Why the Collapse of the Soviet Union Sparked Fierce Nationalism

A longing for order in Russia and the former Soviet republics is a reoccurring theme in Lawrence Scott Sheets’ new book , “8 Pieces of Empire: A 20-Year Journey through the Soviet Collapse.” Sheets tells host Marco Werman how emotions pent up for hundreds of years under foreign tutelage have boiled over in many parts of the former Soviet Union.

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.

Soviet Espionage Legend Dies

Legendary Soviet spy Gevork Vartanian, who helped foil a Nazi plot to kill Allied leaders in Tehran during World War II, has died in Moscow aged 87.

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.

Preserving the Cold War in Sunny California

We are looking for a museum of Cold War history that has a collection of everything from East German blueprints to Soviet artwork.

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.

Only Stalin Daughter Dies

The only daughter of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin died of colon cancer last week in a Wisconsin care home, aged 85.

Nursultan Nazarbayev: Kazakhstan’s Longtime Ruler

President Nursultan Nazarbayev has ruled the country since before the collapse of the Soviet Union.

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.

Gorbachev recalls 1991 Soviet Coup

20 years ago an attempted Soviet coup tried and failed to stop the reforms of then President Gorbachev, which lead to the end of the Soviet Union.

Why Russians Fear August

Numerous crises and catastrophic events have happened in Russia during the month of August.

Democracy in Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan saw two revolutions in recent years to become the first parliamentary democracy in Central Asia.

How Rock and Roll Brought the Soviet Union Down

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Rock and Roll in the Rocket City at Amazon

The butcher, the baker, and the cabbage gelder

As far as tedium goes, nothing competes with filling out a government form. How best to relieve the tedium? Invent stuff. Not out-and-out lie, just get a bit creative (OK, sometimes out-an-out lie: if I were to identify myself as a 90-year-old Azerbaijani woman or a Jedi knight, I would not be telling the truth) [...]