Monuments, Museums & Mojitos

MMM are back with a brand new episode! Snuggle up and let your ears listen to the wacky, wild and sometimes royal events that have happened on December 25. First up, we unwrap the rather undramatic fall of the USSR, exploring the pivotal moment of Gorbachev's resignation that reshaped the global landscape during Christmas. Next, prepare for a chilling tale as we recount the gripping execution of Nicolae Ceausescu, the former leader of Romania, and the ultimate fate that awaited Ceausescu and his wife, whose downfall shocked the world. Finally, our historical gift box wouldn't be complete without exploring the coronation of Charlemagne. Step into the grandeur of the past as we unravel the festive coronation festivities that marked the beginning of a new era in European history. In this episode, we are drinking gluwein, so pour yourself a festive drink, kick back, and join us for an episode filled with the unexpected, the dramatic, and the historic twists that shaped Christmas celebrations around the world. It's 'Unwrapping Christmas' on this special edition of Monuments, Museums and Mojitos." Show notes: Film - Metronom - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12253164/

Monuments, Museums & Mojitos podcast is BACK with a new episode! Inspired by the Movies, we take a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly of how archaeology is depicted by Hollywood. ✨Highlights include✨

Emergency episode! Art just got attacked in the name of climate activism! At just after 11 a.m. on Friday, two members of Just Stop Oil, a group that seeks to stop oil and gas extraction in Britain, entered room 43 of the National Gallery in London, opened two tins of Heinz cream of tomato soup, and threw them at Vincent van Gogh's “Sunflowers". It is one of six surviving images of sunflowers that van Gogh made in 1888 and 1889 - The New York Times. We had to jump on board and discuss this issue. Our world of culture fell victim to an urgent cry of climate activism. In this emergency episode, we break down what happened, why it happened and what greater message it holds, not just for the UK, but for the entire world. Shownotes: Climate Protesters Throw Soup Over van Gogh's ‘Sunflowers' - The New York Times Just Stop Oil The Aileen Getty Foundation

Food glorious food! It's our season two finale! And a subject close to our hearts (or should we say stomachs) … food & drink!

Imagine: you're an archaeologist in the 19th century, and you're searching for a site straight out of Ancient Greek myth

Is the underground neighbourhood you grew up in now becoming a bit trendy and snazzy? If you've had a whiff of gentrification in your lifetime, then this is an episode for you! We talk placemaking, urban storytelling, community engagement, and gentrification in this week's podcast episode

Here is the second part of our Internation Women's Day special! In this episode, we share the story and insights of the second badass woman of our choice t and discuss their claim to be feminist icons. Our three gals include a fiery queen and distraught mother called Tomyris who halted the advancement of the Persian Empire (kinda a big deal), a female artist who defied the invisible nature of female artists of her time despite the shit she was faced with and; none other than our fave Mexican painter, Frida Khalo, who also had to pave through a non-straightforward route to her success and fame. If you haven't already checked out Part 1 of our Sistory special, click here to listen! This episode comes with a trigger warning: we mention themes of death by suicide, rape, coercion, violence against women, victim-blaming, victim torture and pregnancy loss. Enjoy and let us know what you think!

We love International Women's Day! In honour of this year's celebration, we are presenting to you three badass women of history that you may or may not have heard of. Each one of us picks one of our fave gals from the past and tells their story in this episode. We mention a bold and beautiful ancient Egyptian female Pharoah called Hatasepshut, the queen that should have been, Empress Matilda and; none other than Russia's fave - Catherine the Great. This episode is part 1 of a 2 part series and aims to shine a light on the women of history that don't always make it into our history books. Enjoy and let us know what you think! Ps. Don't forget that Rossini cocktail while you're listening to this one! ****Disclaimer: This episode features Catherine the Great, Empress of Imperial Russia. The MMM team would like to state that they do not endorse Russian Imperialism (or imperialism of any kind) in any way, and stand by Ukraine against Putin's aggression. Shownotes: International Women's Day 2022 Hatshepsut's temple at Deir el-Bahari

