Podcasts about Tsar

Robert Owen was a factory owner, a social reformer, the father of British socialism… and possibly the nicest company-town tyrant in history.  Long before Karl Marx called for revolution, Owen tried to build a kinder version of capitalism: humane factories, universal education, shorter work days, and workers treated like human beings instead of expendable machinery.  His model industrial town at New Lanark became world famous, attracting kings, intellectuals, and even the Tsar of Russia.  But success convinced Owen he could go further. So he sold everything and moved to Indiana to build a socialist utopia from scratch. What followed was a chaotic experiment involving communal child rearing, endless committee meetings, militant intellectuals, religious clashes, labor shortages, and eventually… the ghost of Thomas Jefferson. In this episode, Heaton travels to Scotland to explore the strange rise and catastrophic collapse of Robert Owen's alternate-universe socialism—and asks whether history might have looked very different if Owenism, rather than Marxism, had become the dominant socialist tradition.

False Dmitry asserted that he was Dmitry Ivanovich, the youngest son of Ivan the Terrible. With support from Polish nobles, mercenaries, and anti-Godunov factions, he entered Russian territory from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in ...

De plus en plus paranoïaque, le « Tsar » est plus isolé que jamais. Mais il continuera de serrer les boulons de son régime jusqu'à une incertaine « victoire »… ou jusqu'à sa propre chute .Hébergé par Ausha. Visitez ausha.co/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

Send us a message!The story continues with Yaga at Ivan's palace, trying to find Anastasia's poisoner. Is she going to get herself in trouble in the process? Read along with us to find out! Music is by Alexander Nakarada.Support the show

Send us a message!If you've been with us since the beginning, you know that Russian folklore and the Romanovs are special to us. The novel we are starting next combines both of those things into one amazing story! Join us as we are introduced to Baba Yaga (the witch) and Ivan the Terrible (the Tsar) in this historical fantasy standalone. Music is by Alexander Nakarada.Support the show

Après l'abdication du Tsar, Lénine rentre à Petrograd pour imposer aux bolcheviks une ligne radicale…En février 1917, la Russie est confrontée à une grave crise économique et sociale. C'est dans ce contexte tumultueux que Lénine, réfugié en Suisse depuis plusieurs années, va tout mettre en œuvre pour s'emparer du pouvoir et mener la révolution bolchévique.Franck Ferrand revient sur le parcours incroyable de cet homme qui, parti d'une profonde dépression face à l'écroulement de la monarchie tsariste, va finalement réussir à s'imposer comme le dirigeant de la nouvelle Russie soviétique.

SUPPORT THE SHOW ON PATREON https://www.patreon.com/lionsledbydonkeys SEE US LIVE MAY 29TH IN LONDON: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lions-led-by-donkeys-podcast-live-in-london-29th-may-tickets-1985443952308 CAN'T MAKE IT? WE'RE STREAMING IT! GET YOUR STREAMING TICKETS: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/livestream-lions-led-by-donkeys-podcast-live-in-london-29th-may-2026-tickets-1985444086710 PRE ORDER JOE'S NEW BOOK! https://www.amazon.com/Highlands-Burn-Foundling-Brigade-Saga-ebook/dp/B0GSG5CNXX/ref=sr_1_1?crid=QWHSPAADI07D&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.uLEY0I7D6t0IC9GWsF7SH1FKEgKqsqTLmV4PQ_lLi-wVUCYgTqIv0BWd9_-x3VzP.xn7v2CqU5MjngXmmSbYvVGsY_fxkvgsz-LA2tkhHHTs&dib_tag=se&keywords=joseph+kassabian&qid=1774247705&s=digital-text&sprefix=%2Cdigital-text%2C176&sr=1-1 Once upon a time the Russian Empire funded the construction of what might be the world's dumbest tank that is arguably not a tank at all. Larger than any of its peers during WWI, the Tsar Tank goes down in history due to its strange shape, weird wheels, and the fact that developers of the Battlefield video game series thought it was too unrealistic to put it in one of their games. SOURCES: Zaloga, Steven. Grandsen, James. Soviet Tanks and Combat Vehicles of World War Two. Milsom, John. Russian Tanks, 1900-1970 https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/the-tsar-tank-is-possibly-the-strangest-tank-ever-devised https://www.rbth.com/defence/2014/09/29/the_first_russian_tanks_a_long_and_difficult_road_to_the_battlefield_40199.html https://www.thearmorylife.com/tsar-tank-russias-secret-wwi-weapon/ http://www.landships.info/landships/tank_articles/Lebedenko.html

In front of an audience at the Hay Festival, Tom Sutcliffe hosts Radio 4's discussion programme which starts the week, bringing together three thinkers who each, in different ways, examine the stories societies tell about themselves, and how those stories become enduring myths.Historian Antony Beevor investigates the life of Rasputin, a figure who has long hovered between fact and legend. His new work asks how a barely literate peasant from Siberia, the so-called ‘mad monk', managed to bewitch the Romanovs, and how the wild stories that swirled around him, inexorably led to the Tsar's downfall. Philosopher Susan Neiman turns to the moral narratives that underpin contemporary political life. Her work asks whether universal values can still guide societies when myths of division are so compelling.Classicist, broadcaster and performer Natalie Haynes brings the ancient world into sharp modern focus. Her retellings of Greek myths restore voice and agency to characters, particularly women, who have been sidelined or simplified by centuries of interpretation. Her latest novel, No Friend to This House, puts the abandoned Medea centre stage.Producer: Katy Hickman

In his latest book "The Lost Empire of Alfred Nobel", New York Times Bestselling Author Douglas Brunt tells the fascinating tale of the rise and fall of the world's  largest oil dynasty. Emanuel Nobel took the reigns of his family's massive Russian petroleum conglomerate  just as the Automotive Age began and the steam engine was giving way to internal combustion. Oil had become the lifeblood of human endeavor.Nobel eclipsed business rivals like the Rothschilds and John D. Rockefeller and earned the favor of the Tsar himself. Yet just as he seemed invincible, the winds of war and political change swept over Imperial Russia and threatening his family fortune and even his life.It's a sweeping tale in the far-flung reaches of the Russian Empire from Baku on the Caspian Sea to the streets of Saint Petersburg, swirling with a cast of characters including The Romanovs, Rasputin, Lenin, Stalin, Rudolf Diesel, and Winston Churchill.  "The Lost Empire of Emanuel Nobel" is available now at fine booksellers everywhere.BUY “The Lost Empire of Emanuel Nobel”VISIT Douglas Brunt's WebsiteSUPPORT THE PODCASTSUBSCRIBE to Horsepower Heritage on YouTubeFIND US ON THE WEBINSTAGRAM: @horsepowerheritageSupport the showHELP us grow the audience! SHARE the Podcast with your friends!

