Wonder Woman and the Orcs: Ukrainian History and Western Fables. Keynote by Timothy Snyder

Keynote by Timothy Snyder "Wonder Woman and the Orcs: Ukrainian History and Western Fables" took place on February 16 within the framework of Kyiv Perennial 2024.
Far more than we realize, the constitutive stories of contemporary Western civilization have their origins in the cultures of the Ukrainian lands. Bringing fable and history together can help us to understand connections and reconfigure our sense of cultural place.
The project is a cooperation between the Visual Culture Research Center, neue Gesellschaft für bildende Kunst and the Kulturstiftung des Bundes (German Federal Cultural Foundation), together with Between Bridges and the municipal Prater Galerie. The Kulturstiftung des Bundes is funded by the Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien (Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media). The neue Gesellschaft für bildende Kunst (nGbK) is funded by the Senate Department for Culture and Community.
More: 2023.kyivbiennial.org/eng/pro...
Лекція Тімоті Снайдера "Диво-жінка та орки: українська історія та західні легенди" відбулася 16 лютого у рамках Київської переніале 2024.
Значно більшою мірою, ніж ми думаємо, визначальні історії сучасної західної цивілізації походять з культур українських земель. Об’єднавши легенди з історією, ми можемо зрозуміти зв’язки та переосмислити своє розуміння культурного простору.
Проєкт реалізується за співпраці Центру візуальної культури, neue Gesellschaft für bildende Kunst та Kulturstiftung des Bundes (Німецького федерального культурного фонду) разом із Between Bridges та муніципальною галереєю Prater. Kulturstiftung des Bundes (Німецький федеральний культурний фонд) фінансується Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien (Уповноваженим федерального уряду з питань культури та ЗМІ). Neue Gesellschaft für bildende Kunst (nGbK) фінансується Департаментом Сенату з питань культури та громадськості.
Більше інформації: 2023.kyivbiennial.org/ukr/pro...

[@Avinath9]

Wow, what was that? Just mind blowing! Thanks Timothy

[@olgamarsh169]

Timothy Snyder brings light in these dark hours for the Europe

[@olenashepetukhina1233]

Thank you very much Prf Snyder for dispelling the ruzzian lies and telling the truth about Ukraine and its history.

[@user-ez2wi8nq3t]

There is no pure truth , the truth in modern world becomes truth when you and big number of people start to believe in it . Pr . masterly pull the owl onto the glob , and he knows what he is doing . National history is always bunch of myths that we believe in , as well as ,,western” history or “eastern „ . It always about justifying our today being separate from something somehow . So obviously why he doesn’t want to speak about , for example , etymology of Ukraine as a name of country ..

[@jacekchmielewski6372]

As a Polish and American citizen, thank you Timothy, for representing such compelling, and thought through, American voice on the world stage!

[@Byl6ka]

Тімоті Снайдер мій краш! Обожнюю його!!!❤❤❤❤ Дуже заздрю учням університетів, які в нього навчаються😢

[@iris1224wwad]

There is a series of videos of Tim Snyder's lectures on Ukraine on KZbin. If you haven't seen them yet, maybe that's the next best thing to actually following his lectures in person. It's called The Making of Modern Ukraine. I think Coursera offers the course online as well.

[@Byl6ka]

@@iris1224wwad вже подивилась, там в його розум і закохалась ☺️

[@iris1224wwad]

@@Byl6ka I have several of his books. I love "On Tyranny", but some of his books are painful to read, such as Bloodlands. Important work, though.

[@Byl6ka]

@@iris1224wwad теж планую почитати, але спочатку треба своїх істориків прочитати: Плохія і Грицака )

[@ArtU4All]

@@iris1224wwad Painful is important to read and know. As opposed to the modern strive of the comfortable societies like the US to embrace the “safe spaces” for the slightest of discomfort. Against the painful, the view of what’s what becomes more clear 💙💛

[@ievgenmajor3301]

Thank you Professor! Thank you for supporting Ukraine!

