Obscuristan – Details, episodes & analysis

Anna and Karena are ~back~ with special guest Daniel Voskoboynik to discuss the life of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and what his death means for those of us not quite at the heart of the Russian empire. PLUS a few special announcements about a wonderful new project in the works. Follow us on https://thefirethesetimes.com/ for more updates on that! Music by Sarven Yapar.

Karena and Anna share some gossip on the recent influx of Russian emigres in Yerevan following the War on Ukraine and discuss the pros, cons, consequences, and colonizer vibes that have accompanied them.

Karena tells Anna about Emomali Rahmon's recent decolonial girlboss moment. Anna encourages him to #quietquit instead. Our hosts also have a chat about what colonial consciousness looks like in Eurasia and what we can learn from talking to each other. Find us on Twitter @ObscuristanPod Produced by Samson Martirosyan. Music by Sarven Yapar.

Karena tells us about the life and times of Turkmenbashi I, which brings her and Anna to a discussion about the absurdity of cults of personality, the damage they cause, and the empathy we extend to their victims depending on where they are. Find us on Twitter @ObscuristanPod Music by Sarven Yapar. Production by Samson Martirosyan.

Anna and Karena discuss the illustrious career of none other than Russian pop-star Philipp Kirkorov, what his path tells us about gay rights in Russia, and why joining the Russian elite is never it, fam. Find us on Twitter @ObscuristanPod Music by Sarven Yapar.

Karena and Anna discuss the ongoing conflict in Armenia and tell you a little bit about why you are having the worst time keeping up with any of it. Find us on Twitter @ObscuristanPod Music by Sarven Yapar.

In this episode, I join Elia Ayoub of The Fire These Times to speak with Efe Levent, editor of Mangal Media, about what it meant to collaborate on my article "Thunder, The Rose, and Ethnic Cleansing" about the erasure of Armenian cultural heritage in Artsakh. When a Turkish editor and an Armenian writer come together to shape this story about the ethnic cleansing of Armenians in Artsakh, history becomes part of the editing process. We discuss the challenges and revelations of working across a painful history, how the Armenian Genocide shaped our respective perspectives, and why narratives of suffering—whether of victims or perpetrators—must be told with nuance. We also reflect on the blind spots of white Western analysts when it comes to struggles on the periphery. This is a conversation about editing, history, and the power of storytelling for memory and bridging divides. Links mentioned: - The Fire These Times: https://thefirethesetimes.com - Article "Thunder, The Rose, and Ethnic Cleansing": https://mangalmedia.substack.com/p/thunder-the-rose-and-ethnic-cleansing Obscuristan is a proud member of From The Periphery (FTP) Media Collective. Check out other projects in our media ecosystem: - From The Periphery: https://fromtheperiphery.com - Mutual Aid Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5yOQU0aXxIaaxMS4GNfhXA - Politically Depressed: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/politically-depressed/id1723536158 - Antidote Zine: https://antidotezine.com How to Support: - Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fromtheperiphery - Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/from-the-periphery/id6502243642 - Monthly Hangouts: https://fromtheperiphery.com/hangout Find us: - Karena Avedissian: https://bsky.app/profile/karena1.bsky.social - Efe Levent/Mangal Media: https://mangalmedia.substack.com & https://www.instagram.com/mangalmedia - Elia Ayoub: https://spore.social/@ayoub, https://www.instagram.com/eliajayoub, https://bsky.app/profile/ayoub.bsky.social, Newsletter: https://hauntologies.net - The Fire These Times: https://www.instagram.com/firethesetimes, https://www.youtube.com/@thefirethesetimes, https://thefirethesetimes.com - From The Periphery: https://www.patreon.com/fromtheperiphery, https://bsky.app/profile/fromtheperiphery.bsky.social, https://www.youtube.com/@thefirethesetimes, https://instagram.com/fromtheperipherymedia, https://fromtheperiphery.com Credits: Hosts: Karena Avedissian and Elia Ayoub | Guest: Efe Levent | Sound Editor: Elliott Miskovicz (http://www.astickandastone.com) *From The Periphery* is built by Elia Ayoub, Leila Al-Shami, Ayman Makarem, Dana El Kurd, Karena Avedissian, Daniel Voskoboynik, Anna M, Aydın Yıldız, Ed S, Alice Bonfatti and israa abd elfattah. [⁠](http://www.astickandastone.com/)