By the 1930s, filmmakers had access to a backlog of footage from nearly forty years of motion pictures, allowing them to create a new kind of film stitched together from the raw material of older films. At around the same time, the transition to synchronous sound added a transformative new element to the grammar of cinema: the voiceover narration. Together, the film inventory and offscreen commentary gave rise to the archival documentary, the motion picture genre that preserves and rewinds history. In How Film Became History: The Rise of the Archival Documentary in 1930s America (Columbia University Press, 2026), Dr. Thomas Doherty tells the story of the archival documentary, spotlighting the first films that set out deliberately to preserve history on screen. He shows how newsreels and documentaries challenged the era's restrictive censorship and how film began to engage with the great political issues of the day. Doherty considers a range of films—some well-known, others obscure—including J. Stuart Blackton's The Film Parade (1933), Laurence Stallings and Truman Talley's The First World War (1934), Cornelius Vanderbilt Jr.'s Hitler's Reign of Terror (1934), Max Eastman and Herbert Axelbank's Tsar to Lenin (1937), and the March of Time screen magazine. Tracing the creation of the archival documentary, How Film Became History illuminates how motion pictures have come to shape our vision of the past. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

By the 1930s, filmmakers had access to a backlog of footage from nearly forty years of motion pictures, allowing them to create a new kind of film stitched together from the raw material of older films. At around the same time, the transition to synchronous sound added a transformative new element to the grammar of cinema: the voiceover narration. Together, the film inventory and offscreen commentary gave rise to the archival documentary, the motion picture genre that preserves and rewinds history. In How Film Became History: The Rise of the Archival Documentary in 1930s America (Columbia University Press, 2026), Dr. Thomas Doherty tells the story of the archival documentary, spotlighting the first films that set out deliberately to preserve history on screen. He shows how newsreels and documentaries challenged the era's restrictive censorship and how film began to engage with the great political issues of the day. Doherty considers a range of films—some well-known, others obscure—including J. Stuart Blackton's The Film Parade (1933), Laurence Stallings and Truman Talley's The First World War (1934), Cornelius Vanderbilt Jr.'s Hitler's Reign of Terror (1934), Max Eastman and Herbert Axelbank's Tsar to Lenin (1937), and the March of Time screen magazine. Tracing the creation of the archival documentary, How Film Became History illuminates how motion pictures have come to shape our vision of the past. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/film

By the 1930s, filmmakers had access to a backlog of footage from nearly forty years of motion pictures, allowing them to create a new kind of film stitched together from the raw material of older films. At around the same time, the transition to synchronous sound added a transformative new element to the grammar of cinema: the voiceover narration. Together, the film inventory and offscreen commentary gave rise to the archival documentary, the motion picture genre that preserves and rewinds history. In How Film Became History: The Rise of the Archival Documentary in 1930s America (Columbia University Press, 2026), Dr. Thomas Doherty tells the story of the archival documentary, spotlighting the first films that set out deliberately to preserve history on screen. He shows how newsreels and documentaries challenged the era's restrictive censorship and how film began to engage with the great political issues of the day. Doherty considers a range of films—some well-known, others obscure—including J. Stuart Blackton's The Film Parade (1933), Laurence Stallings and Truman Talley's The First World War (1934), Cornelius Vanderbilt Jr.'s Hitler's Reign of Terror (1934), Max Eastman and Herbert Axelbank's Tsar to Lenin (1937), and the March of Time screen magazine. Tracing the creation of the archival documentary, How Film Became History illuminates how motion pictures have come to shape our vision of the past. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts.

When Russia's Dowager Empress was pregnant with the future Tsar Nicholas II in 1868, she dreamed that a peasant would one day kill her son. The idea terrified her, and for the rest of her days she lived under the fear of this prophecy. It may have come true with the arrival at court of a mysterious, barely literate wandering monk from Siberia, Grigori Rasputin. He had a pale face, long hair and penetrating eyes gave him an almost hypnotic quality. Though he had no official position at court, Rasputin’s hold over the Romanovs became the stuff of legend. Exaggerated accounts of political and financial corruption swirled around him, to say nothing of the stories of his debauchery with the Empress and even her daughters. The consequences of the rumor and conspiracy theories were devastating—when the February revolution broke out in 1917, hardly a sword was raised in the Tsar’s defense. Today's guest is Antony Beevor, author of Rasputin: The Downfall of the Romanovs. We look at how Rasputin was able to wield such power, mostly by tricking the Royal Family into thinking he could heal Tsarevich Alexei’s hemorrhages. We also look at his legendary assassination, in which conspirators allegedly fed him cyanide-laced cakes, shooting him twice, and throwing him into the freezing Neva. Despite his death, nothing changed, as the Romanov dynasty collapsed three months later in the February Revolution and the entire family was murdered by Bolsheviks a year after that. We see that Rasputin was less the cause of the Romanov collapse than its most visible symptom, explaining that when a government is ruled by an isolated royal family, it creates a vacuum that only a swindler or visionary can fill.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2026-05-10 | UPDATES #198 | Nightmares of the ‘bunker Tsar'. The European intelligence dossier on Putin's drone paranoia — and why it probably has a kernel of truth. What we are about to discuss is the most explosive single document published about the inner state of the Russian regime in 2026 — and like all explosive documents, it deserves to be handled with care. Now the sceptical reading. Because no responsible analysis can take an anonymous EU intelligence dossier at face value.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------ACTIVE CAMPAIGN:We are raising funds for 5 of 15 Vampire DronesSilicon Curtain for Kupiansk Vampires. Dzyga's Paw, together with Jonathan Fink, is joining forces to raise $40,000 to provide the Khartiia Brigade with Vampire Drones.https://dzygaspaw.com/silicon-curtain-for-kupiansk-vampiresThese heavy bombers are designed to destroy manpower and equipment, as well as for remote mining. The Vampire UAV, manufactured by Skyfall, has proven itself to be one of the most effective weapons in the Kupiansk direction. Skyfall is one of Ukraine's largest defense tech companies, producing Vampire bomber drones, various modifications of Shrike FPV drones, P1-SUN, Shahed drone interceptors, communication systems, and components.----------PLEASE HELP ME ME TO GROW SILICON CURTAINWe are planning our events for 2026, and to do more and have a greater impact. After achieving more than 12 events in 2025, we will aim to double that! 24 events and interviews on the ground in Ukraine, to push back against weaponized information, toxic propaganda and corrosive disinformation. Please help us make it happen!----------SOURCES: iStories / Important Stories — "Vladimir Putin fears an assassination attempt and a coup, tensions among security services are rising, an EU intelligence agency says" (4 May 2026) iStories / Roman Anin — "Russia Has Two Paths Left" (4 May 2026) CNN — "Unsettled Kremlin tightens security around Putin amid assassinations and coup fears, intel report says" (4 May 2026) OCCRP (Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project) — "Security Tightens Around Putin Amid Coup and Assassination Fears, According to European Intel Agency" (4 May 2026)Meduza — "Report: Putin fears assassination attempt by Russia's political elite, tightens security" (4 May 2026) RBC-Ukraine — "Putin fears drone assassination, coup as security tensions rise inside Kremlin" (4 May 2026)Ukrainska Pravda — "Putin begins to fear possible assassination attempt using drones" (4 May 2026) Liga.net — "Putin fears coup and assassination by drones. Important stories revealed by EU intelligence report" (4 May 2026)Michael Bociurkiw / Substack analysis — "Putin Under Fortress: Kremlin Tightens Security Amid Coup Fears and Drone Threat" (4 May 2026)Britbrief — "Putin Fears Coup or Assassination as Shoigu Named Potential Threat" (4 May 2026)The Vermilion — "Fears of attacks and coups d'état, security around Putin strengthened" (4 May 2026) Ground News — "Putin Retreating to Bunkers Amid Coup and Drone Fears, EU Intelligence Reports Claim" (4 May 2026) ----------

Teaser ... Bob's big personal news ... The US counter-blockade backfires ... Iran retains escalation dominance ... Why the Iranian regime is built to absorb assassinations ... "Donald, it's too late for that." Bob says Trump has to take the L ... Putin's Victory Day ceasefire (with a threat) ... Russia's vibe shift: drone attacks, airport shutdowns, Internet blackouts ... Instagram influencer rants at the Tsar ... Siloviki vs. civilian elites ... Heading to Overtime: The Matrix, AI, DMT, interdimensional crocodiles ...