[@Kerrie_Smith_Khipu]

What an absolute gem Prof Snyder is. Single handedly raising the Ukrainian history up to the highest heights and brandishing it as a shield against the lies of Putin! Слава Україні 🇺🇦

[@9ragis]

Such a fresh angle on Ukraine’s importance for Europe and the Western civilisation. Prof Snyder is a real tour de force . 🇺🇦🤜🤛 #WhateverVictoryTakes #StandWithUkraine

[@christinamuzzu6414]

His German impression at the end had me in stitches! This man is such a ...Mensch. What a blessing to us all.

[@evababenko6135]

Great, as always! Thank you, Prof. Snyder, for your firm position in supporting Ukraine!

[@liudmylab2328]

Про жінок скіфів це дуже цікаво, не знала цього, справді неймовірно

[@Duke.Of.Shostka]

Почитайте ще про скіфське плем'я Месогетів. Це ті, що вбили Кіра Великого за версією Геродота. Там вождем є жінка, процвітає hippie free love, куріння конопель, людські жертвоприношення 😊

[@andreypereb6381]

Дякую за відображення реальності, якої так не вистачає❤

[@PamelaC23]

Prof Synder is always such an engaging and intriguing speaker. I always learn something from him.

[@medeology4660]

Beautiful storytelling - about the stories we tell.

[@sabeaver9677]

Yes we do! The oldest cities - of the Trypillian culture - are not very well known - I don’t why - were located near Kyiv. Ancient Trypillian designs are used in pysanky & textiles, to this day.

[@yuliyakhromchak5885]

I've decided to share this, on the one hand easy-going lecture, and on the other hand, such an eye-opener, with my group of linguistic students

[@marianathemusiclover176]

I just wish more people would see it and know this amazingly interesting information.🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@whynotfandy]

Years ago I watched a fascinating ‘documentary’ on the ancient civilization professor Snyder refers to: the cucetani-triptillian culture. The story about the sunflowers growing faster on the ‘foundation’ remains of these homes sounds far-fetched, but this culture regularly burned their homes to the ground, and very occasionally (~80 years) burned their entire villages down. This was a practice, not a consequence of war. So, over thousands of years these homes built up biochar in the soil underneath which is still evident by the acutely increased fertility of these plots. Fascinating!

[@ZhovtoBlakytniy]

​@@whynotfandy that's true, but not why there's such black fertile soil all over Ukraine, as Trypillians lived only in a certain part of modern day Ukraine.

[@halynaripa2701]

Another brilliant lecture by Timothy Snyder! Thank you🙌🏼

[@strawberyfield]

It was so interesting to discover this , i will spread around the information. Thank you

[@bladerawnner]

Thank you pan Snyder!

[@user-bp3vm8ss2u]

Professor Snyder is a Must-Know for every Ukrainian, at least)) - a great way to improve English ( to learn it, in the first place) and to get rid of our inferiority too! Ukrainians are that great 💙💛

[@flosev75]

As usual It was a pleasure to hear this narration!

[@Mariupol_is_Ukraine]

Thank you for the great input! 🇺🇦🫶🏻🇪🇺

[@hififlipper]

Thanks for featuring Mr. Snyder.

[@user-qv9lp5tx9t]

Thank you for your amazing work!

[@tanitauk8888]

Thanks a lot for the truth and support, Prf Snyder!

[@Gazer873]

What a wonderful speech!! TY ❤️

[@happygolucky7179]

Very enjoyable and highly informative lecture , thank you Prof Snyder for sharing your knowledge and expertise.

[@bachristus]

Awesome talk!

[@user-zc5lk2fv9r]

Wow! It was a great lecture. I am impressed and interested in listening to Prof. Snyder. Thank you very much for your work and for sharing the history of Ukraine in such tough times.

