logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2023
1h 7m

Peter The Greats Journey To The West

Stakuyi
About this episode

A monarch travelling in disguise on a secret mission to build an alliance and discover technology to save his empire? What is this, a fantasy novel? No This is the Grand Embassy of Peter The Great. Having already sent some young nobles abroad to study nautical matters, Peter, in 1697, went with the so-called Grand Embassy to western Europe. The embassy comprised about 250 people, with the “grand ambassadors” Franz Lefort, Fyodor Alekseyevich Golovin, and Prokopy Voznitsyn at its head. Its chief purposes were to examine the international situation and to strengthen the anti-Turkish coalition, but it was also intended to gather information on the economic and cultural life of Europe.


Check out our sister podcast the Mystery of Everything

Coffee Collab With The Lore Lodge COFFEE

Travel to Peru with me here

Travel to Italy With Me here

Bonus episodes as well as ad-free episodes on Patreon.

Find us on Instagram. Join us on Discord.

Submit your relatives on our website

Podcast Youtube Channel

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Up next
Aug 27
Why India and The USA are Splitting Apart
In the past 25 years, India and the United States have become closer than ever before, building strong economic and strategic ties. Their partnership has rested on shared values and shared interests: they are the two largest democracies in the world, home to vast multicultural po ... Show More
34m 52s
Aug 25
Lady of Death
Lyudmila Pavlichenko, history’s deadliest female sniper, is considered to be a Soviet propaganda myth by some, including some people in Russia. The divorced teenage mother from the tiny Ukrainian town of Bila Tserkva is credited with killing at least 309 Nazis — she simply sounds ... Show More
48m 37s
Aug 22
Bonus: Another FAILED Megaproject: The Rise and Fall of 'Akon City Senegal
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 
23m 25s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2024
Peter Hart, "The Gallipoli Evacuation" (Living History, 2020)
One of the most well-told episodes of the First World War, the 1915 Gallipoli expedition, also has its own long-ignored aspects - specifically, the story of how the Allied force successfully evacuated in the middle of winter under the guns of the Turkish defenders. Our guest for ... Show More
1h 6m
Jun 2023
The Persian Empire(s)
Located roughly in the territory of the modern-day nation of Iran is the ancient region known as Persia. Persia sat at a strategic crossroad between South Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, the Arabian Peninsula, and Asia Minor.It was influenced not only by all of the great civ ... Show More
13m 37s
Feb 2024
Enemy Aliens
As the Nazis waged war on Europe, Britain had to take extreme measures to protect its shores. German and Italian nationals were imprisoned across the UK, including a small community of women on the Isle Of Man. Al Murray and James Holland return to the National Archives, to disco ... Show More
33m 30s
Jan 2023
Vichy France
How much do you know about the relationship between the Royal Navy and pirates during the Second World War? Vichy France, Hawker Typhoons, and a Jamaican epic are the topics on today's podcast - plus there's also a sneak preview of James' latest book on Italy during the War... A ... Show More
57m 34s
Apr 2021
303. Enigma and Escapees
Britain’s war time intelligence operations are the subject of discussion as Al Murray and James Holland exchange notes on their latest reading matter, Behind the Enigma: The Authorised History of GCHQ. The boys also explore the escape attempts of British and Allied POWs in Italy. ... Show More
50m 14s
Apr 2023
The Curious Case of Columbo's Message to Romania Part 2
Last week, we put on the proverbial raincoat and made like Columbo to investigate Peter Falk’s claim that he recorded a special Cold War message telling Romanians to “put down their guns.” This week, we’re back on the case, and what started out as a zany inquiry goes to some seri ... Show More
40m 33s
Mar 2023
On The Trail of The Hasty Ps
James resumes his exploration of Italy, this time, he's on the trail of the Canadians and particularly the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment as they battled their way from the toe to the mountains of Molise and beyond. A Goalhanger Films Production Produced by Vasco Andrade Exe ... Show More
42m 16s
Dec 2023
England & Portugal: The Oldest Alliance in the World
If you’re enjoying a glass of port during the festive period, you have the world’s oldest treaty to thank. Winston Churchill once described the Anglo-Portuguese alliance as ‘without parallel in world history.’ Forged in the backdrop of the Hundred Years War 650 years ago, the all ... Show More
39m 37s
Feb 2022
Family Stories Series 2: Episode 12
This week’s family stories include an IRA man who ended up fighting for Britain and being torpedoed twice, a Scot who spent five years as a prisoner of war, a teenage sailor who braved the Atlantic and the U-boats, and a pilot who never forgave his enemy. A Goalhanger Films produ ... Show More
25m 16s
May 2024
Family Euro Trip & Eras Tour Stockholm Recap!
Episode 267: Nat's back from Europe and has so much to share! In this solo episode, she takes us through her family's recent adventures overseas, spanning four major cities across four countries in just 10 days. From attending Taylor Swift's Eras Tour in Stockholm to tracing her ... Show More
38m 18s