Michael Gentile
@michaelgentile.bsky.social
Professor in human geography at the University of Oslo. My current research interests surround the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Putin belongs behind bars.
This is a Russian molnya drone on display at the ATO museum in Dnipro. Plywood, styrofoam, pure state of the art... but effective in its simplicity. But still... it shows that if we want to, we can defeat them.
November 13, 2025 at 5:36 PM
This is a Russian molnya drone on display at the ATO museum in Dnipro. Plywood, styrofoam, pure state of the art... but effective in its simplicity. But still... it shows that if we want to, we can defeat them.
Sist jag tittade var bara hans ena stövel kvar, sedan en byggarbetsplats. Just denna gång tittade jag dock inte. När det gäller Derzhprom är det baksidan som träffats. Se bilden som jag tog i somras.
November 13, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Sist jag tittade var bara hans ena stövel kvar, sedan en byggarbetsplats. Just denna gång tittade jag dock inte. När det gäller Derzhprom är det baksidan som träffats. Se bilden som jag tog i somras.
More fogscapes from Zaporizzhia (first two) and Dnipro, respectively (10 November).
November 13, 2025 at 3:01 PM
More fogscapes from Zaporizzhia (first two) and Dnipro, respectively (10 November).
Was in Zaporizzhia the other day, where patriotic messaging differs in comparison with Kharkiv. Zaporizzhia typically refers to national level, as here: "Zaporizzhia is the cradle of Ukrainian Statehood". Kharkiv mainly communicates using local patriotism ("We're together, we're Kharkivites") 1/
November 13, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Was in Zaporizzhia the other day, where patriotic messaging differs in comparison with Kharkiv. Zaporizzhia typically refers to national level, as here: "Zaporizzhia is the cradle of Ukrainian Statehood". Kharkiv mainly communicates using local patriotism ("We're together, we're Kharkivites") 1/
I was both pleased and surprised to discover a copy of Baltic Worlds on display at the Museum of the Contemporary Russo-Ukrainian War, Dnipro (a.k.a. ATO museum). I'm on the editorial board of the magazine - never imagined it'd become a museum exhibit at a prominent nation-building site in Ukraine!
November 13, 2025 at 2:48 PM
I was both pleased and surprised to discover a copy of Baltic Worlds on display at the Museum of the Contemporary Russo-Ukrainian War, Dnipro (a.k.a. ATO museum). I'm on the editorial board of the magazine - never imagined it'd become a museum exhibit at a prominent nation-building site in Ukraine!
Scenes from the Derzhprom, Kharkiv's (in my opinion) most prominent and globally (architecturally) significant landmark. The boarded windows are because of multiple explosions in the vicinity (and the back side of Derzhprom actually got a direct hit by a Shahed drone).
November 13, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Scenes from the Derzhprom, Kharkiv's (in my opinion) most prominent and globally (architecturally) significant landmark. The boarded windows are because of multiple explosions in the vicinity (and the back side of Derzhprom actually got a direct hit by a Shahed drone).
A café in Kharkiv's Maidan Svobody has beautifully appropriated public space.
November 13, 2025 at 2:39 PM
A café in Kharkiv's Maidan Svobody has beautifully appropriated public space.
I went back to Kramatorsk the other day, this time by car (rather than by marshrutka), and together with Swedish journalist @alexvoronov.bsky.social, who not only is an outstanding expert on Ukraine (esp. regarding military affairs) but also a great driver. The road is now mostly secured... 1/
November 12, 2025 at 11:26 AM
I went back to Kramatorsk the other day, this time by car (rather than by marshrutka), and together with Swedish journalist @alexvoronov.bsky.social, who not only is an outstanding expert on Ukraine (esp. regarding military affairs) but also a great driver. The road is now mostly secured... 1/
The beauty of Kharkivite borshch.
November 11, 2025 at 6:59 PM
The beauty of Kharkivite borshch.
I thought I was sitting on a Ukrainian marshrutka, but it turns out I'm in Peru.
November 11, 2025 at 5:24 PM
I thought I was sitting on a Ukrainian marshrutka, but it turns out I'm in Peru.
A short clip from when it wasn't even at its worst.
November 11, 2025 at 11:30 AM
A short clip from when it wasn't even at its worst.
