The much-told legend of Rasputin – the giant, wild-eyed, well-hung, wandering Siberian monk who seduced the Tsarina herself – is mostly a bunch of absolute borscht. But the real story is just as wild. H&S look at the life of a peasant who infiltrated Russian nobility, embodying the tensions of a nation – a charismatic zealot who mysteriously healed the Roman ... Show More
Jun 16
ShortHand: The Church of Kardashian
From crypto scams to ‘diet tea’, intellectual property fraud and everything in between, clan Kardashian has set the blueprint for turning followers and influence into cold, hard cash.This is the run down on how Kim, Kylie, Kris and the rest of the gang have put their fame to work ... Show More
24m 48s
Jun 12
ShortHand: The Men Who Stare at Goats & the Psychic Arms Race
If someone told you they could read your mind, levitate, walk through walls, or make your heart explode in your chest, you’d probably either say they were crazy or wait to hear the punchline, and you’d be right to do so.But for over 30 years, the US government spent tens of milli ... Show More
26m 36s
Oct 2023
92. Killing Rasputin
Born in Siberia to a peasant family, Rasputin was an incredibly charismatic, physically striking, and politically savvy figure. He was a holy man, a mystic, who found his way to the centre of Imperial Russian power. Once he met Nicholas and Alexandra, he gained a central place in ... Show More
47m 30s
Apr 2024
Rasputin Part 2: The Long Fall from Grace | 17
In part one, Grigori Rasputin went from a powerless peasant to the spiritual advisor of the Tsar and Tsarina, the most powerful couple in Russia. Now, Rasputin’s “healing abilities” have been put to the test. If he saves their son, Alexei, he can solidify his place of power. If h ... Show More
39m 31s
Mar 2022
The Brutal Russian Mafia Wars of Tolyatti, Russia's Detroit
In the 1980s, as the Soviet empire crumbled, organized criminals eyed up the sprawling VAZ automobile plant in the city of Tolyatti, “Russia’s Detroit.” When it collapsed all hell broke loose. Old-school “thimble kings” battled it out with bodybuilding skinheads, Chechen paramili ... Show More
46m 4s