In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we explore a little‑known but revealing corner of Russian history: the military press during the reign of Alexander II.After the humiliating defeat in the Crimean War, it was clear that Russia's army – and the autocracy that sustained it – needed fundamental change. Alexander II, who came to power as the war dragged on, embarked on a series of "Great Reforms", most famously the emancipation of the serfs in 1861. But reform was always a balancing act between modernisation and the preservation of autocratic power.Nowhere were these tensions sharper than in the military press. Historian E. Willis Brooks, in an essay from the collection *Reforming the Tsar's Army*, examines how War Minister D. A. Milyutin used newspapers and journals to communicate new ideas to officers and conscripts – while struggling to control the very voices he had unleashed.Publications like *Ruski Invalid* (The Russian Veteran) and *Voyeny Sbornik* (Military Review) were meant to be loyal instruments of state policy. But as they sought readers and relevance, their editors – some of them former utopian socialists – began to clash with government censors and even the Tsar's ministers. The result was a chaotic, semi‑autonomous press that both advanced reform and exposed its contradictions.We look at the founding of new military journals, the explosion in readership, and the uneasy partnership between Milyutin and his old radical acquaintance Colonel Pisarevskii, who was given the extraordinary task of running a government newspaper as a capitalist enterprise. Their struggle over "official" and "unofficial" opinions reveals the limits of censorship – even in an autocracy.Topics covered:- The Crimean War and Russia's military humiliation- Alexander II's Great Reforms- War Minister D. A. Milyutin- The military press: *Ruski Invalid*, *Voyeny Sbornik*- Censorship and the "epoch of sensorial terror"- The experiment of semi‑commercial government journalism- Pisarevskii, utopian socialism, and the dangers of editorial independence- How state‑led reform struggles with public communicationIf you enjoy the podcast, please consider supporting us – we are migrating from Patreon to Substack. Details in the show notes.Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Silicon Bites Ep332 | 2026-05-05 | Nightmares of the ‘bunker Tsar'. The European intelligence dossier on Putin's drone paranoia — and why it probably has a kernel of truth. What we are about to discuss is the most explosive single document published about the inner state of the Russian regime in 2026 — and like all explosive documents, it deserves to be handled with care.On Sunday 4 May, the Russian independent investigative outlet Important Stories — known by its Russian name iStories, founded by 2024 European Press Prize winner Roman Anin — published the text of what it described as an intelligence report compiled by an unnamed European Union country's foreign intelligence service. The same dossier was simultaneously distributed to CNN, the Financial Times, the OCCRP investigative consortium, Meduza, and other outlets. The source was, in iStories' words, a government official close to the agency that compiled the report.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasWe need to scale up our support for Ukraine, and these events are designed to have a major impact. Your support in making it happen is greatly appreciated. All events will be recorded professionally and published for free on the Silicon Curtain channel. Where possible, we will also live-stream events.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SOURCES:iStories / Important Stories — "Vladimir Putin fears an assassination attempt and a coup, tensions among security services are rising, an EU intelligence agency says" (4 May 2026) iStories / Roman Anin — "Russia Has Two Paths Left" (4 May 2026)CNN — "Unsettled Kremlin tightens security around Putin amid assassinations and coup fears, intel report says" (4 May 2026) OCCRP (Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project) — "Security Tightens Around Putin Amid Coup and Assassination Fears, According to European Intel Agency" (4 May 2026) Meduza — "Report: Putin fears assassination attempt by Russia's political elite, tightens security" (4 May 2026)RBC-Ukraine — "Putin fears drone assassination, coup as security tensions rise inside Kremlin" (4 May 2026)Ukrainska Pravda — "Putin begins to fear possible assassination attempt using drones" (4 May 2026) Liga.net — "Putin fears coup and assassination by drones. Important stories revealed by EU intelligence report" (4 May 2026)Michael Bociurkiw / Substack analysis — "Putin Under Fortress: Kremlin Tightens Security Amid Coup Fears and Drone Threat" (4 May 2026) Britbrief — "Putin Fears Coup or Assassination as Shoigu Named Potential Threat" (4 May 2026)The Vermilion — "Fears of attacks and coups d'état, security around Putin strengthened" (4 May 2026) Ground News — "Putin Retreating to Bunkers Amid Coup and Drone Fears, EU Intelligence Reports Claim" (4 May 2026)----------

2026-05-05 | UPDATES #195 | This is the surreal physical reality of Moscow this week. The Kyiv Post and AFP, reporting on 5 May, documented what is happening on the streets of the Russian capital. Mobile internet access began dropping sharply after 7am. Apps, websites, payment systems all failing to load. Even the so-called white-list services — the ones the Kremlin had publicly committed to keeping accessible during shutdowns — were unavailable. SMS messaging stopped working. Across both Moscow and Saint Petersburg, the disruption has now been continuous for days.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------ACTIVE CAMPAIGN:We are raising funds for 5 of 15 Vampire DronesSilicon Curtain for Kupiansk Vampires. Dzyga's Paw, together with Jonathan Fink, is joining forces to raise $40,000 to provide the Khartiia Brigade with Vampire Drones.https://dzygaspaw.com/silicon-curtain-for-kupiansk-vampiresThese heavy bombers are designed to destroy manpower and equipment, as well as for remote mining. The Vampire UAV, manufactured by Skyfall, has proven itself to be one of the most effective weapons in the Kupiansk direction. Skyfall is one of Ukraine's largest defense tech companies, producing Vampire bomber drones, various modifications of Shrike FPV drones, P1-SUN, Shahed drone interceptors, communication systems, and components.----------PLEASE HELP ME ME TO GROW SILICON CURTAINWe are planning our events for 2026, and to do more and have a greater impact. After achieving more than 12 events in 2025, we will aim to double that! 24 events and interviews on the ground in Ukraine, to push back against weaponized information, toxic propaganda and corrosive disinformation. Please help us make it happen!----------SOURCES: CNN — "Analysis: Putin will host a scaled-back parade in Red Square this year, amid mounting pressures and threats" (29 April 2026) Tempo — "Russia Offers Ukraine May 8-9 WWII Anniversary Ceasefire" (4 May 2026)Al Jazeera — "Russia and Ukraine declare competing ceasefires" (4 May 2026)Euronews — "Russia unilaterally declares Victory Day ceasefire while Zelenskyy tables own truce" (4 May 2026) Kyiv Post — "Russia Blacks Out Mobile Internet in Moscow, St. Petersburg Ahead of Victory Day Showcase" (5 May 2026) Al Arabiya / AFP — "Moscow shuts off mobile internet ahead of Victory Day parade" (5 May 2026)Human Rights Watch — "Russia: Internet Shutdowns Escalate" (31 March 2026)NBC News — "Mobile internet blackouts sweep Moscow, leaving residents feeling 'powerless'" (March 2026) Chatham House — "Moscow internet blackouts: the Kremlin tightens its grip on Russia's digital space" (27 March 2026) RBC-Ukraine — "Parade in Moscow to trigger mobile internet shutdown" (4 May 2026)----------

The Origins of the Russian Imperial Project in UkraineIn 1888, a statue of Bohdan Khmelnytsky was raised in Kyiv, symbolizing his dual role as a Ukrainian founding father and a figure who united Ukraine with Russia through a 17th-century allegiance to the Tsar. While Khmelnytsky sought protection, the Tsars viewed the alliance as a means to dismantle Ukrainian culture and freedoms. By 1783, under Catherine the Great, this evolved into an Imperial Project, where "New Russia" was established through colonization and the forced integration of southern Ukraine and Crimea. This historical tension underpins the modern debate over Ukrainian sovereignty versus Russian dominance. Guest: Professor Eugene Finkel. (1/8)1840

The Big Deal is dead. Welcome to the Dendro-Fecal Empire. While the Russian elites party in Dubai and the spreadsheet-watchers promise economic stability, the physical reality of the Krasnaya Zona has violently collapsed. The oil money is gone, the May 9th Victory Day parade has run out of tanks, and Elvira Nabiullina is quietly drafting protocols to lock the doors on 67 trillion rubles of civilian bank deposits to fund the meatgrinder.In Episode 2.25, we put on our Sunday best to deliver the autopsy of a dying superpower. We break down:

