Portnikov effectively put the "good Russian" Latynina in her place by giving an excursion into history, and caused a stir on social media. Video

Ukrainian journalist Vitaly Portnikov effectively "smashed" Russian opposition journalist Yulia Latynina in a discussion about "fraternal peoples" and joint empire building. In response to the "good Russian woman's" accusations that Ukrainians had taken on the role of victims in vain, he emotionally conducted an excursion into history.

The journalist noted that in every case when Russians recognized Ukrainians as "partners" and equals, the latter had to give up their self-identification and Ukrainianness. All these people were, in fact, traitors and collaborators. The heated discussion took place on Feygin Live and caused a significant public outcry.

Latynina's position

Latynina was the first to start the conversation. She stated that Ukrainian "military propaganda" allegedly portrays Russians as "genetic imperials" and Ukrainians as "light elves," but this is inappropriate. According to her, Ukraine and Russia allegedly built the Russian Empire together, and no one humiliated anyone.

"A huge number of Ukrainians, statesmen - from Paskevych, Rumyantsev and Razumovsky to Brezhnev, Semichastny and Pidhirny. That is, Ukraine had at least a blocking stake in this empire. It is rather ridiculous to consider this period as oppression. Because I don't understand why we should consider ourselves victims if people are winners," the Russian said.

She also drew a comparison with the Austro-Hungarian Empire, where there were significantly fewer Ukrainians in public office.

Portnikov's response

Commenting on Latynina's statements, Portnikov first of all said that he does not consider himself a propagandist, he is a journalist, and no war or other cataclysms will affect his position.

"And I do not believe that I should lie to the Russian occupier on Ukrainian soil and say that he came to his brothers, if he has no relation to the people on this land, and his family ties are connected exclusively with the fact that the empire mixed peoples," the journalist emotionally emphasized.

He called such theses propaganda narratives and accused Mark Feygin and Yulia Latynina of promoting "professional propagandists and crooks" on their programs.

Portnikov further categorically rejected the thesis of a "blocking package" - a sufficient level of influence in the USSR and during the tsarist era - and equality in empire building.

"This is a lie. Because only those people of Ukrainian ethnic origin who renounced their own identity and accepted someone else's, Moscow's, and then the Russian national identity, could participate in the construction of the Russian Empire," the journalist said.

He recalled that Ukrainians who were not ready to renounce their own nationality were "second-class citizens" who were always persecuted and despised.

The journalist argued that neither during the Russian Empire nor during the Soviet era did Ukrainians ever have equal rights with Russians. In particular, he recalled a period in history "when Andriy Boholyubsky created what would become Moscow and Russia."

"The first thing that happened was the destruction of Kyiv. What kind of partnership is it when you are robbed, killed and raped? What we have seen in Bucha now was on the same scale under Andriy Boholyubsky. What kind of partnership are we talking about when the troops of another madman, Peter the Great, completely destroyed Baturyn, women and children? What kind of partnership are we talking about when in the 20s of the twentieth century all your armies that took part in the civil war for the future of Russia, both white and red, destroyed Ukrainian statehood, Denikin, Lenin? What kind of partnership is this with Russia?" Portnikov reminded Latynina.

He also refused to "take seriously the nonsense" of Russians that Ukrainians were partners in the Russian Empire and second-class citizens in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

"This is not true," the journalist emphasized.

Social media reaction

This heated discussion stirred up social media. First of all, the video of the broadcast on Portnikov's YouTube channel received about 9,000 comments. Even Russians "came" there, expressing shame for Latynina, admiring the Ukrainian journalist's "mega-education" and calling the discussion a real "intellectual flogging."

"I'm from Moscow and I feel burning shame at Latynina's position and complete lack of empathy," "Russians will never understand what Portnikov is talking about... I am a Georgian. And since childhood, I was taught who was a Georgian and who remained a Georgian to the end. They are the ones we hold on to", "Vitaliy Portnikov has my deepest respect. Thanks to such patriots, Ukraine still exists," commentators wrote.

The program and the reaction to it were also shared on other social media. In particular, communications specialist Iryna Kobylchenko called the program "a brilliant battle on imperialism, ethnicity and identity and the difference between them."

"Portnikov is brilliant and well-reasoned. No naphthalene Latynina in her red leather chair with pearls and imperial brain staples. And nervous, confused Feigin with his constant counting of viewers and minutes," Kobylchenko wrote.

Ukrainian MP and historian Volodymyr Vyatrovych noted that "Portnikov has perfectly demonstrated that Russians can and should be smeared not only on sports fields."

Facebook user Serhiy Tvardovsky noted that according to the results of the voting of about 16 thousand viewers of the broadcast, 87% of them preferred Portnikov's arguments (against 5% for Latynina).

In addition, Ukrainians on social media have expressed doubts that Latynina is really an oppositionist, as her statements are too reminiscent of propaganda narratives.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, in February 2024, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin said in an interview with American propagandist Tucker Carlson that Ukraine was allegedly invented by Joseph Dzhugashvili (Stalin) and the Poles. According to Putin, "the beginning of the creation of the Russian state is 862." He apparently does not know that the word Russia did not exist until the time of Peter the Great.

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