If you are familiar with the history podcasts of the Belgian channel Klara, you will probably not have missed this podcast from 2017. In Troika! writer Johan de Boose takes you through a long series of atrocities that eventually set the Russian Revolution in motion. Murderous tsars, oppression and many revolts; De Boose manages to make tangible the brutal foundation on which the Soviet Union could be built in a story that is now once again relevant for anyone who wants to better understand Russian history. Troika! runs a lot slower than most podcasts out now, so it’s one for the patient listener. The compelling narration is interspersed with beautiful but long pieces of music.
A version of this article also appeared in the newspaper of April 30, 2022
