She's In Russia
A podcast where two best friends — one in St. Petersburg and the other in Brooklyn — call each other and talk about Russia.
Sun, March 06, 2022
110: Everybody hates Russia
We check in about what’s been happening in and to Russia since the “special military operation” started in Ukraine. Why most of Lily’s Russian friends are leaving or thinking about leaving, peoples’ fears about the current situation and future of being in Russia, and the humanitarian effects of mass sanctions and corporate virtue signaling against Russia. Links we referenced:https://musatkin.com/iran-sanctions/https://journal.tinkoff.ru/news/brands-left-russia/Past eps we mentioned:Maslenitsa: https://soundcloud.com/shes-in-russia/90-death-blinyTelegram:https://soundcloud.com/shes-in-russia/60-bear-with-a-stick-telegram-pt-1https://soundcloud.com/shes-in-russia/61-whipping-boy-telegram-pt-2VPNs and other resources: https://telegra.ph/CHto-delat-pri-otklyuchenii-interneta-02-27Telegram channel: https://t.me/zatelecom
Thu, February 24, 2022
109: Ukraine Explain
SIR has reunited once again to revisit the latest saga in the conflict with Ukraine, partially so that Lily’s brain doesn’t explode trying to explain to people separately or so she doesn’t start writing things on the internet she will likely regret later. First we get into some historical context to this latest wave of the crisis/conflict/war in Ukraine (which we remind, started in 2014). Also, we talk about how the mostly always ignored regular people from Donbass(aka self-declared Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics) are feeling about this latest escalation. Our past Ukrainian conflict eps: https://soundcloud.com/shes-in-russia/sets/ukraine?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
Sun, May 31, 2020
108: "Pogrom"
Are riots good? Are protests good? Plus Lily gives the etymology of the word pogrom.
Sun, May 24, 2020
107: Ukrainian War Prop
Family history and Ukraine's war-time propaganda machine in Lugansk.
Mon, May 18, 2020
106: Telegram Saga
Lily gets updates on coronavirus in Russia from America and tells the story of Telegram's failed blockchain platform.
Sun, April 26, 2020
105: Potato Healing
Petersburg doesn’t care about corona, Russian medicine, Soviet nostalgia and Ivan Chai.
Sun, April 19, 2020
104: Krestos Voskres
Russian Orthodox Easter greetings and cake, Lily registers her new car.
Sun, April 12, 2020
103: My Brilliant Friend
Lily's finally reading Ferrante. Also a small COVID-19 in Russia update. And a tour of an abandoned experimental soviet neighborhood built in the late 1920s (Кондратьевский Жилмассив//Kondratyevsky Residential Area?)
Sun, April 05, 2020
102: Coronareunion
In these times of troubles, SIR is back to update you on Russia’s response to COVID-19.
Wed, June 12, 2019
Undefined Hiatus
Undefined Hiatus by Olivia Capozzalo and Smith Freeman
Wed, May 29, 2019
101: An Evening with Norstein
Lily went to see an artistic evening with animator Yuri Norstein, best known for his movies Hedgehog in the Fog and Tale of Tales.
Thu, May 23, 2019
100: Eurotrash Rennovation
Lily returns to St. Petersburg. We talk about Soviet interior design, the Mongol Yoke and ordering Kosher on Aeroflot.
Wed, May 15, 2019
99: Taking a Shvitz
We tell the tale of the legendary 10th St. baths in New York. Also known as The Shvitz or the Russian and Turkish Baths or simply The Baths, the place has been co-owned by two Soviet immigrants since 1995, bringing its own particular breed of bath-spa culture to its devoted clientele.
Wed, May 08, 2019
98: Tragic Gorbo
We watched Werner Herzog's latest documentary, Meeting Gorbachev.Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev wast the last general secretary and only president of the Soviet Union. He's known for supporting nuclear disarmament, causing mass chaos and having a birthmark on his balding head.
