Dreaming a City: From Wales to Ukraine

In the inaugural BAFTA Cymru ceremony in 1991, author Colin Thomas received the BAFTA for Best Documentary for the BBC TV series Hughesovka and the New Russia, directed by himself and presented by eminent Welsh historian Gwyn Alf Williams. This short volume of social and political history stems from that series. It looks into how the town came to be founded in the 1870s by a Welshman in what was then the Russian-held territory of Ukraine, and traces its subsequent history through industrialization, revolution, Communist rule as part of the USSR, and the independence of Ukraine upon the USSR's break-up. Themes include capitalism vs. communism, nationalism vs. internationalism, and freedom vs. exploitation. Through analysis of Hughesovka’s development, we explore the retreat from political idealism and the nature of hope and disillusion. Anyone struggling to understand the present-day war in Ukraine will find this rewarding background reading on the complex situation which still entangles Ukraine, Russia and the West to this day.

Includes free (PAL format) DVD of award-winning BBC TV documentary series Hughesovka and the New Russia, directed by the author.

“The recent events in the East of Ukraine make this book very current and an important piece of the puzzle for anyone who wants to understand the situation in which Russia, Ukraine, and the West are all entangled.” - Alexander Korobko, CEO, Russian Hour

“The name Colin Thomas... a guarantee of intelligence and scrupulous integrity.” - The Financial Times

“A book for anyone interested not only in one man's remarkable vision and drive, but also social and political history played out on a large stage, but examined on a very human level.” - Michael Nobbs, Gwales.com