[@anitaandazola2029]

Profound: in order to receive gifts we need to recognize a gift is being given.

[@MarcosElMalo2]

Profound and prosaic. Prosaic if you have given to someone who didn’t recognize the gift.

[@skipleon]

Thank you Dr Snyder always worth price of admission!

[@jeaniewilliams3274]

Such a rich presentation, I have to replay it.

[@dimitrijuszigunovas3782]

much respect for Prof Snyder

[@yuliyagatilova]

🎉keep going with Kyiv Biennial

[@rostysalvkravchenko155]

Thank you Prof. Snyder for such interesting lecture and an important knowledge of world history you shared with us. appreciated the part on freedom of speech in order to speak truth to power. Truth is dangerous, especially when it's spoken to power.

[@user-ct8wy4tf7t]

Extremely interesting listening to prof. Snyder every time, i envy his students

[@bry.olena6559]

Ukrainian Poet Symonenko actually calls them orcs in his poems from the 1960s. So this reference has been around for a long time.

[@victorkorol1933]

What is the name of his poem ?

[@bry.olena6559]

@@victorkorol1933 «Де зараз ви кати мого народу?» or «Народ мій є!».

[@freedmen123]

@@bry.olena6559 The text of that poem doesn't have the word "orc" in it at all.

[@Bohdan816]

Sorry but you confuse horde and orcs.

[@Freerunx3]

Oh yes 1960 far more important than 960 sources

[@wernertognetti5956]

Thanka for uploading this super interesting lecture. I could listen to him for many more hours ❤️🇺🇦🇪🇺🇺🇦❤️.

[@hannarpenko2520]

Just found a volunteer badge from the "Ukraine Thinking Together conference." (from just under 10 years ago). Thank you, Pr. Snyder and VCRC, for all the work now and then ✨️❤

[@KukharyshynOleh]

That was insightful

[@uma_americares]

Thank you especially for clarifying the meaning of “freedom of speech” as “speaking truth to power” and not powerful people using speech to deceive and lie and misinform.

[@dsjwhite]

He is an amazing man. Thank you

[@1midnightfish]

"... milosevic.... putin... and what's his name, the guy who's the governor of Florida...? De Santis" 🤣 Because he talks about such serious stuff, I always forget how funny this man can be, and make the mistake of eating as I listen - and... choke. Beautiful lecture, immense thanks to Timothy Snyder and to the festival for giving him this unique platform!

[@pravak6745]

As someone who left a state run by a Milosevic/Putin type for the freedom of Florida, I was taken aback. Desantis is not perfect and I still respect Snyder, but he is better than perpetuating distorted leftist media characterizations. smh

[@1midnightfish]

@@pravak6745 The whole point of "never again" is that we stop before getting there. If we wait until someone is "as bad as", then what's the point?

[@JakCei]

@@pravak6745 He's a man who as a JAG officer oversaw and took pleasure in acts of torture at Camp X-Ray, has attempted to form his own militia force loyal solely to him, has transformed local education to suppress the history of slavery, and has attacked black and LGTBQ+ communities alike. He's a fascist, and represents a sharp shift to the right for the Republican Party since coming under Putinist influence. The only difference between him and Milosevic is that he doesn't have the same powers to inflict as much suffering as Milosevic did.

[@AndreiLop]

Thank you, Professor Snyder

[@williestyle35]

41:14 respect to Professor Timothy Snyder here for bringing in the mythos of *_Wonder Woman_* . Her endurance as a heroic character and a pop culture icon is a bit amazing - when viewing her true "Golden Age" (of comic books) origin. *_WW_* is indeed a "radical" characterization of a truly "modern woman" of any era. "...with all the strength of _Superman_ plus all the allure of a 'good' and beautiful woman", William Moulton Marston, his wife Elizabeth Marston, and their "life partner" Olive Byrne brought forward a new type of "super heroine". The Marston's were psychologists and were seeking a way to show the power of "love" as a force for good in the world, and as a "strength" of women (though his work would also lead to the "lie detector" device, oddly). I sincerely encourage anyone that found this part of Prof Snyder's lecture of interest to at minimum read the Wikipedia articles on *_Wonder Woman_* and the Marstons, it will be worth the time. 😊

[@sharondavid-melly1498]

Wow, thank you, Timothy Snyder! You've opened my world & heart.

