The History of Russia Podcast

After a decade of calmness in Russia with not much happening, the late 1780's suddenly exploded into action with wars against both the Ottomans and the Swedes and we also witness the death of another major European player. Oh and don't be alarmed but for this epsiode only, I've changed things - musically. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This time around we’ll be looking at, in general, more calmness and I’ll be concentrating on just four things that will take us up to the mid 1780s Further Russian territorial expansion and a touch more provincial reform We’ll follow that with one or two family matters (not mine I hasten to add, but Catherine’s) And then in the second part of the episode we’ll look at a European geopolitical shift and the deaths of two of our major players. And then we’ll end up with the facts or rumours (you decide) that were doing the rounds regarding Grigory Potemkin Oh and as usual, there will be the odd interjection from our avian friends. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode there are three things on the agenda. An overall summary of the key events and main themes of The History of Russia from 840i to 1780 and how those themes and events had made Russia what it had become by the late 18th Century A whizz around the world in 1780 to see what was going on outside of Russia, again big-picture wise. And then as if that wasn’t enough you’ll get to hear me waffling on about the pitiful existence of an independent podcaster and what I think the future holds for me and others like me who do the same thing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This time around we'll be covering a 5 year period 1776 -1780 where Russia was going through a very rare calm period particularly when balanced against what had gone on between 1768 and 1775 and what would take place in the late 1780s. But that’s not to say, as you will soon see, that nothing was happening. Apologies, one Rooster in particular decided that the early part of the episode wasn't quite to his liking and decided to complain, loudly and often. I managed to edit most of it out but you can still catch the occasional bit of crowing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After a long lay off the boy is back! Today, we’re going to track back to look at some other events that took place between 1772 and 1777 and in particular what was going on with Catherine and her son Paul and the steps that the empress would take to deal with yet another pretender to the Russian throne. Oh, and right at the end I’ll tell you a bit about what I’ve been up to over the last couple of months and how that will hopefully affect, the podcast’s future, in a positive way, and apologies in advance, I’m just getting over a bout of Tonsillitis and so my voice might be a bit up and down. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Just a short update from me about life in general and the short-term impact to the podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In recent episodes we've seen how various major events - the war with the Ottomans, the first partition of Poland, Smallpox, Pugachev, and the Moscow plague outbreak, occupied every waking hour of Catherine the Great's life. But did they? Well in today's epsiode we are going to discover that the answer to that question was a resounding 'no' There's no listener discretion required for this one - play it loud and play it often! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pugachev's rebellion gathers steam but Catherine the Great, who has other things to worry about, fails to take it seriously. Once again, some parts of this episode are, to say the least, a bit on the grim side.... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the first part of the episode we’ll be heading back to the 1760s and looking at the steps Catherine and others had taken to counter the effects of another of the 18th century’s fatal diseases - the dreaded smallpox. And then after that we’ll be taking a look at some further Russian territorial expansion and then finally the very beginning of and the reasons for the most serious rebellion of Catherine’s reign which was led by - Tsar Peter III, that’s right, that Peter III, the one who had died or been murdered back in 1762. Like the last episode some of today’s content, especially during the first half is a little bit on the uncomfortable side and so perhaps the whole thing is best listened to late at night when little ears are safely tucked up in bed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode and as per the title we’ll be looking at three major items Firstly the Russo-Turkish war, which we’ll be bringing to a close, secondly we’ll cover an outbreak of the plague and then we’ll finish things off by looking at how the war ended and what the resultant peace meant for both the Russian and Ottoman empires. Listener discretion required - Please note that some parts of the episode are, to say the least, a liitle bit on the grim side. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Battleships are at the ready in Cheshme Bay and Frederick the Great comes up with a very cunning plan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Grigory Potemkin makes his mark at court and the next installment of the Russo-Ottoman wars gets underway. Oh, and I make not one, not two but three almost catastrophic errors. