History with Dad

In the late 1990s, Ukraine was rocked by a scandal straight out of a spy thriller — except the spy gear was a cassette recorder hidden under the president’s couch. In this Dad Tangent, we dive into Kuchmagate , when secret tapes allegedly captured President Leonid Kuchma discussing shady deals, media crackdowns, and even a journalist’s murder. It’s Ukraine’s own Watergate, only with worse sound qu...

Ukraine entered the 2000s weighed down by corruption scandals, media crackdowns, and the infamous “Kuchmagate” tapes that exposed the dark side of President Leonid Kuchma’s rule. But out of that crisis came a showdown that would shake the country — and the world. In this episode, Dad walks us through the late 1990s and early 2000s: Kuchma’s decline, the rise of two rival Viktors, the shocking pois...

In 1994, Crimea elected its first — and only — president, Yuriy Meshkov. His bold plan? Pull Crimea closer to Russia and loosen Kyiv’s grip. Within a year, Ukraine’s parliament abolished his office entirely, leaving Meshkov as a political one-hit wonder. In this Dad Tangent, Dad tells the quirky story of Crimea’s short-lived presidency — a reminder of how fragile Ukraine’s unity was in the 1990s....

In 1996, Ukraine’s lawmakers pulled the ultimate all-nighter — not for exams, but to write a Constitution. After 23 straight hours of arguments, naps on the parliament floor, and plenty of coffee, Ukraine finally adopted its first modern Constitution. In this Dad Tangent, Dad tells the story of the world’s sleepiest slumber party that somehow produced the rulebook for a nation. Follow History with...

Ukraine entered the mid-1990s with new leadership and big decisions to make. In this episode, Dad explores the country’s second presidential election and peaceful transfer of power, the signing of the Budapest Memorandum, theintroduction of the hryvnia, and the adoption of Ukraine’s first modern constitution. We’ll see oligarchs tighten their grip, Crimea’s autonomy challenged, and President Leoni...

After the Soviet Union collapsed, Ukraine and Russia weren’t just arguing about borders — they were fighting over an entire navy. Welcome to the Black Sea Fleet squabble, where sailors switched flags, politicians swapped threats, and warships became bargaining chips. It was part comedy, part crisis, and a warning that independence comes with more than just a new flag. Follow History with Dad for m...

When Ukraine’s money collapsed in the 1990s, people didn’t just tighten their belts — they traded them. In this Dad Tangent, we dive into the hilarious and bizarre world of post-Soviet barter: workers paid in refrigerators and bricks, parents coming home with chickens instead of paychecks, and kids running candy-based economies on the schoolyard. It’s funny, it’s strange, and it shows how inventiv...

Ukraine declared independence in 1991 — but freedom didn’t come with a manual. In this episode, Dad takes you through the turbulent first years of sovereignty: a president who once worked for Moscow, inheriting 4,000 nuclear weapons, a collapsing economy, hyperinflation so bad people bartered chickens for shoes, and the rise of oligarchs who shaped politics for decades. Add in battles with Russia...

What was it like to grow up under the hammer and sickle? In this Dad Tangent, we sneak into the classrooms, cafeterias, and whispered corners of Soviet schools to uncover the not-so-glorious daily life of a kid in the USSR. From itchy uniforms and loyalty oaths to gray cafeteria cutlets and history lessons with a party-approved twist, Soviet school life was part education, part indoctrination, and...

Before Ukraine declared independence, everyday life came with its own special challenge: Soviet bureaucracy . In this Dad Tangent, we explore the epic quest to get anything done in the USSR—whether it was fixing your roof, buying a hammer, or just figuring out which line was the right line (spoiler: it wasn’t). From stamp-happy clerks to documents in triplicate, we laugh our way through the absurd...

Episode 10 kicks off with a chill—literally—as the Iron Curtain descends across Eastern Europe and Ukraine finds itself locked behind it. We dive into the Sovietization of postwar Ukraine, the brutal suppression of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, and the gray grind of rebuilding Soviet-style. From Stalin’s death and Khrushchev’s Thaw to Brezhnev’s stagnation and the rise of underground resistance, w...

Just joining History with Dad or need a refresher? This TL;DR Dad episode zooms through the first 10 episodes — from Viking raiders and Kyivan Rus, through tsars, revolutions, Stalin, and World War II, all the way to Chernobyl, glasnost, and Ukraine's 1991 independence. It’s a fast, funny, and punchy recap that highlights how Ukraine went from medieval powerhouse to Soviet republic to finally brea...