Tue, April 30, 2019
97: Severe Russophobia
FALSE CLAIM: SIR is run by Putin trollsFACT: SIR is run by two brilliant lady humans who are here to dispel myths about RussiaRussian Embassy's report The Russiagate Hysteria: a Case of Severe Russophobia: https://washington.mid.ru/en/press-centre/news/russian_embassy_special_report/
Fri, April 26, 2019
96: Pink Beets ft. Olia Hercules
We talked to Ukrainian-born, London-based chef and cookbook author Olia Hercules about some of her delicious family recipes, summer kitchens, Georgian food you only get in Georgia and dishes from her childhood in Cyprus. Check out Olia's cookbooks: https://oliahercules.com/books/Follow Olia: https://www.instagram.com/oliahercules/?hl=enEpisode photo from Olia's cookbook Mamushka, taken by Kris Kirkham
Tue, April 16, 2019
95: Viking Voyage ft. Polya Shubina
Special guest and dear friend Polya once sailed across the North Atlantic ocean on a viking-style ship. Now's she's written a book about it based on her notes and drawings from the onboard. We talk about the voyage, how the crew slept, ate, socialized and went to the bathroom on an open wooden ship at sea. Plus a bit about sex ed and drug prevention in Russian schools. *11 days left* to pre-order Polya's book by contributing: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/how-i-sailed-a-viking-ship-across-the-ocean#/
Tue, April 09, 2019
94: How Now Maddow
Dissecting Rachel Maddow's screen vom and crimes against journalism.Related episodes:Troll Factory indictment https://soundcloud.com/shes-in-russia/37-indict-meAnnexation of Crimea https://soundcloud.com/shes-in-russia/episode-11-crimea-it-existed-before-20142018 elections https://soundcloud.com/shes-in-russia/39-maybe-putin-wont-be-president-anymore *Support SIR: https://www.patreon.com/shesinrussiaShop for new Russian fashion: https://www.depop.com/fortochka/
Tue, April 02, 2019
93: Vyborg Express
Lily went to the great medieval city of Vyborg and gawked at abandoned buildings and Finnish tourists. *Support SIR: https://www.patreon.com/shesinrussiaShop for new Russian fashion: https://www.depop.com/fortochka/
Tue, March 26, 2019
92: Elite Terror
Why the right loves Solzhenitsyn and his Gulag writings.Anna Akhmatova's everyday life of squalor, drama and paranoia during the Terror. *Support SIR: https://www.patreon.com/shesinrussiaShop for new Russian fashion: https://www.depop.com/fortochka/Watch ContraPoints: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNvsIonJdJ5E4EXMa65VYpA
Tue, March 19, 2019
91: Ladies' Decameron
Yulia Voznesenskaia was part of the Leningrad dissident women's movement that formed in the 1970s. Later, as an emigre in Germany, she wrote the Women's Decameron — the story of ten women quarantined in a Soviet maternity ward for ten days, telling each other tales. *Support SIR: https://www.patreon.com/shesinrussiaShop new Russian fashion: https://www.depop.com/fortochka/
Tue, March 12, 2019
90: Death Bliny
What happened to all the death-commemorating and erotic traditions of everyone's favorite bliny-consuming, effigy-burning holiday, Maslenitsa? Here's the history of the week-long, slavic-pagan-christian, pre-Lenten celebration, plus several bliny recipes from a real Russian.
Tue, March 05, 2019
89: Surkov Circus
Popularly referred to as the puppet master and the shadowy man, Vladislav Surkov is back on the public stage with a manifesto on what he happily refers to as Putin's Russia. We break down the ideas he introduces in his latest article and trace how the man himself, specifically in the West, came to be known as the mastermind behind modern Russian politics.