I dislike Huntington's clash of civilizations thesis, but this quote from his 1993 article strikes me as particularly prophetic: "“A Western democrat could carry on an intellectual debate with a Soviet Marxist. It would be virtually impossible for him to do that with a Russian traditionalist. (1)
"
"
October 15, 2025 at 10:52 PM
I dislike Huntington's clash of civilizations thesis, but this quote from his 1993 article strikes me as particularly prophetic: "“A Western democrat could carry on an intellectual debate with a Soviet Marxist. It would be virtually impossible for him to do that with a Russian traditionalist. (1)
"
"
On my way back home from London, where I had the pleasure of being the external examiner of an excellent PhD thesis at UCL. And I also allowed myself to take two 25 km-walks - one after midnight and one this morning. Here are some sights.
October 8, 2025 at 9:39 PM
On my way back home from London, where I had the pleasure of being the external examiner of an excellent PhD thesis at UCL. And I also allowed myself to take two 25 km-walks - one after midnight and one this morning. Here are some sights.
Last week I took my students on a field trip to Stockholm. Stockholm was more beautiful than I have ever seen it before (and I used to live there). The last picture is from Solna, so technically not Stockholm.
October 8, 2025 at 9:16 PM
Last week I took my students on a field trip to Stockholm. Stockholm was more beautiful than I have ever seen it before (and I used to live there). The last picture is from Solna, so technically not Stockholm.
Musk har storköpt aktier i Tesla. Betyder det att han tänker (tillfälligt?) skippa fascismen så att kursen kan vända uppåt?
September 15, 2025 at 11:35 AM
Musk har storköpt aktier i Tesla. Betyder det att han tänker (tillfälligt?) skippa fascismen så att kursen kan vända uppåt?
Ni som är bildade: kan man verkligen säga "norskar" som DI gör här? Har aldrig sett det förut. Och det känns väldigt fel.
September 14, 2025 at 3:19 PM
Ni som är bildade: kan man verkligen säga "norskar" som DI gör här? Har aldrig sett det förut. Och det känns väldigt fel.
"Rashism" (the Russian brand of Fascism) has now received its legal definition in Ukraine and I think it's rather well formulated law № 4579-IX (loosely translated in reply):
August 30, 2025 at 11:52 AM
"Rashism" (the Russian brand of Fascism) has now received its legal definition in Ukraine and I think it's rather well formulated law № 4579-IX (loosely translated in reply):
From today's ISW map. Ukrainian forces are still only two miles away from New York (Donetsk oblast):
August 9, 2025 at 11:59 AM
From today's ISW map. Ukrainian forces are still only two miles away from New York (Donetsk oblast):
Det var lite så jag misstänkte. Men nu kontrar jag med den här, i centrala Kram ((numera vul. Stusa).
August 7, 2025 at 7:57 AM
Det var lite så jag misstänkte. Men nu kontrar jag med den här, i centrala Kram ((numera vul. Stusa).
Maslow's pyramid of needs dominates the Frankfurt skyline.
July 23, 2025 at 9:20 PM
Maslow's pyramid of needs dominates the Frankfurt skyline.
I had never tried this before, but crossing the UA-PL border on foot at the Shehyny-Medyka border crossing is fairly easy and much better than taking the bus directly to Poland (which can mean spending 12 hours at the border). Train still preferable, but very often sold out.
June 23, 2025 at 5:07 PM
I had never tried this before, but crossing the UA-PL border on foot at the Shehyny-Medyka border crossing is fairly easy and much better than taking the bus directly to Poland (which can mean spending 12 hours at the border). Train still preferable, but very often sold out.
Also Murmansk, 1993. View over the "untouched" Soviet city centre. The wooden building has been demolished as per Streetview. These were difficult years for Russia, but there was hope. Today is just as difficult, but with no hope until the whole edifice gets blown up by internal or external forces.
June 18, 2025 at 6:58 PM
Also Murmansk, 1993. View over the "untouched" Soviet city centre. The wooden building has been demolished as per Streetview. These were difficult years for Russia, but there was hope. Today is just as difficult, but with no hope until the whole edifice gets blown up by internal or external forces.
Found this in my photo archive today. Murmansk. 1993. I was a teenager, Russia a newborn. Pity it didn't stay that way (Russia, I mean, not myself).
June 18, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Found this in my photo archive today. Murmansk. 1993. I was a teenager, Russia a newborn. Pity it didn't stay that way (Russia, I mean, not myself).
Borshch in Kramatorsk. Slava Ukrayini!
June 13, 2025 at 11:18 AM
Borshch in Kramatorsk. Slava Ukrayini!