Maksym Eristavi, Russian Colonialism 101. How to Occupy a Neighbor and Get Away with It. An Illustrated Guide - Instytut Pileckiego

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Maksym Eristavi, Russian Colonialism 101. How to Occupy a Neighbor and Get Away with It. An Illustrated Guide

Maksym Eristavi’s “Russian Colonialism 101. How to Occupy a Neighbor and Get Away with It. An Illustrated Guide” (IST Publishing) won the the Witold Pilecki International Book Award in the “special prize” category.

In the “special prize” category, the Awards Committee was looking for the best book that bears testimony to the criminal actions of contemporary totalitarian and authoritarian systems, describes the tragic fate of populations affected by wars and armed conflicts, and condemns deliber­ate and persistent violation of human rights.

Just before Russia’s attack, the Ukrainian journalist went online to publish a list of Russian invasions in recent decades. His post immediately went viral. In cooperation with other Ukraini­an artists, the author transformed it in­to an illustrated “guide to Russian inva­sions”, hoping to bring public attention to the aggressor’s pattern of behavior and long-standing impunity.

Maksym Eristavi is a journalist, podcast­er and author of multimedia educational projects. His works combine investiga­tive journalism with storytelling to expose Russia’s imperial politics.

It is a visually appealing, minimalist guide to Russian imperialism, said Krzysztof Kosior, the great-grandson of Witold Pilecki and a member of the Awards Committee, in his commendation speech. This approach is unique, even groundbreaking, as it draws on the Internet meme culture, where an image with a short comment refers to an event or a situation.

This concept, which is both innovative and very modern, made a deep impression on me. Behind each drawing and each note, there are carefully selected sources: quotes from historical publications, the press, public statements and other materials available online. Each element offers a comment, but it for the readers to decide whether it is pertinent or not, as they discover further details and contexts, emphasized Krzysztof Kosior.

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