Tue, February 26, 2019
88: Sidewalk Talk
Icicles falling from buildings kill people in Russia every year, but this winter, walking outside in St. Petersburg is even scarier than usual.buy russian fashion: https://www.depop.com/fortochka/
Tue, February 19, 2019
87: Soviet Multiki
SIR is joined by Crocodile Gena, Cheburashka, Vinni Pukh and Hedgehog in the Fog to discuss myths, techniques, legendary figures and beloved classics of Soviet animation.Watch all the cartoons we reference (plus ones we don't reference): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLFDtUKjvwX2P50tlMeyrtyx7KHPevbFW
Tue, February 12, 2019
86: Borsch Phantom ft. Alissa Timoshkina
Founder of London supper club KinoVino Alissa Timoshkina talks about why Russian-Soviet cuisine is so hard to define, plus shares memories of her childhood kitchen in Siberia and beautiful, mouth-watering descriptions of some favorite foods. Pre-order Alissa's cookbook Salt and Time — Recipes from a Russian kitchen: https://amzn.to/2DBnR34Alissa is on Instagram @borsch_and_no_tears
Tue, February 05, 2019
85: Domestic Violence ft. Yulia Gorbunova
We talk with Yulia Gorbunova, a researcher in the Europe and Central Asia division of Human Rights Watch, and author of a recently published report on domestic violence in Russia and the state's response to it. report in english: https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/russia1018_web3.pdfreport in russian: https://www.hrw.org/ru/report/2018/10/25/323648resources for survivors of domestic violence in Russia:http://anna-center.ru/index.php/ru/https://nasiliu.net/https://www.facebook.com/anokitez/Episode art by Rebecca Hendin for HRW
Tue, January 29, 2019
84: Stolovaya
The history of collective dining and the soviet cafeteria — utopias of factory kitchens and kitchen-less apartments, the science of soviet food consumption and where the design of the stolovaya as we know it actually came from. If you missed Fortochka, our Russian fashion pop-up at the beginning of December, you are in luck. We are selling off the remaining inventory, follow our ig: https://www.instagram.com/fortochka_/.
Tue, January 22, 2019
83: Quality Russians
Why BuzzFeed news and Rachel Maddow suck and a little update on Russian president Putin and Belarusian president Lukashenko's holiday meetups.
Tue, January 15, 2019
82: Donbass, the movie
Maybe the only critical analysis of the new movie Donbass (Dir. Sergei Loznitsa) that you're gonna get, folks (in English, at least).This non-documentary, allegedly based on real events and YouTube videos, is set in the eastern regions of Ukraine (collectively referred to as Donbass) — which are currently fighting a war with the western regions of Ukraine (collectively referred to as Ukraine). This movie was in part funded by the Ukrainian government. Separately, here's a short, independently made doc about every day life in Donbass (by Irina Lashkevich and Dan Levi) (Engl. subtitles): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NA242BxEArE
Wed, January 09, 2019
81: Boys Town
The failings of Michael McFaul, Boys Town scandals, and why Lily is probably not a spy. Help us out and email this guy at Buzzfeed about how much you love our little podcast: https://www.buzzfeed.com/scottybryan/podcast-suggestions-2019
Wed, January 02, 2019
80: Tsvetaeva New Year
This fine New Year we read and discuss texts by and about 19th c. Russian/Soviet/queer/polyglot poet Marina Tsvetaeva. Read Tsvetaeva's poem New Year, translated by Caroline Lemak Brickman: http://hypocritereader.com/26/new-year
Tue, December 25, 2018
79: Ored Recordings ft. Bulat Khalilov
The co-creator of the ethnographic recording label Ored Recordings (@ored-recordings-1), Bulat Khalilov, talks to Smith about traditional music from various ethnic groups from the Caucasus. The ep includes lots of music, so best to listen with headphones.Listen to and support Ored Recordings: https://oredrecordings.bandcamp.com/Episode image taken from this article about Ored Recordings: http://inrussia.com/understanding-circassian-folklore
Tue, December 18, 2018
78: Merch Perch ft. Sergei Pakhotin
The creator of streetwear merch producers Sputnik1985, Sergei Pakhotin, talks to Lily about why he's not a designer, the importance of subtle irony in political commentary, DIY punks in Belarus and what makes Gosha Rubchinsky an artist. Website: https://sputnik1985.com/Episode image taken from Sputnik1985 ig
Wed, December 12, 2018
77: Comic Sans ft. Andrei Konyaev
The history of standup comedy, reality TV, and what makes media in Russia independent. Our very special guest is Andrei Konyaev, founder and editor in chief of N+1, co-host of Kuji Podcast, math professor and humor expert.N+1: https://nplus1.ru/N+1 FB page (in English): https://www.facebook.com/einsteinsmama/Kuji: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK8xpGAv8Oz7iMPgMw9j0LA
Tue, November 27, 2018
76: How Propaganda Works ft. Tamara Eidelman
Historian, teacher, and author Tamara Eidelman talks to us about her recently-published book Как Работает Пропаганда (How Propaganda Works), published by Individuum.Russian-speaking SIR listeners! You can read Tamara's book for free here: https://bookmate.app.link/tamaraAll, you can also use the promo code TAMARA to subscribe to the Bookmate app for a free *month* of reading any book they have (some are in English!). Just don't forget to unsubscribe at the end of 30 days if you don't want to actually be subscribed for money: https://bookmate.com/code?promo=TAMARAThe book is also available in print in Russia, check your local book store.
