In the second episode of the documentary narrative podcast 'Why Do They Steal?,' we explore the legacy of the Ukrainian Hetman Ivan Mazepa. We delve into the ongoing lack of understanding of the significance of this historical figure. This episode investigates the russian aversion to anything associated with Mazepa while harboring a desire to appropriate the Hetman’s legacy.For instance, the Lev (Lion) cannon, rushed by the russians to become a symbol of their empire, was left uncharged. Or consider the Pigeon Bell, awkwardly rescued and subsequently mishandled, leading to its ultimate breakage. Moreover, we examine why, even after 300 years, the russians can’t get over Mazepa.The material was prepared with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation. The material reflects the position of the authors and does not necessarily coincide with the position of the International Renaissance Foundation.Production: 435 FILMSShowrunners: Kornii Hrytsyuk and Anna PalenchukScriptwriters: Kornii Hrytsyuk and Yurii MarchenkoProducer and Narrator: Anna PalenchukSound Supervisor: Vasyl YavtushenkoAssistant: Iryna TerletskaProject Coordinator: Olena KirichekEnglish Translation: Anastasiia PerunEnglish Voice-Over: Alina Zevakova, Rob Feldman, Kateryna HordiienkoEnglish Voice-Over Recording: Pavlo Melnyk, Alla ShmatokEditors: Oleksandr Vitraniuk, Vadym StepanovPodcast Cover Designer: Anton VasylievUkrainska Pravda:Head of Podcasts: Fedir PopadiukYouTube Manager: Dmytro Moskvych

"Why Do They Steal?" is a documentary narrative podcast uncovering the centuries-long theft of Ukrainian cultural treasures by russia. The appropriation of Scythian gold, the heritage of Ukrainian Cossacks, and ancient mosaics and frescoes from Ukrainian cathedrals. Across five episodes, we delve into how these valuables ended up in russian museums and strategies for their potential return.In the first episode, we explore the Scythians, a nation revered by Herodotus, 'the father of history'. We examine a unique kurgan in the currently russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Melitopol and delve into the russians' kidnapping of the Director of the Melitopol Museum of Local History. Additionally, we discuss the Scythian gold collection found in the Melitopol Kurgan and examine russia's attempts to appropriate not only relics but the entire Scythian culture.The material was prepared with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation. The material reflects the position of the authors and does not necessarily coincide with the position of the International Renaissance Foundation."Why Do They Steal?" is the English adaptation of a Ukrainian podcast with the same title, released in Autumn 2022.Production: 435 FILMSShowrunners: Kornii Hrytsyuk and Anna PalenchukScriptwriters: Kornii Hrytsyuk and Yurii MarchenkoProducer and Narrator: Anna PalenchukSound Supervisor: Vasyl YavtushenkoAssistant: Iryna TerletskaProject Coordinator: Olena KirichekEnglish Translation: Anastasiia PerunEnglish Voice-Over: Alina Zevakova, Rob Feldman, Kateryna HordiienkoEnglish Voice-Over Recording: Pavlo Melnyk, Alla ShmatokEditors: Oleksandr Vitraniuk, Vadym StepanovPodcast Cover Designer: Anton VasylievUkrainska Pravda:Head of Podcasts: Fedir PopadiukYouTube Manager: Dmytro MoskvychGuests of the Podcast:Anton DrobovychYurii BoltrykLeila IbrahimovaOleksandr LiubyshkoIvan SydorYurii LosytskyiYevheniia KulebaElmira AblyalimovaDiana KlochkoAndriy KarnaukhovLiudmyla StrokovaMaksym BlakytnyiOlga Kovalevska