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.

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.

How Rock and Roll Brought the Soviet Union Down

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Sergei Zhuk, an author and rock fan, says Rock and Roll helped bring down the Soviet Union. He writes how this forbidden music slipped into his hometown in Ukraine. His book is called “Rock and Roll in the Rocket City: The West, Identity, and Ideology in Soviet Dniepropetrovsk, l960-l985.” Brigid McCarthy spoke to Zhuk and brings us this report. Download MP3

Rock and Roll in the Rocket City at Amazon

Soviet Lines Way of Life in Grushin Novel

Award-winning writer, Olga Grushin, has written an entire novel about a defining feature of Russian Soviet life, standing in line. The lines disappeared as Communism dissolved, but their image, and the memory of them, remain. The book is just out in paperback, and reporter Brigid McCarthy tells us about it.

Chernobyl, Abd-El Krim, Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

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This week’s history podcast showcases three unrelated but timely radio features. In light of the nuclear crisis in Japan, Brigid McCarthy reminds us what happened at Chernobyl in 1986. Gerry Hadden introduces us to a Berber hero in Morocco and explains where he fits in the contemporary political landscape. And Jason Margolis retells the story of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire a century ago and explains why it’s still relevant today.Download MP3

Remembering Chernobyl after 25 years

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The nuclear crisis unfolding in Japan is taking place exactly 25 years after the worlds worst nuclear accident in Chernobyl. Brigid McCarthy reminds us of the scale of that disaster. Download MP3

Slideshow: Chernobyl as a tourism site

Lessons for Egypt from Ukraine

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Ukrainians who participated in the peaceful Orange Revolution of 2004 have some advice for people in Egypt, a people’s revolution does not always lead to a functioning democracy. Brigid McCarthy reports. Download MP3

Ukraine rewrites history books

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Ukraine’s new Russia-leaning government is re-writing history. It’s put out a new curriculum and history textbooks that omit the Orange Revolution of 2004. Correspondent Brigid McCarthy has the story. Download MP3

Coffee and corruption in Kiev

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Reporter Brigid McCarthy provides a snapshot of the culture of corruption in Ukraine. She follows an American businessman as he tries to open his own café there, without paying any bribes. Download MP3