Episodes

  • Alaska: The Edge of the Russian Frontier
    May 13 2026

    Howdy everyone! I've got a short one for you this time. Doing a very brief overview of the history of Russian-controlled Alaska.

    Alaska Purchase: https://www.britannica.com/event/Alaska-Purchase

    Creating a Creole Estate in Early Ninteenth-Century RussianAmerica: https://www.jstor.org/stable/41349555

    First Contact:https://usrussiarelations.org/2/timeline/first-contact/1

    Russian Colonization: https://www.loc.gov/collections/meeting-of-frontiers/articles-and-essays/alaska/russian-colonization/

    Russia’s Slaughter of Indigenous People in Alaska Tells UsSomething Important About Ukraine: https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/10/27/russia-colonization-alaska-ukraine-00123352

    Student Information: https://alaska.gov/kids/student.htm

    Show More Show Less
    28 mins
  • Kalashnikov: The Man, The Gun, The Arms Proliferation
    Mar 11 2026

    Howdy everyone and welcome back to the show! Today I will be talking about a subject very near and dear to my heart, Soviet small arms. Ooooooohhhhh. If that sounds like something that wouldn't immediately put you to sleep, you should tune in as I discuss Kalashnikov the man, his gun, and how it shaped the 20th century.


    Sources:

    A Look Back at the SKS-45 Rifle: ⁠https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/a-look-back-at-the-sks-45-rifle/


    An Ode to the 7.62x39m (M43) Soviet: https://www.americanhunter.org/content/an-ode-to-the-7-62x39mm-m43-soviet/

    Kalashnikov's Uncomfortable Legacy: ⁠https://www.rferl.org/a/kalashnikov-uncomfortable-legacy/25210112.html⁠


    Military Assault Rifles: https://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep10642

    Obituary: Mikhail Kalashnikov: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-19870688


    Russian Arms Sales to the Middle East: https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/russian-arms-sales-middle-east


    Soviet Arms Trade With the Noncommunist Third World: https://www.jstor.org/stable/1174128

    The AK-47: Comerade Kalashnikov’s Masterwork: https://gunsmagazine.com/guns/the-ak-47/

    The AK-47: Everything You Want to Know: https://www.military.com/off-duty/ak-47-all-about.html

    The World’s Most Popular Gun: The Long Road to the AK-47: https://www.jstor.org/stable/43152665

    Show More Show Less
    35 mins
  • St. Petersburg: The Window to the West
    Jan 21 2026

    Howdy everyone and welcome back. I have a little short episode going over some high points of the history of St. Petersburg. There is so much history to this city, even though it's really not that old, so I just chose some of the most important, and some of my favorite parts to talk about.


    Sources:

    About St. Petersburg: https://forumspb.com/en/o-sankt-peterburge/fakti/

    Moscow Becomes the Capital of the Soviet Union: https://www.prlib.ru/en/history/619089

    Second Northern War:https://www.britannica.com/event/Second-Northern-War

    Siege of Leningrad: https://www.britannica.com/event/Siege-of-Leningrad


    St. Petersburg: https://www.britannica.com/place/St-Petersburg-Russia

    St. Petersburg Through the Ages: https://forumspb.com/en/o-sankt-peterburge/history/?utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F

    Show More Show Less
    33 mins
  • Women in the Red Army: The Night Witches
    Apr 23 2025

    Howdy everyone and welcome back. It's been a while but we are back. Join me for an episode covering the WWII most famous flying women of the Red Army, the Night Witches.


    Sources:

    The Soviet Female Fliers of World War II: https://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep13932.8

    "Bomb-dropping Bombshells:" https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1061&context=madrush&httpsredir=1&referer=


    "The Soviet Night Witches": https://wrightmuseum.org/the-soviet-night-witches/



    Show More Show Less
    28 mins
  • The Legacy of Catherine the Great
    Mar 19 2025

    Hello everyone! In today's episode, I will be talking about Catherine's legacy and talking about how we remember her now and why maybe we should rethink that. Join me as I get a little rambly and yap a whole bunch about Catherine the Great.

    Show More Show Less
    22 mins
  • Catherine The Great ep. 5: Decline
    Mar 12 2025

    Hello everyone and welcome as we discuss the final years and ultimate death of Catherine the Great on today's episode.


    Sources:


    Catherine the Great by Simon Dixon

    Russia in the age of Catherine the Great by Isabel de Madriaga

    The Romanovs by Simnon Montefiore

    Catherine the Great: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Catherine-the-Great

    Show More Show Less
    59 mins
  • Catherine the Great ep. 4: Direct Control
    Mar 5 2025

    Howdy! This week we have another episode about Catherine the Great. This week we will be discussing arguably the golden era of Catherine's rule as she takes direct control of the Russian empire and really makes it her own.


    Sources:


    Catherine the Great by Simon Dixon

    Russia in the age of Catherine the Great by Isabel de Madriaga

    The Romanovs by Simnon Montefiore

    Catherine the Great: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Catherine-the-Great

    Show More Show Less
    43 mins
  • Catherine the Great ep. 3: The New Empress
    Feb 26 2025

    Tune in this week to hear how Catherine gets on as the new empress of Russia. This week's episode will be discussing the very short reign of Peter III and Catherine's ascension to power and her initial attempts to consolidate that power.


    Sources:


    Catherine the Great by Simon Dixon

    Russia in the age of Catherine the Great by Isabel de Madriaga

    The Romanovs by Simnon Montefiore

    Catherine the Great: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Catherine-the-Great

    Show More Show Less
    49 mins