The Eastern Border

Greetings, Comrades! This episode, quite probably, is the closest we’ll ever get to being a true crime podcast. You see, we acquired the Soviet criminal code. With comments. Educational edition. So, to have a break from doing our narrative episodes, we decided to do this. But, you see, comrades, reading this book is like staring into the eye of madness itself. There might be laws in these books, b...

Greetings, Comrades! In this episode of our Russian Revolution series, we look at the events that led to the independence of Latvia and Estonia! That’s because Lithuania shall get paired with Poland in the next episode. Sorry for the delays, but this has proven to be one of the most research intensive episodes to date. I hope you’ll enjoy this one! Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/thee...

Greetings, Comrades! The regular episode is shortly coming up, just in a day or two – but so many of you have sent in questions regarding the Russian state and media responses to the USA missile strike on Syria, that I just had to talk about this. It’s my journalistic duty, and hey, I might not be here for long, if this continues like this, so might as well make more episodes. At any rate, this is...

Greetings, Comrades! Let’s strike a deal, you enjoy this episode now, and I make the Baltics independence one a great show? In all seriousness, that subject turned out to be way, way bigger than I had originally anticipated, so I pulled our prepared April the 1st episode and made a switcheroo. So that I wouldn’t have to give you a sub-par episode on how Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania even begun. It...

Greetings, Comrades! Here we are, with the 6th part of our series on the Russian revolution. Creating this episode and explaining what was going on in this time period was about as difficult as explaining the thoughts of a sugar cube, slowly dissolving into a cup of coffee. I, personally, blame Trotsky. And Lenin. If you're not constantly asking "What? But...why?" as you're listening to this episo...

Greetings, Comrades! This episode is dedicated to all the women podcasters out there! I wish all the best for you and for your shows! In this, special episode, I and Our Dark Lady (being from our Dark Myths podcast collective) Matilda Clare Testoni from the Singing Bones podcast, discuss the International Women’s Day, Valentina Tereshkhova and how Eastern European women differ culturally and where...

Greetings, Comrades! This is part 5 of our Red Dawn series – here, I talk about the events that commenced in October 1917, and how the whole insurrection happened. Because there was no second revolution. There was, however, a coup, beginning of a civil war and a bunch of decrees. This is when Lenin finally gets to put his theoretical ideas into practice. Enjoy! Oh, and also: for all of our Patreon...

Greetings, Comrades! This episode is pretty bad. Like Nicky the 2nd's government. But we have to get over this one, to get to better episodes in the future. I apologize for inconvenience, but due to source overload, making this one felt like a real chore. All in all, we did our best. I hate dry facts, but...this is what we have. Then again...this is the same kind of nonsense, the citizens must've...

Greetings, Comrades! Today’s episode is an extra – a report about how it’s like to live in the pro-Russian separatist territories in eastern Ukraine. Don’t worry, I’ll hit the revolution soon enough – in fact, I already started recording that episode, but…I received fresh information about what’s going on in Donetsk and Luhansk literally yesterday morning – so I spent the whole day, translating ma...

Greetings, Citizens! In this episode, we shall look at the second largest country on planet earth, an important member of NATO, and a place where a lot of Latvian refugees went in the aftermath of WW2. Also, a lot of people from USA wanted to migrate there following the Trump elections. The problem is – politics of Canada, it’s history and issues aren’t well known and understood outside that count...

Greetings, Comrades! This episode is all about Lenin's youth, and what he was doing starting from the point of his brother's execution, up to revolution. Turns out, he was a bit of a lazy jerk. And the factual list of things is long, tedious and...actually, not that fun. Instead, what IS fun are stories about Lenin from this time period, from his contemporaries, excerpts from his works and talking...

Greetings, Comrades! Today’s episode will be slightly different than planned, but nonetheless interesting! Today we’ll find out why Czar Nicholas II wasn’t as meek or neutral as people tend to portray him. In fact, Bolsheviks learned a lot from him. In the bad way. All in all, enjoy this, longer than usual episode, while we set the stage for even more Lenin. And go and listen to Inward Empire show...

