#015 - Childhood During the Chechen Wars with Lana Estemirova

In this episode of The Long View, Lana Estemirova, journalist and human rights activist, joins Elizabeth Culp for a conversation on growing up during the Chechen wars and the lasting impact of conflict on personal and political life.

Drawing from her memoir, Please Live: The Chechen Wars, My Mother and Me, Estemirova shares an intimate account of her childhood shaped by war, as well as the enduring influence of her mother, Natalia Estemirova, a leading Memorial human rights activist.

The discussion explores the broader implications of the Chechen conflicts of the 1990s and 2000s, examining their role in shaping Chechnya’s political trajectory and the importance of civic engagement in confronting injustice.

Blending personal narrative with historical insight, this episode offers a powerful reflection on resilience, memory, and activism across Russia and the post-Soviet states.