June 24, 1945 — Red Square turns into a theater of triumph. In this Dad Tangent, we take a closer look at Stalin’s over-the-top Victory Day Parade, complete with rain-soaked generals, dramatic symbolism, and one very famous moment: Nazi flags hurled at Lenin’s Mausoleum. But behind the spectacle? A carefully staged message of Soviet power and control. Come for the horses and goose-stepping — stay...

What do you do after you win a war? If you’re Stalin, you send in the Trophy Brigades! In this lighter Dad Tangent, we dig into one of the strangest chapters of postwar history: the Soviet teams tasked with looting Nazi Germany…for everything . We’re talking pianos, bathtubs, livestock, entire libraries — and more than a few chandeliers. Part revenge, part reconstruction, part high-speed antique s...

In this episode of History with Dad , we follow the Red Army's march into Eastern Europe — and the tangled legacy it left behind. From the crushed dreams of the Warsaw Uprising to Romania’s hijacked revolution and Tito’s defiant break with Stalin, this is the story of “liberation” that looked a lot like occupation. We’ll explore the fall of East Prussia, the muted relief of Victory Day in the East...

After World War II, Ukraine was in ruins — but there was one thing the Soviets never ran short on: Lenin statues. Big ones, small ones, golden ones, even a few with mystery accessories. In this Dad Tangent , we dive into the weird and wonderful world of postwar propaganda monuments,where copy-paste Lenins ruled every town square and birds were the real revolutionaries. It’s a tale of hammers, sick...

World War II left Ukraine in ruins — and its youngest citizens in crisis. In this Dad Tangent , we explore what happened to the hundreds of thousands of children orphaned by the war. From overcrowded state homes to military indoctrination pipelines, these kids weren’t just survivors — they were shaped by a system that prized obedience over healing. It’s a story of loss, resilience, and growing up...

World War II is drawing to a close, but for Ukraine, the struggle is far from finished. In this episode of History with Dad , we explore what “liberation” really meant under Stalin. From mass deportations and cultural erasure to shattered cities and tightly controlled reconstruction, we unpackhow Ukraine was rebuilt — not just with bricks and railroads, but with surveillance, fear, and ideology. V...

In May 1944, the Crimean Tatars were given fifteen minutes to pack. In this Dad Tangent, we explore one of the most tragic — and least known— stories of World War II: the forced deportation of an entire people fromtheir homeland. Accused without trial, loaded into freight cars, and sentthousands of miles away, the Crimean Tatars paid the price not for what theyhad done, but for who they were. From...

What happens when the army leaves… and the secret police move in? In this Dad Tangent, we dive into the chilling aftermath of Soviet “liberation” during World War II. As the Red Army pushed the Nazis out of Ukraine, Stalin’s secret police — the NKVD — rolled in behind them with lists,suspicions, and a very broad definition of guilt. From arrests without evidence to gulags in Siberia, we explore ho...

The tide has turned — and the Red Army is on the move. In this episode of History with Dad , we follow the Sovietcounteroffensive as it rolls across Ukraine in 1943 and 1944. From thesmoldering aftermath of Stalingrad to the frozen crossings of the Dnipro River,Soviet forces push westward, liberating cities, reclaiming factories,and—unfortunately—bringing Stalin’s paranoia with them. We explore th...

Napoleon. Hitler. Charles XII of Sweden. Three men, three empires — all frozen in their tracks by the same unbeatable opponent: General Winter . In this chilly Dad Tangent, we explore how Russia’s infamous winter has stopped some of the most powerful armies in history. From Charles XII’s doomed march in 1708 , to Napoleon’s icy retreat in 1812 , to Hitler’s stalled invasion of Moscow in 1941 , thi...

The tide begins to turn. In this episode of History with Dad , we pick up in the frozen winter of 1941–42, as the German advance stalls outside Moscow and the Red Army begins to fight back. From there, we follow Hitler’s disastrous southern gamble into the oil fields of the Caucasus, and then dig deep into the rubble of Stalingrad — the city that refused to fall. We spotlight snipers, saboteurs, a...

When the Nazis surrounded Leningrad, 11-year-old Tanya Savicheva picked up a pencil and quietly wrote the names and dates of each loved one she lost. Just nine pages — but they became one of the most haunting records of World War II. In this Dad Tangent, we explore Tanya’s diary, the brutal reality of the Siege of Leningrad, and how a child’s words became powerful evidence at the Nuremberg Trials....

At just 14 years old, Valya Kotik wasn’tplaying games — he was blowing up German trains, sneaking through Nazi lines,and spying for the Soviet resistance in occupied Ukraine. In this Dad Tangent,we dive into the incredible true story of the youngest Hero of theSoviet Union — a boy who turned courage into sabotage andbecame a legend before his fifteenth birthday. Join Dad for a short, powerful side...