It's big, it's bold, it's beautiful! Or, is it? That's right, in this episode we are talking about none other than Barcelona's famous icon - La Sagrada Familia. If you've been to the city, you can't miss this bad boy and you've probably been made aware of Antoni Gaudí as the master of this creation. But did you know that Gaudi only managed to get La Sagrada Familia off the ground and the remaining parts were designed and built by other architects? This raises some questions about the authenticity, integrity and motivations behind La Sagrada Familia (spoiler: it doesn't pay tax) Join us as we pull this apart and give you all the info you need to know to then decide if La Sagrada Familia is legit, or a sham. Don't forget to get your Agua de Valencia cocktail ready while listening to this! Shownotes: La Sagrada Familia facts The World's Oldest Construction Project | Sagrada Familia (video)

Lava hot podcast episode? This is a good one for you! This episode goes down south into Italy to the ancient city of Pompeii - you know, the one engulfed by a fiery volcano that covered everything and everyone in ash! Tune in as we discuss: Pompeii before and after the destructive eruption in 79CE Death, or life in action, on display? Our fascination with the plaster casts of the eruption's victims Ysanne's family curse that says no to her visiting Pompeii Greece's own prehistoric Pompeii, Akrotiri Concerts and events at sites of ancient trauma - yay or nay? Do we all just need to accept we're fascinated with death? Don't forget to sip on this week's cocktail while listening to this ep! Potential trigger warning: In this episode, we talk about death and disaster particularly related to natural disasters/volcanos. We discuss human remains and how we deal with death of the ancient world, today. Enjoy and let us know what you think of this fiery episode! Show notes: Suez Canal + Akrotiri A Day in Pompeii Animation (this is a super cool look into what the eruption of Mt Vesuvius looked liked) British Museum plasters casts on display Plaster Citizens of Pompeii

In this episode, we talk about one of the most famous ancient history structures ever - The Pyramids!! We jump straight into the brain-teasing questions we all have when it comes to these Illuminati looking pyramids - how were these colossal structures built, WHO built them (aliens? slaves? the working class?), what's inside them, which famous guys of history have visited them and the whack, or wise(?), theories about their existence - we let you be the judge of that ;) Don't forget to check out this week's cocktail recipe to drink along while you listen! Shownotes: - Book: All Made Up: The Power and Pitfalls of Beauty Culture, from Cleopatra to Kim Kardashian

This week's episode is all about the true meaning of Christmas - getting drunk and feasting Roman-style! We discuss: The key to a good Christmas song? Is The Muppet Christmas Carol the best movie ever? Is Christmas capitalist? Are Christians the OG copycats? A legendary England-Germany Christmas football match

This week we are diving deeper into the world of Bosnia and Herzegovina. We chat about the break-up of Yugoslavia, and particularly, the horrific consequences this had for Bosnia. We look back at Nikki and Ysanne's trip to Sarajevo this year and take you through some of the best museums this city has. The museums we mention are the Museum of Crimes Against Humanity and Genocide, The War Childhood Museum, Gallery 11/07/95 and the Sarajevo Tunnel Museum. There is a trigger warning for this episode - we discuss facts of history that contain themes of violence, war, trauma, genocide, rape and crimes against humanity. Show notes: - Gallery 11/07/95 - Gallery 11/07/95 TikTok - War Childhood Museum - War Childhood Museum Tiktok - Sarajevo Tunnel Museum - Museum of Crimes Against Humanity and Genocide TikTok - MMM Episode 3 - Eurovision

We are back! Welcome to the first episode of season 2! We are so excited to kick things off with a two-parter on Sarajevo, Bosnia, the OG Yugo Boss ~Tito himself~, and Yugoslavia. Tune in as we discuss: Is rakija dis-gust-ing or delish? The coolest Communist country on the block? Museums, museums, museums ... How did we go from one country to six... We dive deep into pre-Yugoslavian Bosnia (Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian Empires), the formation, peak and dissolution of the country that once was and, the devasting consequences this had for some countries. We focus mainly on Bosnia and explore the Bosnia War and the memory of this national trauma which is still reflected in society today and the museums that pay tribute to these atrocities. We place a trigger warning on this episode (and Part 2). There is a discussion of war, trauma, torture, crimes against humanity and genocide however this is mainly relevant for Part 2 and is only alluded to in this episode. Get in touch with any thoughts/feelings/comments. We love to hear from you! Show notes: - The Death of Yugoslavia. Six-part doco by the BBC - https://bit.ly/334BmII - Museum of Sarajevo 1878-1918 - https://bit.ly/3rQCeLy - Slavoj Zizek — The Ideology of Yugoslavia - https://bit.ly/31KCO2B - Highlights of Sarajevo - https://bit.ly/3ybfirB