[@KOldridge1]

Interesting as always. Thanks!

[@MicleFirst]

I would like to be able to like and subscribe more than once

[@ArtU4All]

I likes your comment and it counts as yet another one 😉 And I replied - it counts too 💙💛

[@solontailor6830]

Thank you !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@TracyBerry-oi6if]

Thank you this is awesome

[@uma_americares]

📢Hear, hear! for Amazons among us 🤩🛡️⚔️🏹

[@user-fu8gy3py6s]

Thank you

[@LUISARAMOSCRICK]

extraordinary

[@angies.7689]

Excuse me while…… I…… adjust…… my brain.

[@mariyagonchar]

Enjoy: "Good-looking Vasyl, with his sharp jawline and deep brown eyes, looked even more striking in a black turtleneck." Or "The black turtleneck somehow elevated Vasyl's good looks, lending him an air of quiet sophistication."

[@gbu31mk84]

😂😅😁

[@zipperpillow]

Keep it in your pants.

[@spidif2544]

Great

[@andreabartsch]

Prof. Timthy Snyder has the capacity to pick up a piece of wood, or a stone, and from that telling interesting things which keep the audience hooked hours long.

[@jacekchmielewski6372]

1939 to 2022 just over the 80 year cycle. It might just be possible to break out out of this cycle! If we make it through intact in the next 5 to 7 years, I think a great awakening await us.

[@skippy9659]

The man knows his shit, and that’s refreshing.

[@manuelcampagna7781]

In French, "hôte" can be either a male guest or the man of the house.

[@elselienklein725]

WOW

[@user-xp5id1kh4r]

Snyder's Talk starts at 14:30 or so... looonnnnngggggg frkn intro, lol.

[@Billy_Herrington1969]

Ukrainian youth often called Ukrainian "elvish" even before the full-scale invasion, so there's tolken-ish aspect there too.

[@manuelcampagna7781]

There's also The Niebelung's Ring.

[@dustyfairview9062]

Love this guy

[@katewoolf6059]

❤

[@ASAS-dn4ve]

Trypillia culture was truly impressive, but not the first one. Neolitic farmers came to Europe from Levant, Jericho is about twice older. On farmers way from Middle East in Balkans there were great cultures as well, Varna is worth to mention. Historical science is fast moving forward and I hope in 20 years from now children will be taught about the cultures which not left written history more proportionally to their importance to us.

[@zipperpillow]

True, but the Tripolye towns/settlements were much larger than anything in the Levant.

[@tinayang3845]

Great sense of humour

[@user-qs1gw8mx3e]

Вітання Василю Черепанину від колишнього студента!

[@johndewey6358]

Thank you. Both Scythians and Sarmations which Wonderwoman is supposedly from are all Iranian tribes that used to live in Ukraine and southern Russia.

[@user-sb3gs6jb6x]

It is so surprising to hear that a famous American professor didn't know about Indo-European languages until recently... I learned about it when I was still at (Ukrainian) school... The same was with the Amazons; they are mentioned in Herodotus's Histories, Book IV: Melpomene, along with Sarmatian women who couldn't marry before they had killed their first (male) enemy.