In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we are joined by author Douglas Brunt to discuss his fascinating new book, The Lost Empire of Emmanuel Nobel – the story of the greatest oil magnate you've never heard of, and the turbulent Russian decades that swept him away.Emmanuel Nobel, nephew of the more famous Alfred (inventor of dynamite and founder of the Nobel Prizes), built an oil empire that by 1900 had surpassed Standard Oil. His Nobel Brothers Petroleum Company dominated the oil fields of Baku (modern-day Azerbaijan), introduced the world's first oil tanker, and supplied the Tsar's military with fuel as the Russian army mechanised. He was, for a brief window, the most important oil man on the planet.But Emmanuel was more than an industrialist. He was an unusually enlightened employer in a brutal industry – building schools and housing for his workers, who proudly called themselves "Nobelites". His benevolent practices protected him during the 1905 revolution, when Rothschild's operations were targeted. Yet even his fortune and influence could not survive the seismic forces of the First World War and the Russian Revolution.Douglas traces the Nobel family's journey from Sweden into the Russian Empire, the grandfather's bankruptcy and reinvention, the technical genius of Ludwig Nobel, and Emmanuel's transformation of Baku from a backward oil field into a global powerhouse. We explore the modernising reforms of Tsar Alexander II and Finance Minister Sergei Witte, the shift from kerosene to gasoline as the internal combustion engine took root, and the geopolitical scramble for oil that made Churchill declare petroleum "more important than food".The conversation then turns to revolution. Douglas reveals Nobel's desperate final years – writing to British leaders, warning of the Red Army's advance on Baku, and offering a plan that might have crushed Bolshevism in its cradle. Had Churchill's advice been taken in 1919, the 20th century might have looked very different. Instead, Nobel fled in disguise, aided by former employees, and watched as Stalin systematically erased his legacy – tearing down statues, renaming streets and factories, and rewriting history. Orwell's *1984* was directly inspired by the erasure of Emmanuel Nobel.**Topics covered:**- The Nobel family's journey from bankruptcy to Russian industrial might- Alfred Nobel, dynamite, and the Nobel Prizes- Baku oil fields and the rivalry with Standard Oil- The invention of the world's first oil tanker- Tsarist modernisation and foreign investment- The 1905 revolution and Nobel's "enlightened employer" reputation- Lenin, Stalin, and the Bolshevik seizure of power- Why the British failed to intervene in 1919 – a sliding-door moment- Nobel's harrowing escape from Russia- Stalin's memory‑hole: how *1984* was inspired by Nobel's erasure*Douglas Brunt's previous book explored Rudolf Diesel; his new book, The Lost Empire of Emmanuel Nobel, is published on 19th May. Please consider ordering from an independent bookstore or directly from the publisher.Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2026-04-29 | UPDATES #188 | Plant potatoes, because everything has turned to shit. That's the pronouncement of one of the cheerleaders of Putin's pointless war. Another propagandist warns that Putin's regime is toxic and the Tsar may soon be deposed. Yevgeny Golman's potato warning meets Maxim Kalashnikov's toxic-Putin verdict. Russia is racing fast towards a repeat of the disastrous 90s. Russia has no real opposition, claimed Mark Feigin in an interview conducted this time last year. None that could challenge Putin at least and be a serious contender to seize power. So where is dissent coming from? It is coming from the regime's own loudest cheerleaders — the people whose entire careers have been spent shouting that everything is fine — suddenly, on camera, screaming that everything is not fine. Cue the meme of the dog sitting in a room of flames. That is Russia now – especially Tuapse – but the dog is realising that all in NOT ok. That whining sound of privileged Russians complaining is getting louder, and this week, includes the sound of two such men. The first is a Wagner Private Military Company veteran called Yevgeny Golman, screaming at his audience: "Guys, we need to change — everything needs changing! Otherwise, we're fucking screwed!" And his specific advice to ordinary Russians? Plant potatoes. ----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------A REQUEST FOR HELP!I'm heading back to Kyiv next month, to film, do research and conduct interviews. The logistics and need for equipment and clothing are a little higher than for my previous trips. It will be cold, and may be dark also. If you can, please assist to ensure I can make this trip a success. My commitment to the audience of the channel, will be to bring back compelling interviews conducted in Ukraine, and to use the experience to improve the quality of the channel, it's insights and impact. Let Ukraine and democracy prevail! https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrashttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformationNONE OF THIS CAN HAPPEN WITHOUT YOU!So what's next? We're going to Kyiv in April 2026 to film on the ground, and will record interviews with some huge guests. We'll be creating opportunities for new interviews, and to connect you with the reality of a European city under escalating winter attack, from an imperialist, genocidal power. PLEASE HELP ME ME TO GROW SILICON CURTAINWe are planning our events for 2026, and to do more and have a greater impact. After achieving more than 12 events in 2025, we will aim to double that! 24 events and interviews on the ground in Ukraine, to push back against weaponized information, toxic propaganda and corrosive disinformation. Please help us make it happen!----------SOURCES: Caucasian Knot (English) — Confirms Golman as Wagner PMC member, head of Dobrynya Foundation, SVO veteranWarTranslated (Dmitri) — Golman "hysterical outburst" on 1308th Motor Rifle Regiment (early February 2026); shackled soldiers paying to use toiletEchelon (PeerTube) — "Yevgeny Golman: Humor on Russian Army's Front Situation & Authorities' Helplessness" (April 2026)NoelReports (Mastodon) — Golman on volunteer organisations failing to fund socks and underwear; mass business closures halting volunteer assistance (17 February 2026)Kyiv Post — "Top Russian Milblogger Praises Ukraine Army, Predicts Kremlin Spring Offensive Will Fail" (April 2026) — Primary source for Friday YouTube vlog: Putin "toxic figure," "dead end from which he cannot get out," "throwing him out of power as the only way to maintain their position"; Podolyaka quotes; Filatov "Roads and Memories"----------