Tue, November 20, 2018
75: Et Tu, Russia?
We are doing a popup of new Russian fashion designers on Dec 8th & 9th at 332 E 4th St, New York, NY. Follow things: https://www.instagram.com/fortochka_, http://fortochka.site/.This week: Gossip, slander, facts about the sexual harassment case that led to Meduza's Editor in Chief Ivan Kolpakov resigning last week. Episode image lifted from lenta.ru
Tue, November 13, 2018
74: Gop-stop
We are doing a non-digital project, wherein we sell clothes made by Russian designers for two days in December in New York City: fortochka.siteWhy do slavs squat? The eternal question. The history of the gopnik phenomenon. Plus we trace the emergence of the gopnik image/meme from Runet—>Slavic internet—> Western internet—> global fashion trend.this episode was written up in MEL: https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/slav-squat-meme-history-russia-gopnik(idk who made the episode image, i got it from the internet, good image tho!)
Tue, November 06, 2018
73: The Babushka Society
Two friends meet Baba Yaga and her army of babushkas in modern day St. Petersburg.A radio drama made in collaboration with Benita Klavis (Benjamin Davis and Nikita Klimov). Written by Ben, produced by SIR. Featuring the voice talents of: Elliot Davis, Ben, Nikita, Smith, and LilyEpisode art by Nikita.Ben (author) and Nikita (illustrator) have also just published a book, the King of Fu, a surreal, dark humor-filled poetic memoir. You can get it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D2YYL6S Or directly from the publisher: https://www.nadablank.com/copy-of-epressYou can also read/see more by Ben and Nikita in their Telegram channel https://t.me/benitaklavis or on their website https://flash-365.com/
Mon, October 29, 2018
72: Bryansky Les ft. Laura Williams
Last month we trekked to a small village deep in the woods near the Ukrainian border to visit a certain legendary American and her horses. This episode is dedicated to the life, work, and loved ones of Laura Williams.Episode photo is a young Laura, taken by her husband Igor Shpilenok (presumably).If you would like to read Laura's book: https://www.amazon.com/Storks-Nest-Life-Russian-Countryside/dp/1555916295"
Tue, October 23, 2018
71: American Made ft. Grace
School shootings, how their symbolism and aesthetics continue to echo Columbine, and whether or not they're preventable. This week's ep is unfortunately apropos of the mass murder at the Kerch Polytechnic College on Oct. 17.If you'd like to send money to help fund the treatment of those injured in the attack, you can do that here (sorry, it's in Russian): https://www.sberbank.ru/ru/about/kerch
Tue, October 16, 2018
70: Attention Dvor
The mystical St. Petersburg courtyard, the rural homestead, the royal court. This week we talk about the architectural and emotional history of the Russian dvor.patreon.com/shesinrussiaMusic: (theme music) Shit Happens by Tierra Whack, Русский Ковчег by Монеточка, Шоколадное кафе by Тупые
Wed, October 10, 2018
69: Kadyrov, Don't Call Me ft. Zukhra
Joined by our amazing special guest, Caucasus and MMA expert, Zukhra, we talk about how people from the North Caucasus relate to larger Russia, Khabib vs. Connor, why you shouldn't insult Caucasian people (the real ones), and everyday racism in Russian housing.