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This time around we’ll look into what the Turks objected to, see who the next, and last King of Poland will be and investigate how this whole palaver resulted in a full scale war between Russia and the Ottomans. Click on one of the links below to join the Boyar Duma where for a small monthly subscription you'll receive the following - Via Patreon https://www.patreon.com/historyofrussia_boyarduma Via the podcast website https://www.historyofrussia.net/support/ Via Apple Podcasts search in apple podcasts for ‘Boyar Duma’ or the ‘History of Russia podcast-members only’ and hit subscribe. Or follow the link below' https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-history-of-russia-members-only/id1696439936 Via Spotify Search in spotify for 'Russia members only' or follow the link below https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damon-boar/subscribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the home front Catherine continues to be thwarted. However, in the field of foreign diplomacy, she plays a blinder (or does she?) Click on one of the links below to join the Boyar Duma where for a small monthly subscription you'll receive the following - Via Patreon https://www.patreon.com/historyofrussia_boyarduma Via the podcast website https://www.historyofrussia.net/support/ Via Apple Podcasts search in apple podcasts for ‘Boyar Duma’ or the ‘History of Russia podcast-members only’ and hit subscribe. Or follow the link below' https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-history-of-russia-members-only/id1696439936 Via Spotify Search in spotify for 'Russia members only' or follow the link below https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damon-boar/subscribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This time around we’ll be taking a look at two part-related subjects, The condition of Serfdom and Catherine's legal reforms or Nakaz. However if you are expecting a series of wholesale, fundamental changes - don't hold your collective breaths... Click on one of the links below to join the Boyar Duma where for a small monthly subscription you'll receive the following - Via Patreon https://www.patreon.com/historyofrussia_boyarduma Via the podcast website https://www.historyofrussia.net/support/ Via Apple Podcasts search in apple podcasts for ‘Boyar Duma’ or the ‘History of Russia podcast-members only’ and hit subscribe. Or follow the link below' https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-history-of-russia-members-only/id1696439936 Via Spotify Search in spotify for 'Russia members only' or follow the link below https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damon-boar/subscribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This time around, and as the episode title indicates, we’ll be covering two main incidents, 1763’s Khitrovo Affair which would have implications for the man of the moment, Catherine’s lover, Grigory Orlov and 1764’s Mirovich Plot which would result in the sad demise of one of our other key characters and both events would, in the end, have a positive outcome for the new empress. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This time around we’ll be taking a look at the steps that Catherine would take to kick start and consolidate her rule - how she would deal with the people who had helped her to seize power and how she would lay down her authority with the key institutions of the Russian state - government, church and the army.. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

So in today’s episode we’ll be taking another break from the chronological narrative and looking instead at mainly, the last three decades and a bit, at what went on in Russia from a commercial and business perspective. And to help us through this tumultuous and fascinating period of more recent Russian History we have someone who has spent four decades travelling and working in the Soviet Union and Russia, who speaks fluent Russian, who holds degrees from Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania and who, luckily for us, just happens to have written a book. Zero sum - which brings vividly to life, via meticulous research and through the fascinating and sometimes tragicomic experiences of the people who were there at the time, Russia’s transformation from Soviet dinosaur through proto-capitalist free for all to today’s, difficult to pigeon hole economic situation and how we in the west just never seem, commercially, culturally or geopolitically, to get it right with Russia. Yes today dear listeners we are joined by author, journalist, geopolitical risk consultant and self-professed Russia geek, Charles Hecker Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week’s episode ware going to look at four main items A short appraisal of Peter’s reign, a longer appraisal of Elizabeth’s time in charge, a look at the recent coup’s winners and losers and then finally, how Catherine and her advisors (well actually, one advisor) explained away the death of her husband. Oh and there's a heartfealt apology from me regarding a mistake I made last time out.... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A longer than usual episode which provides an overall look at the world in 1762 - just at the point when Catherine was starting her reign in Russia. Britannia ruled the waves (or was starting to) and the age of enlightenment and the trans-atlantic slave trade were approaching their respective zeniths. The agrarian and industrial revolutions were just getting underway, and Augustus III of Poland-Lithuania and Saxony had the largest collection of hats and wigs in Europe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.