Greetings, Comrades! This is our first episode in the Russian Revolution series, which we have dubbed "Red Dawn" as we enjoy bad cinematography. The episode itself is the story of Lenin's childhood, as we decided to split up his biography in two parts. I hope we can match Mike Duncan in quality and do this properly. As it's one of the murkiest things in Soviet history, to be honest. Anyways, enjoy...

Greetings, Comrades! We've been pretty dark this year, this year has been pretty dark this year, so we decided to go completely silly. And dark. And myths. Okay, sorry about the puns. Basically, I love the British panel show QI. And like all podcasters, we do like a bit of a vacation. So, we came together with other podcasts - Twilight Histories, Astonishing Legends, Rumor Flies and Blurry Photos...

Greetings, Comrades! I received an ominous call from Russia last night. Warning me about dire threats to my life. This episode is all about that. And more. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/theeasternborder . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greetings, Comrades! I’ve managed to catch flu right now – but thankfully, we have this – an interview with Johan Andersson, lead designer of Paradox, who’s behind the grand strategy games that I (and at least some of you) enjoy: Crusader Kings 2, Europa Universalis 4 and Hearts of Iron 4. We hope you’ll enjoy this! Oh, and to the people who have just come here from Paradox forums: check out our o...

Greetings, Comrades! We have reached the conclusion of our GULAG series. It has been a dark and terrible story…and it has no happy ending. But at the end of the episode, you’ll understand me, and possibly any other Baltic person that you may know, so much better. This one is about the scars. And it’s not pretty. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/theeasternborder . Hosted on Acast. See a...

Greetings, listeners! In today’s episode, we are joined by Stephanie Ellaine Hunt, leader of the Drinking Liberally New York section to talk about Trump election, to discuss “how it is” and make some sense about how to still stay friendly to each other in this partisan environment. Also, we discuss race issues, women’s issues, LGBT rights and why, exactly, are minorities and these aforementioned g...

So, we finally deliver you our reading of A. Politkovskaya's "A Russian Diary". Full book, chapter by chapter, will go to our Patreon/Paypal supporters, as a thank you, but this - this is a prologue to get you interested, comrades! Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/theeasternborder . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While we work on our final, all-encompassing episode on GULAG (and KGB) which has consumed all free time and energy in the known universe, at least the parts of it, that are available in Latvia, we present to you our interview with the Dead Ideas podcast on the Red Scare, Duck & Cover, communism, answers to questions about communism, bits of Star Trek and why USA actually doesn’t have 50 states. E...

In this episode we take a step back from the darkness and turn on to an interview about the ancient tribes that lived in modern day Latvia, especially the Curonians! In an interview with a person that's a good candidate of being the most interesting man ever to live! Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/theeasternborder . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Halloween is here. It's also bullshit. This is...real tragedy. This episode is about the genocide against my people. The most depressing and hardest one to make so far. But I just have to tell this story. I don't ask you to enjoy. I ask you to learn...and never repeat this again. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/theeasternborder . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informa...

Greetings, Comrades! We continue our series on the penal system of the USSR, this time exploring KGB. History of the institution, how it operated, who benefited…who suffered. It’s weird like that. And deeply personal. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/theeasternborder . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greetings, Comrades! This is part 1 of our multi-part series about GULAGs and the Soviet prisons, punishments and other...non-human activities, that turned people into subjects. A hard theme, if there ever was one. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/theeasternborder . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greetings, Comrades! Sorry that we’re a bit slacking off this month, but this is due to wedding and everything. We’ll return in our full might in October, with Gulag survivor stories. But for now – for now, we’re doing something that was requested by one of our listeners. Soviet/Russian Mafiya and their KGB connections and comparison to the USA Italian Mafia. With very competent guests – Rob from...