Ivan Vasilyevich the Fourth was crowned Grand Prince of Muscovy at 3 years old after his father died. After a traumatic childhood of chaos and coups, Ivan would crown himself the first Tsar of Russia and go on to create the Russian Empire. The first half of his reign would have made him a legend... if the second half did not turn into a waking nightmare that ... Show More
Nov 2022
Thanksgiving Special: Just Add Arsenic
Over the ages, arsenic has had many lives — beauty fad, household product, medical prescription… and weapon of choice wielded by killers everywhere from Alabama to ancient Rome. Brine your turkey, knead your dough, and listen to our Thanksgiving Special on the regime-changing, as ... Show More
42m 41s
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
Aug 2021
Ivan the Terrible
Was he really so terrible (hint: yes!), or is it all just a translation error (well, sort of)? Greg Jenner and his guests dive into the life, times, and crimes of Russia's first Tsar, the infamous Ivan the Terrible. From his bumpy youth, early successes, and multiple wives, to hi ... Show More
49m 24s
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
Sep 2023
Ivan The Terrible (Radio Edit)
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, Fi ... Show More
28m 16s
Jun 2023
History of Everything: Russia's Terrible Time of Troubles
The Time of Troubles, or Smuta, was a period of political crisis in the Tsardom of Russia which began in 1598 with the death of Feodor I, the last of the Rurik dynasty, and ended in 1613 with the accession of Michael I of the House of Romanov. Millions would die and the entire th ... Show More
49m 16s
Aug 2023
74. Peter the Great: The First Emperor
A giant of Russian history, and a giant of a man. Peter the Great, standing at 6'8, established Russia as the world power that it is today and is famously one of Vladimir Putin's inspirations. He expanded Russia's borders, modernised the state, and built St Petersburg from a swam ... Show More
1 h
Apr 2021
In the Shadow of the Great
<p>Catherine the Great's son, Paul I, idolized his deceased father Peter III and resented his powerful mother. Unfortunately for him, when he finally became Tsar, he would learn that wielding power isn't as easy as it looks.</p><p> </p> Learn more about your ad-choices at <a href ... Show More
21m 56s