[@dmitryyakimenko1779]

23:16 Пан Снайдер говорить не про найдавніше місто!!! бо як таких міст тоді ще не було а про "ПРОТОМІСТО" трипільської культури біля села Небелівка яке мало площу 250-300 гектарів і справді є найбільшим городищем тобто протомістом у тогочасній Європі. Яке існувало на проміжку між 5-4 тисячоліттям до н. е. Чому я це пишу? А тому що в нас хватає дуже "розумніх" людей які вважають що у трипільців були городи і навіть мегаполіси, але городище і город або місто це різні речі. Городище це просто велике укріплене поселення тобто село де просто люди живуть а місто чи город це адміністративний та культурно ремісничий центр як правило з чітким розмежуванням вулиць та торгівельною площею у центрі. У трипільців таких городищ не було! 51:05 Маленьке уточнення пан Снайдер говорить не про наших північно-причорноморських скіфів а про тих що жили за Танаїсом(Дон) тобто про Сарматів. А це одне із Індо-іранських тобто скіфських кочових племен чи групи племен яке на відміну від інших мало одну цікаву рису. А саме те що в них жінки були воїнами! І як пише Геродот не просто так заради забавок а тому що був ритуал за яким тільки та жінка яка принесла голову ворога мала право вийти заміж. Звідси ж і пішла легенда про амазонок бо греки які вперше зустріли сарматів за Танаїсом чи за Кімерійським морем (Краснодарський край) трохи офігіли коли побачили як на них мчить кінний загін серед якого були й жінки Чому я кажу що це сармати? А тому що нам відомі як імена жінок воїнів так і їх кургани тоді як серед скіфських курганів ще жодної жінки воїна не знайшли а історія не знає імен таких жінок серед скіфів. Натомість у сарматів сусідів скіфів ми бачимо такі імена. Амага, цариця Роксолан що звільнила Херсонес (Севастополь) історія життя якої тягне на Голлівудський блокбастр особливо рейд кінного загону 120 вершників на 240 кілометрів у тил ворога за одну добу та знищення усього скіфсбкого війська яке було що найменьше в тричі а то і в десятеро разів чисельніше. Похована за однією з теорій у Ногайчинському кургані в Криму. Томіріс цариця сарматського племені Массагетів яка за легендою вбила перського царя Кіра Другого Великого мстячи за свого сина Спаргапіса. Що цікаво являється національною героїнею Казахстану які у своїх легендах про неї вписали ще ім'я чоловіка Рустам яке ніде в джерелах не згадується. а про саму Томіріс згадує лише Геродот. На жаль це всі імена достовірно відомих амазонок в писемних джерелах.

[@georgedanilov8898]

Дякую за детальний допис!

[@dmitryyakimenko1779]

@@georgedanilov8898 Аще в наших степах ймовірно похована у кургані Переп'ятиха дочка Ассирійського царя Асархаддона Шеруа-Етірат, яка як вважається була дружиною скіфського царя Партатуа. За легендою від місцевих про курган дружина царя під час нападу ворогів підняла ополчення та відбила напад. А ранком виявилося що це чоловік з воїнами повертався додому, довідавшись про смерть чоловіка вона скоїла самогубство. І як вважається в одному кургані лежить цариця зі свитою а в іншому цар бо археологами виявлені в кургані дві різні культури а за легендою ховається громадянська війна в скіфському царстві. Якщо це так то Шеруа-Етірат перша відома жінка воїн серед скіфів.

[@olenacherep]

anyone found the painting of the Dutch painter?

[@UkrainianInterpreter]

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Otto_van_Veen_-_Amazons_and_Scythians.jpg

[@hififlipper]

Beautiful intro. It was No Zeitenwende but Zeitverschwendung for Europe since 2014.

[@redderred]

+

[@mylessalmon2569]

Thank you for showing that the modern came from myths.

[@kleinweichkleinweich]

so the take away form Lord of the Ring for the war in Ukraine is that if Frodo had had one of the magic eagles earlier the whole story would have been over quickly. No walking around and fighting all the Orcs just fly with the eagle to the Volcano and drop the ring, end of Sauron in his bunker. Airpower matters

[@SuperRmoz]

Thank you Professor! We have to explore new planets together, but we are still at war with orcs.... Maybe you, people of the world will help us to finish this story? Do you know any country that gave away its nuclear weapons? Ukraine. Because we are f*** hate the wars.