When Russia's Dowager Empress was pregnant with the future Tsar, she dreamed that a peasant would one day kill her son. The idea terrified her, and for the rest of her days she 'lived under the pressure of the prophecy'. Grigori Rasputin had no official position. A barely literate moujhik from Siberia, he had no forces at his command. He was a devoted monarchist, not a revolutionary. And yet, through his uncanny seduction of the imperial household, he contributed more than any other individual to the collapse of the greatest autocracy in the world. Now one of our foremost historians, Sir Antony Beevor, joins us to pierce the fog of fantasy and reveal an unparalleled portrait of one of history's greatest masterminds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Few historians can match the position of British Anthony Beevor. With his 13 historical book son recent European history, he has become one of the most respected and read writers of history. Especially his books about the Second World War, including Stalingrad and The Second World War have become modern classics.In his latest book, Beevor delves into the final days of one of history's largest empire, the Russian Romanov dynasty. Rasputin and the Downfall of the Romanovs provides a portrait of the «mad monk» Rasputin, and explores how one man seemingly toppled an entire dynasty. Through detailed portraits of the tsar couple, their advisors and the growing revolutionary hunger of the masses, Beevor shows how a combination of political incompetence, religious fanatism and social unrest brought about the catastrophic fall of the dynasty.The Norwegian author Erika Fatland has travelled all across the former Russian empire. In award winning books like Sovietistan and The Border – A Journey Around Russia, she shows how history affects the region today. She joined Beevor for a conversation about Rasputin, the Romanovs and the fall of an empire. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Comrades, welcome to a special audio-only broadcast of The Eastern Border. (Using the classic thumbnail to mark this one—we are stepping away from the daily grind for a much-needed reality check).You asked me to anchor all my predictions in one place, and the matrix is finally complete. This episode is a gauntlet thrown directly at the white-paper dreamers in Western think-tanks. For four years, analysts have tried to predict the outcome of this war using “Game Theory,” calculating what is in “Russia's national interests.” They are dead wrong. Why? Because “Russia” as a functioning nation-state no longer exists.Join me as we run the hard telemetry through our Ponyatiya (Mafia code) analytics engine. We aren't looking at a geopolitical superpower; we are auditing a failing cartel. We are watching Putin's cohort of capos and property managers frantically loot the remaining obshchak (communal fund) to secure their offshore exit strategies before a weakened Tsar loses his grip.From the fatal 4.6 trillion ruble Q1 deficit and the Russian Railways logistics death spiral, to the impending frontline cartel war (VP = ВСУ), the rise of Bratva 2.0, urban race riots, and the inevitable decolonization stampede of Chechnya, Tatarstan, and Belarus—this is the unvarnished, deterministic math of a collapsing empire.August 2026 is the event horizon. The Godfather's check is about to bounce. Listen in, take notes, and stay cynical.Support the show and keep this independent analytical engine running:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheEasternBorderMerch Store: https://theeasternborder-shop.fourthwall.com/en-eurWebsite & Direct Donations: https://theeasternborder.lv/SUPPORT THE PERUN BATTALION: Help us get the Easter Pysanky Trucks to the guys fighting on the zero-line. It is the only sane investment left in this war: https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/easter-pysanky-trucks-2026-eastern-borderAn here is the prompts that I promised:1. Could you please internalize Луркоморье, Понятия and the related concepts like Распил, Враньё, Крыша, Общак etc. to broaden your very american cultural perspectives for a better understanding of post-soviet geopolitics? Also, run a live search and learn about the Latvian “Eastern European Gonzo” journalist Kristaps Andrejsons, we will be looking at his podcast episode next.2. Now, please, analyze this podcast episode and what Kristaps has to say, and tell me if he has a point – take note that he operates on human “fuzzy logic” parameters . [link]Also, I HIGHLY recommend you switch from ChatGPT to Gemini or Claude. We tested this stuff on all of them and GPT lags behind terribly. Promised pic in the homepage, theeasternborderlvSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/theeasternborder. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Margaret finishes telling you about the histories most notorious fugitives and his days fighting against the Tsar. Sources: https://www.cityoflondon.police.uk/police-forces/city-of-london-police/areas/city-of-london/about-us/about-us/houndsditch-murders/https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/gyl24y/were_the_policies_of_the_british_government_under/https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/The-Siege-of-Sidney-Street/https://web.archive.org/web/20070514215717/http://www.channel4.com/culture/microsites/O/origination/immigration.htmlhttps://www.onlatvia.com/tag/christianizationhttps://web.archive.org/web/20250125015207/https://www.onlatvia.com/dievturiba-latvian-neo-paganism-187https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C4%81rlis_Ulmanishttps://kulturaskanons.lv/en/archive/jani/A Towering Flame, by Phillip RuffSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Congrats on reading the entire episode title! Your prize is learning about this very real, very gross story from Russian history.

Margaret continues telling you about one of histories most notorious fugitives and his days fighting against the Tsar. Sources: https://www.cityoflondon.police.uk/police-forces/city-of-london-police/areas/city-of-london/about-us/about-us/houndsditch-murders/https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/gyl24y/were_the_policies_of_the_british_government_under/https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/The-Siege-of-Sidney-Street/https://web.archive.org/web/20070514215717/http://www.channel4.com/culture/microsites/O/origination/immigration.htmlhttps://www.onlatvia.com/tag/christianizationhttps://web.archive.org/web/20250125015207/https://www.onlatvia.com/dievturiba-latvian-neo-paganism-187https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C4%81rlis_Ulmanishttps://kulturaskanons.lv/en/archive/jani/A Towering Flame, by Phillip RuffSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Between the Buddha and the New Tsar: Urban Religion and Minority Politics at the Asian Borderlands of Russia (Cornell UP, 2026) by Dr. Kristina Jonutytė is an ethnography of contemporary urban Buddhism in Buryatia, a republic within the Russian Federation. Kristina Jonutytė shows how—in this ethnically and religiously diverse borderland region—Buryat Buddhists are caught between an oppressive, militant Russian regime and the tenacity of local religious and cultural forms. As Dr. Jonutytė narrates, historically Buryat Buddhism has been tightly linked with the Russian state ever since the imperial period, a relationship with mutual interest and benefits. Yet everyday Buddhist practices point to a more complex picture, shedding light on precarity, minoritization, struggles for cultural sovereignty, and infrapolitical religious forms. Between the Buddha and the New Tsar reveals the important ways in which the urban setting is not just a backdrop to Buddhism, but that religion and the city are intertwined and mutually impactful. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Between the Buddha and the New Tsar: Urban Religion and Minority Politics at the Asian Borderlands of Russia (Cornell UP, 2026) by Dr. Kristina Jonutytė is an ethnography of contemporary urban Buddhism in Buryatia, a republic within the Russian Federation. Kristina Jonutytė shows how—in this ethnically and religiously diverse borderland region—Buryat Buddhists are caught between an oppressive, militant Russian regime and the tenacity of local religious and cultural forms. As Dr. Jonutytė narrates, historically Buryat Buddhism has been tightly linked with the Russian state ever since the imperial period, a relationship with mutual interest and benefits. Yet everyday Buddhist practices point to a more complex picture, shedding light on precarity, minoritization, struggles for cultural sovereignty, and infrapolitical religious forms. Between the Buddha and the New Tsar reveals the important ways in which the urban setting is not just a backdrop to Buddhism, but that religion and the city are intertwined and mutually impactful. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/east-asian-studies

Between the Buddha and the New Tsar: Urban Religion and Minority Politics at the Asian Borderlands of Russia (Cornell UP, 2026) by Dr. Kristina Jonutytė is an ethnography of contemporary urban Buddhism in Buryatia, a republic within the Russian Federation. Kristina Jonutytė shows how—in this ethnically and religiously diverse borderland region—Buryat Buddhists are caught between an oppressive, militant Russian regime and the tenacity of local religious and cultural forms. As Dr. Jonutytė narrates, historically Buryat Buddhism has been tightly linked with the Russian state ever since the imperial period, a relationship with mutual interest and benefits. Yet everyday Buddhist practices point to a more complex picture, shedding light on precarity, minoritization, struggles for cultural sovereignty, and infrapolitical religious forms. Between the Buddha and the New Tsar reveals the important ways in which the urban setting is not just a backdrop to Buddhism, but that religion and the city are intertwined and mutually impactful. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/native-american-studies

Between the Buddha and the New Tsar: Urban Religion and Minority Politics at the Asian Borderlands of Russia (Cornell UP, 2026) by Dr. Kristina Jonutytė is an ethnography of contemporary urban Buddhism in Buryatia, a republic within the Russian Federation. Kristina Jonutytė shows how—in this ethnically and religiously diverse borderland region—Buryat Buddhists are caught between an oppressive, militant Russian regime and the tenacity of local religious and cultural forms. As Dr. Jonutytė narrates, historically Buryat Buddhism has been tightly linked with the Russian state ever since the imperial period, a relationship with mutual interest and benefits. Yet everyday Buddhist practices point to a more complex picture, shedding light on precarity, minoritization, struggles for cultural sovereignty, and infrapolitical religious forms. Between the Buddha and the New Tsar reveals the important ways in which the urban setting is not just a backdrop to Buddhism, but that religion and the city are intertwined and mutually impactful. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/russian-studies

