logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2023
28m 16s

Ivan The Terrible (Radio Edit)

Bbc Radio 4
About this episode

Greg Jenner and his guests discuss the life, times and crimes of Russia's first tsar, the infamous Ivan the Terrible.

Joining Greg are Prof Peter Frankopan from the University of Oxford and Russian-born comedian Olga Koch, whose BBC appearances include OK Computer, Human Error, Fight, QI and The Now Show.

For the full-length version of this episode, please look further back in the feed.

A production by The Athletic for BBC Radio 4.

Up next
Oct 30
Francis Galton (Radio Edit)
Greg Jenner is joined in Victorian England by historian and curator Subhadra Das and comedian Desiree Burch to learn all about the life of scientist and eugenics pioneer Francis Galton. He was many things: a Victorian gentleman scientist, an inventor of whacky devices, a pioneer ... Show More
28m 2s
Oct 23
The Iliad and Odyssey (Radio Edit)
Greg Jenner is joined in ancient Greece by historian Dr Emily Hauser and comedian and actor Kiell Smith-Bynoe to learn about the epic poems the Iliad and Odyssey. Traditionally attributed to the poet Homer, these works tell parts of a legend that has fascinated us for centuries: ... Show More
28m 9s
Oct 16
The History of Fandom, 1700-1900 (Radio Edit)
Greg Jenner is joined by Dr Corin Throsby and Stuart Goldsmith to look at early cultural fandom in the 18th and 19th centuries. Although many consider Beatlemania to be the start of what is now considered fan culture, Greg and his guests consider some much earlier and often hilar ... Show More
28m 34s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2023
Ivan the Terrible
<p>The name Ivan the Terrible is synonymous with brutality and ruthlessness. While Western scholars insist that the first crowned Tsar of all Russia did create a&nbsp;policy of mass repression and execution, others claim Ivan’s name has been tarnished by Western travellers and wr ... Show More
36m 25s
Aug 2023
73. Ivan the Terrible and the Founding of Russia
Subjected, downtrodden, brutalised. The principality of Muscovy had long suffered at the hands of the Mongols. But as their overlords weaken, their ruler, Ivan the Great, begins to lead the Muscovites to freedom. Come 1533, it is time for his descendant, Ivan the Terrible to rule ... Show More
52m 32s
Oct 2024
Series 9: Rasputin
How did an illiterate peasant from Siberia find himself dining with an Emperor? Did Rasputin really have magical healing powers or was he a cunning fraud? And what exactly earned him his shocking nickname?Producer: Sasha Bobak Evil Genius with Russell Kane is a BBC Studios produc ... Show More
41m 4s
Mar 2014
No Such Thing As The Middle Ages
Episode 3: This week QI Elves Dan Schreiber (@schreiberland) and James Harkin (@eggshaped) are joined by Horrible Histories consultant Greg Jenner (@gregjenner) and comedian Alex Edelman (@alexedelman) to discuss the first recorded smile, the most important animal in America and ... Show More
27m 34s
Feb 2024
Ivan the Terrible | The Sources of Evil
<p>Two men stood in a large room shouting at one another, raging over family and war or accusing each other of incompetence and cowardice. A third man stood nearby, servant of one and friend to both. In a corner, a young woman cowered with her face bruised and her body shaking. A ... Show More
18m 58s
Jul 2025
Sexual Orientations
Louis XIV, Red Scares, Fruit Machine, Punishable by Death, Russia, America, Elections, and more!You can find every episode of this show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube. Prime Members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. For more, visit barstool.link/twistedhistory 
1h 43m
May 2024
Tchaikovsky
In this episode of Talking History, we're looking at the life and music of Tchaikovsky and debating his remarkable artistic legacy. Joining Patrick Geoghegan is Prof Philip Ross Bullock, Professor of Russian Literature and Music, University of Oxford; Dr Ciarán Crilly, Associate ... Show More
51m 12s
Jul 2022
Bonus episode: Lucy Worsley talks to Greg Jenner
Lucy talks to fellow historian Greg Jenner about "larking about" on the TV show Horrible Histories, how to triumph at a Tudor history quiz (visit a museum on the subject first!), working with your idols (Stephen Fry) and the process and extraordinary detail that goes into making ... Show More
14m 50s
Feb 2022
News Quiz 25th February 2022
Recorded at the BBC Radio Theatre, this week Andy Zaltzman is joined by Angela Barnes, Ian Smith, Desiree Burch and Geoff Norcott to discuss Putin's invasion of Ukraine and the reaction at home and abroad. The team also look at the end of COVID restrictions in England, Johnson's ... Show More
28m 56s
Jun 2022
Bridge of Spies (Ft. DJ Vlad)
This week Charlamagne and Andrew are back! And they had their friend and first time guest, DJ Vlad stop by who reveals that he is partially Russian, so watch out! Also, Vlad speaks on his come up in the hip hop community and first having the nickname “Butcher”. Vlad also speaks o ... Show More
1h 50m