A few days before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian journalist Maksym Eristavi started Twitter thread with the intention of mapping all the manifestations of Russian colonial invasion over the past century. His aim was to draw attention to the repetition of Russian colonial behavior in different lands.
It was this thread that became a global phenomenon, garnering millions of views and being widely translated into various languages, it was called “the mother of all Russian colonialism threads”, and became the basis of a book detailing Russian colonial crimes and their repeated patterns of action. “It’s a cycle that the rest of the world can no longer turn a blind eye to.” A cycle that must stop. A cycle that must end with justice,” says the Ukrainian journalist, author of the book.
“There are books that become ideological icons – having them on the shelf is more than just knowing the content. Eristavi the ABCs of Russian colonialism – exactly like that. A bestseller in Ukraine and is sought after in European alternative book fairs, museums, and political debates. Since the beginning of the war, we have maintained close relations with the Ukrainian publishing house “IST publishing” and were waiting for a suitable book from them, which we could publish in Lithuanian. There could not have been a better and more accurate choice. I am very happy that Maksym Eristavi has the opportunity to come to Vilnius and present the book live on Saturday!”, says Ła Ambrasaitė, the founder and head of the Lapas publishing house.
The ABC of Russian Colonialism is an important invitation to debate about Russian colonialism past and present, urging the world to think about what really lies behind imperial ambitions and how nations struggle for survival and the right to tell their stories. Maksym Eristavi will present the book in Vilnius, at the National Art Gallery on October 26, at 12:30 at the “Open Books” festival, where he will also participate in a conversation with political scientist, head of “The Reckoning Project” office in Ukraine, Maksim Milta, and journalist Rita Miliūte.
M. Eristavi’s book “ABC of Russian Colonialism” calls to remember the millions of autochthons who fought for their freedom, and provides a particularly insightful and in-depth analysis of how Russia manipulates, uses armed coercion and destroys nations in order to expand its colonial influence.
Personal archive photo/Maksym Eristavi
The author of the book, Maksym Eristavi, is a Ukrainian journalist, writer and human rights activist, famous for his insights into Russian colonialism and the defense of LGBTQIA+ rights. His personal and professional struggle against Russian colonialism stems from a deep family experience – Mr. Eristavi’s ancestors suffered from genocides and cultural assimilation, so his books and journalistic works reveal deep historical traumas.
Maksym Eristavi’s works are published in international publications such as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, BBC, CNN, Politico, The Washington Post and many others. The author also creates independent knowledge platforms such as Hromadske International and #Ukrainian Spaces, which aim to decolonize Ukrainian voices and expose Russian crimes to the world.
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