Past Interviews

Defection and the Cold War


Guest: Erik Scott on defection, the Cold War, and the regulation of borders and movement in a globalizing world.

Ainu Fever

Roma Shatrov is the founder of the Silent Cape Nature Park in Sakhalin. Irina Grudova is Ainu, the indigenous inhabitants of Sakhalin. Roma is obsessed with Ainu history and culture and has dedicated the Silent Cape to revitalizing their tradition. Irina is a local Ainu activist and is skeptical of such outsiders looking to exploit her heritage. Yet Roma and Irina instantly hit it off and formed a strong bond over their mutual love of the Ainu. Rusana Novikova brings us a story about the romanticism and self-discovery at the heart of Irina and Roma’s complicated friendship, and its potential promise for Ainu and Russian relations.

Theology after Gulag


Guest: Katya Tolstaya on theology, belief, and the remaning spiritual scars after Gulag.

Christianity in China

Guests: Fenggang Yang and Kung Lap Yan on Christianity, worship, and religious persecution in China.