From the rise of the Rurik dynasty to the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia’s history is a saga of autocracy, expansion, and revolution — a story that still shapes global politics today. Lucas and Luna guide you through the tangled roots of the Kievan Rus’, the Mongol yoke that forged a distinct identity, and the Ivan the Terrible’s reign of terror. They explore the Romanovs’ three centuries of imperial ambition, from Peter the Great’s Westernizing reforms to Catherine the Great’s enlightened despotism — and the serfdom that fueled it all. The narrative turns to the 19th century’s Decembrist revolt, the emancipation of 1861, and the radical movements that culminated in 1917. Then come the Bolshevik seizure of power, Stalin’s Five-Year Plans and Great Terror, the titanic struggle of World War II (the Great Patriotic War), and the Cold War’s nuclear standoff. Finally, the collapse of the USSR, the chaotic Yeltsin years, and Putin’s project to restore Russian greatness. The show delves into debates over Eurasianism, the role of the Orthodox Church, and the legacy of Soviet repression. Why does Russia so often clash with the West? What drives its obsession with strong leaders? Tune in to understand a civilization that has repeatedly remade itself — and the world.

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