[@Mellow7883]

Та всі дороги ведуть до української мови. То її просто ніхто ніколи нормально не досліджував.

[@ComradeHugo]

всiм просто пiхуй на цю сильску балачку, даже самiм Х-лам.

[@yurymaidania6222]

Василь перевзувся

[@drreaganeliedithphd6526]

Civilisations ont commencé en Ukraine Cythiens Amazons montre la supériorité de femmes

[@TobyThaler]

Keep your hands off the mics!

[@oksanavakoulenko2045]

I hope russians did not hear about Neblivka to claim it, as always

[@florinadrian5174]

Small men with weird pelvises? Real archaeologists believed that for decades?

[@ComradeHugo]

They don’t even understand that this orcs-elves narrative reveals their not-zee essence, lol.

[@drreaganeliedithphd6526]

Euromaidan

[@jerrymacctheukrainanlorema7659]

Euromaidan!

[@Timmerdetimmerdetim]

I call conflict of interest because this time around his talk distinctively feels like a weaponizing of culture. Don't write poetry in the trenches. Don't romanticize. Keep your mind and view clear in the here and now.

[@jasonsmith1155]

Timothy Snyder should read books meant for people ages 12 and up, and maybe then he might understand where guys like John Mearsheimer are coming from. Although, (from the intellectual perspective of Wonder Woman comic books), his take on the war in Ukraine might makes a lot of sense.

[@MarcosElMalo2]

Mearsheimer is coming from a dusty cupboard filled with cobwebs and stale ideas that have crumbled with age. The cupboard is built with boards warped with age, the paint peeling, and smelling of mold and must.

[@jasonsmith1155]

@@MarcosElMalo2 Boys at the troll farm told you to try metaphors? Nice. And super-adorable, btw. :)

[@georgedanilov8898]

Mearsheimer denies Ukrainians agency the same way Kremlin does Very intellectually at that

[@jasonsmith1155]

@@georgedanilov8898 I would argue the CIA coup denied more agency than ANY Academic, but please, explain to this silly old anti-war American how he has "denied Ukranian agency" What exactly does that mean?

[@georgedanilov8898]

@@jasonsmith1155 we can stop at the “CIA coup” bullshit claim. This tired Kremlin propaganda trope is a fine enough example. Do I need to explain how it denies agency?

[@Duke.Of.Shostka]

Prof trying to make jokes I front of a German audience 😅

[@zipperpillow]

So awkward.

[@negombo36degrees]

Its obviouse world oldest religion Hinudism 6000 years......they have female gods. Just 5000 years before greeks hahaha

[@gernotplass4872]

a little far fetched, isn´t it? Are we suposed to think ukraine is the shire? And women should be drafted to go in the trenches?

[@MarcosElMalo2]

Nobody is expecting you to think, no more than we expect a stone to sing. Don’t worry, you’ve set our expectations quite low.

[@DominicFlynn]

Professor Snyder has his own history that nobody else knows about. How clever. How progressive.

[@iraivanova1660]

Everything he mentioned here is in the books, available to anyone interested. What's different is that these subjects are never discussed for a number of complex reasons.

[@stavroshadjiyiannis6283]

Behold the intellectual level of NATOstan.

[@Lombardo.diVino.-sd2iv]

The "host" Vasyl should have washed his hair at least a day before the event, not two weeks ahead. Too much anticipation is equally bad.

[@EeeEee-bm5gx]

Just skiiiip

[@stefaniamode]

You should not approach people with your unsolicited advice

[@Lombardo.diVino.-sd2iv]

@@stefaniamode so why do you approach people with unsolicited advice?

[@MarcosElMalo2]

@@Lombardo.diVino.-sd2iv I hope you get paid to make these comments because I like the idea you are cheating your employer.