In Ukraine, the Name's the Thing

Russians are very nice people, but Vladimir Putin's invasion conjures tragic memories of Ivan the Terrible and Joseph Stalin

Russian Matryoshka dolls via Pixabay

All of a sudden, the unthinkable has once again become something we’re all thinking about.  But it’s not the Russian people who have taken us into the war zone.  Russians are very nice people, It’s Vladimir Putin, whose  invasion of Ukraine conjures tragic memories of people like Ivan the Terrible and Joseph Stalin.

We’re in a moment that demands reflection.  So on today’s Jazprose Diaries, a piece called “In Ukraine, the Name’s the Thing”—a few thoughts on the Russians I’ve known, Russia’s ruthless history of crushing its neighbors, and why a name sometimes means everything.