÂtions just to get a bio. When I have time to learn a lot, I’ll learn a lot. For nos, I’ll learn a litÂtle.
He’d do a lot betÂter to state his three part stoÂry of nations and get onto the UkranÂian idea of their stoÂry verÂsus the RussÂian stoÂry of Ukraine, verÂsus the HisÂtorÂiÂcal 19th cenÂtuÂry of Ukraine verÂsus the preÂhisÂtorÂiÂcal stoÂry of Ukraine to give an overÂall look at the hypocÂraÂcy of the politÂiÂcal stoÂries of the leadÂers who are tryÂing to jusÂtiÂfy their proÂgrams, wars, .… A lot of fluff in the lecÂture.
If you don’t want to covÂer all of hisÂtoÂry, just go back to the StoÂries of StalÂin and Hitler durÂing the periÂod of 1930 — 1945 and look at their jusÂtiÂfiÂcaÂtions for the Ukraine and their jusÂtiÂfiÂcaÂtionÂws of why it was OK to kill off some 30+ milÂlion peoÂple by starÂvaÂtion and mass murÂders for their own politÂiÂcal reaÂsons in the Ukraine. PretÂty obviÂous that wew can tell the stroy we want and if enough peoÂple believe it, BinÂgo! you can do whatÂevÂer you danÂged well want with the counÂtry and the peoÂple.
Are there tranÂscripÂtions of Snyder’s lectures…like the rest of the yale online coursÂes?
These are a wonÂderÂful series of lecÂtures. Thank you for makÂing them availÂable.
FasÂciÂnatÂing detail, even withÂout the readÂing.
As an old Yalie (’71) I’m curiÂous where the classÂroom is that we’re watchÂing Tim SnyÂder delivÂer these lecÂtures in?
In addiÂtion to being a remarkÂable intelÂlecÂtuÂal expeÂriÂence for all of us lisÂtenÂing, it’s a great adverÂtiseÂment for the high-qualÂiÂty teachÂing that occurs at a great UniÂverÂsiÂty. This is a rare look at what a great eduÂcaÂtion looks like. Thanks for makÂing it availÂable to all.
I did a binge and parÂtook of all the lecÂtures in a couÂple days. The course ought to be required viewÂing by all AmerÂiÂcans before anyÂone feels they need to opine on the subject/current cirÂcumÂstance in Ukraine. Thank you.