Brigid McCarthy
Looking Back at the Cuban Missile Crisis
50 years ago this month, the United States learned that Soviet nuclear missiles were positioned just 90 miles from Florida, in Cuba. Reporter Brigid McCarthy explains why the Cuban missile crisis may have been a more dangerous crisis than even President Kennedy realized at the time.
40 Years Ago, Soviet Gymnast Olga Korbut Dazzled the World
Forty years ago in Munich, Olga Korbut changed the way Americans watched the Olympics. And the tiny pig-tailed athlete inspired girls around the world to take up gymnastics.
The Collapse of the Soviet Union
On December 8th, l991, the Soviet press agency TASS stunned the world with this statement: “We, the Republic of Byelorussia, the Russian Federation and the Ukraine . . . state that the U.S.S.R., as a subject of international law and a geopolitical reality, is ceasing its existence.” With that simple declaration, the world’s largest country [...]
Documentary Film ‘The Other Chelsea’ Depicts a Different Ukraine
A new documentary “The Other Chelsea” tells the tale of a town in eastern Ukraine where the local soccer club won the Europa League tournament a few years back.
Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’ and Ukrainian Refugees
A year after George Orwell published his classic novel, “Animal Farm”, it became a hit with an unexpected group — Ukrainian refugees from the Soviet Union. They understood Orwell’s allegorical novel about the Soviet Union in a way that others did not.
Soviet Era Dark Humor Makes a Comeback
The Soviet jokes disappeared when the Soviet Union collapsed, but that brand of dark humor has made a comeback in Russia today.
Grappling With a Post-Soviet Identity
Host of a Russian history program says his series, titled Kto my? (Who Are We?), is about Russians understanding themselves.
Dealing With Money in Post-Soviet Life
After the collapse of the USSR, Russians and other ex-Soviets had to learn to face a new culture – a money culture. For many, that was a huge shock.
Nostalgia for the Soviet Union
The Soviet Union dissolved 20 years ago this Sunday. More than half of all Russians now regret that demise, according to a recent poll. Brigid McCarthy visited a restaurant in Moscow that lets nostalgic customers pretend they’re back in the USSR.
The End of the USSR
Twenty years ago on Christmas Day, the Soviet Union ceased to exist. Brigid McCarthy takes a look back at why the USSR came crashing down.
Why Some Russians Miss the Soviet Kommunalka
The Kommunalka was a Soviet experiment in communal living. Entire families were forced to live in a single room, nevertheless some have surprisingly fond memories of the experience.
20 Years After the Soviet Collapse
Twenty years ago, residents of Moscow awoke to the sound of tanks in the streets. There was a coup in the USSR.
Stalinism Survivor Runs Gulag Museum In Moscow
Many Russians would rather forget the work camps of the Soviet past but a 91-year-old Gulag survivor keeps in trying to remind them. He runs the Gulag Museum in Moscow.
Gorbachev, Yeltsin and the Demise of the USSR
There are many Russians who say a critical factor in the demise of the USSR was the power struggle that broke out between Mikhail Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin.
The Soviet Coup – 20 Years Later
Twenty years ago on Friday, there was a coup aimed at bringing down Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
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