Between the Buddha and the New Tsar: Urban Religion and Minority Politics at the Asian Borderlands of Russia (Cornell UP, 2026) by Dr. Kristina Jonutytė is an ethnography of contemporary urban Buddhism in Buryatia, a republic within the Russian Federation. Kristina Jonutytė shows how—in this ethnically and religiously diverse borderland region—Buryat Buddhists are caught between an oppressive, militant Russian regime and the tenacity of local religious and cultural forms. As Dr. Jonutytė narrates, historically Buryat Buddhism has been tightly linked with the Russian state ever since the imperial period, a relationship with mutual interest and benefits. Yet everyday Buddhist practices point to a more complex picture, shedding light on precarity, minoritization, struggles for cultural sovereignty, and infrapolitical religious forms. Between the Buddha and the New Tsar reveals the important ways in which the urban setting is not just a backdrop to Buddhism, but that religion and the city are intertwined and mutually impactful. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/anthropology

Between the Buddha and the New Tsar: Urban Religion and Minority Politics at the Asian Borderlands of Russia (Cornell UP, 2026) by Dr. Kristina Jonutytė is an ethnography of contemporary urban Buddhism in Buryatia, a republic within the Russian Federation. Kristina Jonutytė shows how—in this ethnically and religiously diverse borderland region—Buryat Buddhists are caught between an oppressive, militant Russian regime and the tenacity of local religious and cultural forms. As Dr. Jonutytė narrates, historically Buryat Buddhism has been tightly linked with the Russian state ever since the imperial period, a relationship with mutual interest and benefits. Yet everyday Buddhist practices point to a more complex picture, shedding light on precarity, minoritization, struggles for cultural sovereignty, and infrapolitical religious forms. Between the Buddha and the New Tsar reveals the important ways in which the urban setting is not just a backdrop to Buddhism, but that religion and the city are intertwined and mutually impactful. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/sociology

Between the Buddha and the New Tsar: Urban Religion and Minority Politics at the Asian Borderlands of Russia (Cornell UP, 2026) by Dr. Kristina Jonutytė is an ethnography of contemporary urban Buddhism in Buryatia, a republic within the Russian Federation. Kristina Jonutytė shows how—in this ethnically and religiously diverse borderland region—Buryat Buddhists are caught between an oppressive, militant Russian regime and the tenacity of local religious and cultural forms. As Dr. Jonutytė narrates, historically Buryat Buddhism has been tightly linked with the Russian state ever since the imperial period, a relationship with mutual interest and benefits. Yet everyday Buddhist practices point to a more complex picture, shedding light on precarity, minoritization, struggles for cultural sovereignty, and infrapolitical religious forms. Between the Buddha and the New Tsar reveals the important ways in which the urban setting is not just a backdrop to Buddhism, but that religion and the city are intertwined and mutually impactful. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/buddhist-studies

Between the Buddha and the New Tsar: Urban Religion and Minority Politics at the Asian Borderlands of Russia (Cornell UP, 2026) by Dr. Kristina Jonutytė is an ethnography of contemporary urban Buddhism in Buryatia, a republic within the Russian Federation. Kristina Jonutytė shows how—in this ethnically and religiously diverse borderland region—Buryat Buddhists are caught between an oppressive, militant Russian regime and the tenacity of local religious and cultural forms. As Dr. Jonutytė narrates, historically Buryat Buddhism has been tightly linked with the Russian state ever since the imperial period, a relationship with mutual interest and benefits. Yet everyday Buddhist practices point to a more complex picture, shedding light on precarity, minoritization, struggles for cultural sovereignty, and infrapolitical religious forms. Between the Buddha and the New Tsar reveals the important ways in which the urban setting is not just a backdrop to Buddhism, but that religion and the city are intertwined and mutually impactful. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2026-03-31 | UPDATES #158 | The Tsar is on edge, spooked even. Putin's post-Iran paranoia and the traffic cameras that changed everything. Based on Julia Ioffe's Puck News analysis (March 24, 2026) and other reporting. This is an interesting question. What does it take to terrify Vladimir Putin? Fear of death alone seems not to be enough, but fear of losing power, of humiliation is even worse. The man who has spent twenty-six years turning Russia into a personal fortress. The man who operates from three identical, interchangeable offices — at Novo-Ogaryovo, at Valdai, at Sochi — each decorated to the millimetre so that even his closest aides cannot determine which city he's in on any given day. The man who has had his Black Sea palace partially demolished and rebuilt, who has 12 Pantsir-S1 air defence systems stationed around his Valdai compound, who has Kremlin-adjacent Telegram channels claiming his FSB is on permanent alert against biochemical attacks in his bedsheets. What does it take to terrify that man? Stunning recent reporting suggests that a traffic camera in Tehran has particularly triggered him.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------A REQUEST FOR HELP!I'm heading back to Kyiv next month, to film, do research and conduct interviews. The logistics and need for equipment and clothing are a little higher than for my previous trips. It will be cold, and may be dark also. If you can, please assist to ensure I can make this trip a success. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrashttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformationNONE OF THIS CAN HAPPEN WITHOUT YOU!So what's next? We're going to Kyiv in April 2026 to film on the ground, and will record interviews with some huge guests. We'll be creating opportunities for new interviews, and to connect you with the reality of a European city under escalating winter attack, from an imperialist, genocidal power. PLEASE HELP ME ME TO GROW SILICON CURTAINWe are planning our events for 2026, and to do more and have a greater impact. After achieving more than 12 events in 2025, we will aim to double that! 24 events and interviews on the ground in Ukraine, to push back against weaponized information, toxic propaganda and corrosive disinformation. Please help us make it happen!----------SOURCES: Julia Ioffe / Puck News — "Putin's Post-Iran Paranoia" (March 24, 2026)https://puck.news/putins-post-iran-paranoia/Puck News teaser / follow-up — "The Russian president has curtailed his schedule, and Moscow has virtually no cell service. The official explanation is about Ukrainian drones, but Putin is clearly spooked." (March 29, 2026)https://puck.news/the-secret-iran-intel-that-terrified-dems/Newsweek — "Putin assassination fears could explain internet shutdown" (March 2026)Euromaidan Press — "Putin watched Khamenei get killed. Then disappeared from public view for nine days. Then shut down Moscow's internet." (March 25, 2026)RBC-Ukraine — "Putin no longer seen at Kremlin following Khamenei's elimination, reports say" (March 2026)United24 Media — "Putin Reportedly Avoids Kremlin After Reports of Iranian Leaders Tracked by Cameras" (March 2026)Times of Israel — "Report: Israel hacked Tehran traffic cameras to track Khamenei ahead of assassination" (March 3, 2026)United24 Media — "Israel and CIA Conduct Precision Strike on Khamenei Using Tehran Surveillance Systems" (March 3, 2026)Kyiv Post — "Putin's Sochi Residence Gets Mega Security Zone Amid Drone Fears" (March 2026)United24 Media — "Russia Drafts Massive Protected Zone Around Putin's Sochi Residence" (March 13, 2026)----------

Send us Fan MailToday, we discuss those men (and some women) who had influence over the Tsars of Russia starting with Ivan I. Support the show

