Oleksii Isakov holds a Master in Intercultural Communication Studies and a Bachelor in Linguistics and Translation Studies. His main focus is literature and film. He was born in Odesa and has been living in Germany for the last ten years working at the European-University Viadrina [https://www.europa-uni.de/en/index.html] in Frankfurt a.d. Oder - the only university in Germany with a professorship for Ukrainian History, which says a lot about Ukraine's perception in Germany - and throughout the world. In preparation for our conversation today, Oleksii and I had a short Zoom call a few days ago to get to know each other. Oleksii was recommended to me as a guest on the show by Bastian Bielig, a friend of mine, and we had never met each other before. When I finally stumbled over his academic career in more detail, I was even more impressed than I had already been just by casually talking to him. With all this in my mind, I am extremely grateful for him to take the time and be here with me in the Yellow Van today - and also a tiny little bit nervous because I feel slightly underqualified. Welcome to the Yellow Van, Oleksii! PHOTO courtesy of © Heide Fest SHOW NOTES "Winter On Fire [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4908644/]", Ukraine 2015, Evgeny Afineevsky [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1017958/?ref_=tt_ov_dr] Maidan Uprising [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euromaidan] Kazimir Malevich [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazimir_Malevich], Ukrainian painter Artem Volokitin [https://skyartfound.com/artem-volokitin-biography-en/], Ukrainian painter "Shadow Of Forgotten Ancestors [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadows_of_Forgotten_Ancestors]", Ukraine 1965, Sergei Parajanov [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergei_Parajanov] Taras Shevchenko [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taras_Shevchenko], Ukrainian poet and writer Lina Kostenko [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lina_Kostenko], Ukrainian poet, writer and journalist Serhiy Zhadan [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serhiy_Zhadan], Ukrainian poet and writer Valerian Pidmohylny [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valerian_Pidmohylny], Ukrainian writer and dissident Alexander Dovzhenko [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Dovzhenko], Ukrainian filmmaker IMDb List of 100 Best Ukrainian Films [https://www.imdb.com/list/ls049875378/] Mykhailo Kotsiubynsky [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mykhailo_Kotsiubynsky], Ukrainian author Takflix [https://takflix.com/en/films/tini-zabutykh-predkiv] "Klondike [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt16315948/]", Ukraine 2022, Maryna Er Gorbach [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3372295/?ref_=tt_ov_dr] "Servant Of The People [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6235122/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1]", Ukraine 2015-2019 Myroslav Skoryk [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myroslav_Skoryk], Ukrainian composer Kalush Orchestra [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalush_(rap_group)], Ukrainian rap group INITIATIVES TO SUPPORT Viadrina Emergency Fund [https://www.europa-uni.de/en/struktur/unileitung/pressestelle/Ukraine/ukrainefonds/index.html] National Bank of Ukraine [https://bank.gov.ua/en/news/all/natsionalniy-bank-vidkriv-spetsrahunok-dlya-zboru-koshtiv-na-potrebi-armiyi] MUSIC Love In The Face Of Fear [https://jimkroft.bigcartel.com/product/love-in-the-face-of-fear], Jim Kroft [http://www.jimkroft.com/] Yellow Van Stories is a Mind The Bump [http://www.mindthebump.de/] Product Support the show [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/yellowvan] Yellow Van Stories is a