The final episode of Monuments, Museums & Mojitos Season One is out now! We round off our two-part discussion on the British Museum (cultural treasure or atrocity?!) Over the two-parter, we discuss the Benin Bronzes, the Rosetta Stone, and the Parthenon Marbles. These are all disputed collections, where the country of origin have demanded these artefacts to be returned, and the British Museum has politely declined...Way to have a negotiation! We tell you a bit about their histories, share our thoughts, and have a natter about just how pig-headed these colonial institutions can be. JIZ5l3ofpN9UP8APhNhO

To round off our first season of the Monuments, Museums & Mojitos, we're having a two-parter on the one and only British Museum! Treasure grabbing thieves, or protectors and saviours of global cultural artefacts? Maybe a bit of both ... We have a good old natter about our own experiences and opinions on the British Museum and other ‘universal' museum institutions with colonial origins. How did they start? Why? And which artefacts are the most disputed?

With our first guest speaker Nikki Alexopoulou, we discuss the Olympics: where it's been, why it happened, and where it's going. From the mythological roots of an ancient religious festival to the politics of the Cold War, to Mr Bean at the London 2012 opening ceremony, there's plenty to mull over! Show notes: The Klepsydra of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games opening ceremony: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bh91qDz4xQU&ab_channel=3V69 Mr Bean at the London 2012 Olympics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwzjlmBLfrQ&ab_channel=Olympics The Athens Olympic Museum: https://athensolympicmuseum.org/en/

“Freeeeeee Nelson Mandela”, the iconic 1984 song by The Specials sings. And this was a global sentiment, after he had been incarcerated for 21 years at that time, 18 of which were spent at the prison and labour camp on Robben Island. We discuss the UNESCO site's history, apartheid, Mandela himself, heritage as narrative, and much more ...

Our cities are littered with them and no one really asked for them to be in our public spaces. What on earth then should we do with these old, historical, bronze, wrinkly statues that mainly consist of old white dudes? Join us as we discuss the issues surrounding statues that are in our public spaces and hold diverse and problematic meanings to different stakeholders. Poli offers his context of growing up in an ex communist country, while ysanne and Nikki talk about their colonial and colonised places of upbringing and the stinky statues that come alongside them

Dior and archaeology!? What's going on??? This week in Athens, Greece the fashion mega house Dior is doing a runway shoot at the Ancient Panathenaic Stadium and a photoshoot on the Acropolis. In this episode, we discuss the commercialisation of heritage, is it a good or bad thing and, at what point do we draw the line. Sit back and join us. And remember, if you see a McDonald's opening at the bottom of Machu Picchu, it's probably not a good thing...

This week, we cover the highs and lows of the one, the only, FAC51 Haçienda nightclub. From a Manchester band who signed to an unlikely label, to the nightclub they opened, the music coming from Chicago, and how Franco's death in Spain changed nightlife forever ... unexpected, right? So if you love ripping up the D floor as we do, tune in for a rundown of how it all started!

As it's Eurovision2021 and as Nikki's love for the contest can never be overstated, she has some extra political gossip for you! And if you're ever in doubt that we actually sip a cocktail during our episodes, this was at least three Moscow Mules in!

This week we take a deep dive into the most iconic music event in the world – The Eurovision Song Contest. Dumbfounded by Nikki's obsession with Eurovision, Ysanne and Poli ask if there's more to it than sequins and off-key high notes. We take you behind the scenes and talk about the politics and history surrounding the contest, and particularly the dramas involving Russia and former Yugoslavian nations. Join us as one Aussie manages to change the perception of the Eurovision Song Contest to a Brit and Bulgarian who provide their own unique perceptions of growing up in the contest's sphere.

Following both the Eid and Easter celebrations of the Orthodox and Islamic communities, in this episode we explore a heritage icon that encompasses both faiths - Hagia Sophia. One of the world's greatest churches and architectural pieces, it embodies the glorious times of both the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires . We take you behind the curtain of Hagia Sophia's multi-faceted identity and entertain you with some goss on populism, politics, and drama.

To give respect to the city that brought the three of us together, in our first episode we will explore Athens' icon- the Acropolis. Perceived as the symbol of democracy, it is a site that has experienced different historical influences. We will give a brief overview of the monument's history, current management and its place in the Athenian landscape.