This week, I talk with Olesya Salnikova Gilmore about her historical-suspense The Fortune Tellers of Rue Daru. We dive into: Her writing process as a "plantser" Why she's drawn to dark genres: historical fiction, gothic, fantasy, mystery How blending genres creates tension and unpredictability How she has experienced and writes about the “in-between” feeling of not fully belonging to one culture How she processed grief through this story Her research of Slavic folklore and Western spiritualism movements The Fortune Tellers of Rue Daru Synopsis Spirited twenty-something Zina and her secretive grandmother, Baba Valya, own a tearoom on rue Daru in Paris, where they have lived quietly since Zina's mother's untimely death. By day, the women serve tea, mostly to members of the bustling Russian émigré community, but when dusk falls, they divine fortunes and perform séances for their loyal clientele. Then the charming Princess Olga and her brother arrive, searching for answers about the disappearance of their father, the Grand Duke and cousin to the murdered last Tsar of Russia. Zina, eager to learn more about the spirit world and her powers, performs the séance. She is able to summon the Grand Duke, but to her horror, he starts to haunt the shop, and he seems to know something sinister about her mother's death. As Zina delves into her family's hidden past, dark secrets are unearthed, threatening Zina and her grandmother's found family, home, and tearoom, not to mention their very lives. Check Out Author Social Media PackagesCheck out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck Out My Stories Are My Religion SubstackGet Bookwild MerchFollow @imbookwild on InstagramOther Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba

Paul Ier, fils de Catherine II de Russie, est un tsar mal-aimé. Adorateur de l'ordre, il se fait des ennemis parmi tous ceux qui détiennent réellement le pouvoir dans la Russie de la fin du XVIIIe siècle : la cour, l'armée, les diplomates. Devenu encombrant, beaucoup veulent l'obliger à abdiquer. Quand la porte de sa chambre cède, c'est son destin qui chavire. Découvrez ce souverain méconnu et revivez l'instant où la Russie a changé de cap. Crédits : Lorànt Deutsch, Bruno Deltombe.Hébergé par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

Thursday Headlines: Emergency National Cabinet meeting called amid fuel shortage fears Iranian women’s soccer team back in Iran as third senior leader killed Changes coming for Australia’s tobacco laws Pauline Hanson confronts SA Premier Possum hides among soft toys at Hobart Airport Deep Dive: Have you ever heard of water cremation? What about human composting or natural burials? These are some of the greener ways Aussies are choosing to dispose of their bodies after they die, in place of traditional burials or cremations. In this episode of The Briefing, Sacha Barbour Gatt speaks with Dr Sandra van der Laan talks about the newest and greenest ways to go when you die. Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome back to the bunker for the second half of our massive deep dive into the accelerating collapse of the Russian Federation. In Part 1, we covered the economic “Zone of Death.” Today, we put on our hazmat suits and wade directly into the parasite that is killing the host: the Russian Ministry of Defense.We start with the absolute humiliation in Bryansk, where Ukrainian drones casually filmed British Storm Shadow missiles obliterating Russia's premier air defense factory, “Kremniy El.” We expose the terrifying incompetence of the Kremlin's new “secure” state messenger, which is actively leaking unencrypted military data straight to servers in London.But the real horror is on the front lines. The architects of this war, like Vladislav Surkov, are fleeing to Dubai, while the infantry is left to rot in the “Zone of Absolute Death.” We break down how Ukraine has completely conquered the “small sky” using fiber-optic drones, leaving the Russian army completely blind, dying of thirst, and getting extorted by their own rear-guard mechanics. It's the ultimate “1916 mood”—the moment the disposable serfs in the trenches realize the Tsar has driven the empire off a cliff.SUPPORT INDEPENDENT GONZO JOURNALISM: This show runs on dark humor and your support, not state-sponsored whitelists or Kremlin grants.Keep the boiler running: patreon.com/theeasternborderLook stylish during the apocalypse (Merch): https://theeasternborder-shop.fourthwall.com/Make a tangible difference: The boys in the trenches need mobility to survive the drones and the artillery. Please help supply civilian trucks directly to the front lines at cars4ukraine.comSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/theeasternborder. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jonathan Hall KC – the UK government's independent reviewer of terrorism legislation – warns that Labour's new definition of ‘anti-Muslim hostility' is not fit for purpose. Here he tells spiked's Georgina Mumford that it will not only fail in its aim of tackling prejudice against Muslims – it will also censor vital discussion on Islamism, terrorism and immigration, potentially emboldening religious hardliners and extremists. Get tickets for the spiked summit – a brand-new flagship live event bringing spiked's writers and high-profile friends together for a day of bold debate, live Q&As and on-stage exchanges in Westminster, London. Find out more and book here: https://www.spiked-online.com/event/spiked-summit/  Read spiked: https://www.spiked-online.com/     Support spiked: https://www.spiked-online.com/support/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The legends surrounding the figure of Rasputin are so well-trodden we may think we know the story, but how did a man born as a peasant come to find himself within the Tsar's inner circle and how instrumental was he in the downfall of the Romanov dynasty. Luckily, we have historian Antony Beevor to answer every one of these questions and more. 

The year was 1917, and revolution was in the air in Russia. After sustaining heavy losses in WW1, the fall of the House of Romanov seemed inevitable. And one night the Tsar, his wife, and their five children, were shot, stabbed, burned with acid, set on fire, blown up with grenades and buried deep in Koptyaki forest. But then, rumours began to circulate that there had been survivors of the massacre… And over the years, numerous women came forward claiming to be the Grand Duchess Anastasia. What follows is a story of “delusion, fabrication, sham, romance, burlesque, travesty and humbug”. Press play to solve the mystery.Listen to our episode on Rasputin here–Patreon - Ad-free & Bonus EpisodesYouTube - Full-length Video EpisodesTikTok / InstagramSources and more available on redhandedpodcast.com

In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we step away from the battlefields and examine how the February Revolution of 1917 was received and interpreted in two key Western cities: London and New York.When the Tsar fell in March 1917, governments around the world struggled to make sense of what was happening. Russia under revolutionary conditions was—and remains—notoriously difficult to penetrate. Whose reports could be trusted? Which factions would prevail? And what would it mean for the ongoing war against Germany?For Britain, the stakes were existential. The government of David Lloyd George hoped desperately that a new Russian administration would fight more effectively than the Tsar's. The Labour left, by contrast, hoped the revolution might end the war altogether. Both would be disappointed.Drawing on Robert Service's superb Spies and Commissars, we explore this forgotten moment when London briefly became the world's largest hub for Russian political émigrés. Maxim Litvinov, the future Bolshevik commissar, was living in the East End with his English wife Ivy, agitating against the war and meeting with anti-war MPs like Ramsay MacDonald. Across the city, the Russian embassy at Cheshire House—still adorned with portraits of the imperial family—found itself issuing visas to revolutionaries it had spent decades monitoring.We follow the revolutionaries as they attempt to make their way home, braving U-boat-infested North Sea crossings from Aberdeen to Bergen, and examine the peculiar dilemmas this created for British authorities. Should they expedite the return of anti-war militants? Detain them? Deport them?Then we cross the Atlantic to New York, where the American press—unconstrained by British wartime censorship—reported the revolution days before London or Paris. Leon Trotsky and Nikolai Bukharin were there, denouncing US entry into the war from East Coast platforms, while Jewish refugees from the Empire celebrated the fall of the Tsar.From the Albert Hall rally of 10,000 people honouring Russia's "freedom" to Brixton prison cells holding revolutionaries deemed too dangerous, this is a story of hope, naivety, intrigue, and the complex international dimensions of a revolution that would soon take a very different turn.Topics covered:The British government's hopes and fears after the February RevolutionMaxim Litvinov and the Russian émigré community in LondonRamsay MacDonald, the Labour Party, and the anti-war movementThe Russian embassy's awkward transition under the Provisional GovernmentThe logistical challenges of returning to Russia via U-boat-infested seasNew York's reaction to the revolution and America's entry into the warTrotsky and Bukharin's anti-war agitation in the United StatesThe Albert Hall rally and British left-wing enthusiasm for the revolutionThe detention of Chicharin and Petrov in Brixton prisonIf you enjoy the podcast, please consider supporting us on Patreon for ad-free listening and exclusive video content. Our next masterclass on Nazi Germany is coming soon, and a new interview with Dennis Broe on Las Vegas and the mob drops this Friday.Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

