Recommendations from the Kyiv Independent — for those who want to learn about Ukraine's modern history, but don't know where to start. (Patreon)

Hi, this is Martin Fornusek, a reporter at the Kyiv Independent, here with a recommendation for what to binge-watch this summer if you want to learn more about the turbulent events of 20th-century Ukraine while also getting hooked on the story.

"There will be people" (І будуть люди) is a 12-episode historical drama that takes you through the twists and turns of World War I, the Bolshevik revolution, Ukraine's unsuccessful struggle for independence, and Stalin's Holodomor through the eyes of the denizens of the small village of Tarasivka in Poltava Oblast.

Even as a self-declared history nerd, I know that this part of Ukrainian history can be hard to navigate. And let's be honest, it's not like Hollywood is in any rush to make an epic about the rise and fall of the Ukrainian People's Republic.

That's why I find this Arkadii Nepytaliuk's miniseries perfect for those who want to get a hang of the story in an approachable way, without having to read stacks of history books beforehand.

Going through these events from the perspective of a well-off, hardworking peasant, a poor farmhand-turned-Bolshevik official, a daughter of an Orthodox priest, or a fugitive Ukrainian independence fighter makes you see the history as it was — a set of human stories, more often than not with tragic ends.

Without spoiling too much, my personal — albeit somewhat dark — highlight is the series's last episodes. 

Amid the Stalinist repressions and the Holodomor, an artificial famine that killed millions in Soviet Ukraine, characters are forced into impossible choices between survival and humanity, between loyalty and conscience, with even the most idealistic characters ground down and cast away by the regime.

If my recommendation piqued your interest, you can find the entire show on Netflix.