Episode Five: Am I Ukrainian?

Written By Sabrina Furminger

As long as there have been Ukrainians, there have been forces – russian, Muscovite – who have sought to erase us: through famine, forced assimilation, annexation, and all manner of colonial and imperial violence. They view our Ukrainianness as a threat – as well they should, because our Ukrainianness is a source of immense strength and sustenance. Alas, for many diaspora Ukrainians who’ve lost their connection to their roots for a myriad of reasons, it can be difficult and even uncomfortable to identify as Ukrainian. But every Ukrainian is needed right now in this existential fight, including diaspora Ukrainians – and Ukrainianness, once activated, is an incredibly powerful tool of resistance. As poet Katya Komlach wrote in her 2023 poem “To the diaspora”: “You are a child of the most / Fertile soil on Earth / Carry on your cause / The rear of the rear.” (Listen for a full reading of Katya’s remarkable poem at the end of this episode, at timecode 45:54). 

In this special episode of Ukrainian Roots Podcast / Подкаст «Українське коріння», Sabrina is joined by her молодший брат Adrian Petriw – actor, voice actor, activist, and co-founder of the Ukrainian Canadian Advocacy Group – to discuss what it means to be a Ukrainian in the diaspora during a time of war, who gets to call themselves Ukrainian, and why it even matters. 

Sabrina Furminger
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Episode Four: Why We Laugh