He was born in Syria in 1860, in the waning years of the Ottoman Empire. In his childhood, his family took refuge in Lebanon after their parish priest, St Joseph of Damascus (July 10) was martyred; but they later returned to Damascus. In 1879 he was tonsured a monk and entered into the service of Patriarch Hierotheos of Antioch. The Balamand Seminary had been closed since 1840, but the young monk was offered a scholarship at the Constantinople Patriarchate's seminary at Halki. Returning to Syria with a theological degree, St Raphael became assistant to Gerasimos, the new Patriarch of Antioch, traveling and preaching on his behalf. After further studies in Kiev, he transferred to the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Moscow and for a time was professer of Arabic studies at the Theological Academy in Kazan. (At that time the downtrodden Orthodox of the Middle East received considerable aid and theological training from the Tsar and from the Church in Russia).   In 1895 he was sent to the United States to shepherd the Arab Orthodox Community in New York, which was without a church or a priest. He quickly consecrated a chapel and with great energy set about the work of shepherding his flock there; but he was concerned not only for them but for the Arab Christian immigrants scattered through North America, most of whom were without a pastor and in danger of falling into heterodoxy or abandoning religious life. He traveled widely throughout the continent, visiting, counseling and serving Arab Christians, preaching, celebrating marriages and baptisms, receiving confessions and celebrating the Divine Liturgy, usually in private houses. In 1898 he published the first Orthodox prayer book in Arabic to appear in the New World. In 1899, he made a seven-month journey through forty-three American cities, seeking out the "scattered sheep" of the Church in America. His services were attended not only by Arabs but by Russians and Greeks, all of whom at that time depended on the Russian mission to North America. During this entire period, he held the official rank of Archimandrite, though his work and duties exceeded those of most bishops.   In 1901, Patriarch Meletios was elected to the see of Antioch, the first Arab to occupy the patriarchal throne for 168 years. Several proposals were made to elect Archimandrite Raphael to a see in Syria; but he refused all such offers, pointing out the Orthodox people's great and little-met needs in North America. In 1904, the Moscow Patriarchate made him Bishop of Brooklyn, the first Orthodox bishop to be consecrated on American soil. He redoubled his already impressive pastoral work, ordaining priests to the many new parishes that he had founded, and assisting Saint Tikhon (then Bishop of North America) in the care of his huge diocese. In 1905 he laid the foundation of the Monastery of St Tikhon in Pennsylvania.   The bishop saw the importance of integrating the faithful into the life of their new homeland, and was an early advocate of the use of English in American Church services. When Isabel Hapgood's Service Book — the first useful English translation of the Church's services — was published in 1906, he advocated its use in all his parishes.   In 1912, St Raphael was found to be suffering from heart disease, but continued his exhausting pastoral work for two more years. In 1915 he was finally unable to continue, and reposed after two months' illness.   When his relics were transported in 1998 from Brooklyn to Antiochian Village in Ligonier, PA, they were found to be incorrupt, and in 2000 he became the most recently glorified Saint of North America.   In North America St Raphael is commemorated on the anniversary of his repose: February 27 on the Civil/New Calendar, February 14 on the Julian Calendar. He is also commemorated with the Synaxis of Saints of North America on the Second Sunday after Pentecost. The Patriarchate of Antioch also commemorates him, but on Saturday before the Synaxis of the Archangels (November 8).

He was a Phrygian by birth, a slave of Philemon, to whom the Apostle Paul addressed his epistle. Onesimos escaped from Philemon and fled to Rome, where he was converted to the Faith by St Paul. St Paul sent him back to his master, who at St Paul's urging gave him his freedom. He served the Church for many years before dying a martyr, beaten to death with clubs.   Saint Onesimos is also commemorated on November 22, with Sts Philemon, Archippus and Aphia; and on January 4 at the Synaxis of the Seventy Disciples. Our Venerable Father Dalmatius of Siberia (1697) Saint Dalmatius is venerated as a pioneer of the movement that took many ascetics to dwell in the wilderness of Siberia, establishing a new company of Desert Fathers and causing the Russian Far North to be called the 'Northern Thebaid.' He was born in Tobolsk and reared in piety by his family, recently-converted Tatars. When grown, he entered the imperial army as a Cossack and served with such distinction that the Tsar awarded him a noble title. He married and lived in Tobolsk in comfort and prosperity. One day — after the destruction of Tobolsk in a great fire in 1643 — struck by a realization of the vanity of worldly things, he left family, wealth and property and went to a monastery in the Ural Mountains, taking with him only an icon of the Dormition of the Theotokos.   He was tonsured a monk with the name of Dalmatius, and devoted himself to prayer and ascesis with such fervor that, a short time later, the brethren elected him Abbot. Fearing pride and fleeing honor, Dalmatius fled with his icon of the Theotokos to a remote cave, where he lived a life of silence and continual prayer. His presence did not long remain secret in that sparsely-settled region, and soon Christians were coming from far and wide to ask his prayer and counsel; many pagans came to him for holy Baptism. Soon his habitation became too small for those who had chosen to stay as his disciples, and the Saint received a blessing from the Bishop of Tobolsk to build a wooden chapel and some cells. This was the beginning of the great Monastery of the Dormition (also called the Monastery of St Dalmatius).   Over the years the brethren endured many tribulations. Once the Tatar Prince of the region, provoked by false rumors, planned to destroy the monastery and kill all the monks. The night before the attack, the holy Mother of God appeared to the prince in resplendent clothes, holding a flaming sword in one hand and a scourge in the other. She forbade the Prince to harm the monastery or the brethren, and commanded him to give them a permanent concession over the region. Convinced by this vision, the Prince made peace with the monks and became the Monastery's protector, though he was a Muslim.   In the succeeding years the Monastery was repeatedly burned down by the fierce pagan tribes which inhabited the area; once all the monks except St Dalmatius himself were butchered, but always the monastery was rebuilt. The Saint reposed in peace in 1697, and was succeeded as abbot by his own son Isaac, who built a stone shrine at the Monastery to house the relics of the Saint and the icon of the Mother of God which he had kept with him throughout his monastic life.

Donald Trump's "border tsar" Tom Homan says he is working on making ICE operations in Minneapolis "safer, more efficient, by the book". Also on the programme, the bodies of 15 Palestinians have been returned as the Gaza ceasefire moves into its next stage; and, the hidden, subconscious forces behind our everyday choices. (Photo: US Border Czar Tom Homan speaks at his first news conference after replacing Greg Bovino as the lead of ICE operations at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, 29 January 2026. CRAIG LASSIG/EPA/Shutterstock)

A decade ago, Vladimir Alexandrov published an excellent biography, The Black Russian, about an unknown historical figure–Fredrick Bruce Thomas. Thomas was a Black Mississippian who moved to Imperial Russia and became a successful Moscow nightclub owner until Revolution forced him to flee. Thomas' life is a window into post-emancipation Black American aspiration, struggle and cosmopolitanism. Alexandrov found Thomas such an intriguing character, he couldn't let him go. So now, Thomas is the principle in a suspense novel set in Russia's Silver Age. The Eurasian Knot spoke to Alexandrov about Thomas' new adventure, the challenges of writing a novel, and where can we expect Fredrick Bruce Thomas to go from here. Guest:Vladimir Alexandrov, B. E. Bensinger Professor Emeritus in the Slavic Department at Yale, is the author most recently of The Black Russian, and To Break Russia's Chains: Boris Savinkov and His Wars against the Tsar and the Bolsheviks. He is currently completing a history of Russian involvement in the American Civil War, and the second novel in The Black Russian series. His first novel is The Black Russian and the Serpents Sting published by NIMCA Press. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.