Tue, October 02, 2018
68: Tweedle D' Skripal
Super recognizers come one come all! The plot thickens in the case of the helpless Russian tourists visiting the lovely town of Salisbury.https://www.patreon.com/shesinrussia
Tue, September 25, 2018
67: Dacha San
The Russian dacha wasn’t always а one-family weekend house symbolizing a return to the land and folksy country virtues. Lily tells Smith the more complicated story.Main knowledge source for this ep: Summerfolk: A History of the Dacha, 1710–2000 by Stephen Lovell
Wed, September 19, 2018
66: Streets of St. Beetlesbug ft. Pasha
Smith came to St. Petersburg and we went around recording our trials and tribulations.
Tue, September 11, 2018
65: Yanka
(Best to listen with headphones, as this episode is in stereo)We tell the story (and listen to the music) of musician and poet Yanka Dyagileva and the late 1980s-early 1990s Siberian punk-rock scene she was at the center of. Listen to all the music from this episode: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLFDtUKjvwX0tq-FOBtZHbsDvNqw6nkXlSupport us plz: patreon.com/shesinrussia
Mon, September 03, 2018
64: Kitchen Table ft. Nastya Pankina
A discussion in Lily's kitchen about race paradigms, Gosha Rubchinskiy, censorship in Thaw-era film, and why Russia is the greatest country on earth.
Tue, August 28, 2018
63: Terrible
We give our very in depth and diverging two cents on Keith Gessen's new novel A Terrible Country. There are spoilers, be warned.SPOILERS: 50:16 - 55:01 and 56:49 - 58:47Support us plz: patreon.com/shesinrussia
Tue, August 21, 2018
62: Expat Scumbags
An informal conversation where we talk about (among other things) a particular type of male expat in Russia, their relationship to women and sex, and the time Lily revealed herself to be nothing better than a capitalist parasite.
Wed, August 15, 2018
61: Whipping Boy, Telegram pt. 2
Part two of a two part series on the saga of Telegram in Russia. This week we give you a news update on the case, explain encryption, discuss one of the heroes of this story, Pavel Durov, and raise the question (and the various theories) of why, really, Telegram is being blockedFor this series we spoke to a multitude of people more important and knowledgeable than us. A huge thank you to Mikhail Klimarev, Tanya Lokot, Damir Gainutdinov, Matthew Green, Philip Kulin, Anna Fomina, and Max Olenichev. Also thank you to Andrei for his voiceover work, and to Yulia Drobova for yet another incredible custom cover art. Support SIR: https://www.patreon.com/shesinrussiaLinks: - Internet Protection Society (Mikhail): https://ozi-ru.org/- Agora (Damir): http://en.agora.legal/- Usher2 (Phil): https://usher2.club/en/- Team29 (Anna and Max): https://team29.org/- Yulia (illustrator): https://www.drobova.uz/
Tue, August 07, 2018
60: Bear with a Stick, Telegram pt. 1
Part one of a two part series on the saga of Telegram in Russia. This part is the one where we tell you more generally how the internet is regulated in Russia, why we care about Telegram, and how it (did it?) got blocked in Russia, legally and technically speaking.For this series we spoke to a multitude of people more important and knowledgeable than us. A huge thank you to Mikhail Klimarev, Tanya Lokot, Damir Gainutdinov, Philip Kulin, Anna Fomina, and Max Olenichev. Also thank you to Andrei for his voiceover work, and to Yulia Drobova for the incredible custom cover art. Listen to part 2: https://soundcloud.com/shes-in-russia/61-whipping-boy-telegram-pt-2Links: - Internet Protection Society (Mikhail): https://ozi-ru.org/- Agora (Damir): http://en.agora.legal/- Usher2 (Phil): https://usher2.club/en/- Team29 (Anna and Max): https://team29.org/- Yulia (illustrator): https://www.drobova.uz/Support SIR: https://www.patreon.com/shesinrussia
Tue, July 31, 2018
59: Prison Tattoos ft. Mark Bullen
We learn about the history of the Russian-speaking mafia and its intricate system of prison tattoos speaking with a specialist in the subject, Mark Bullen, a US-based former UK cop. Mark wrote a book documenting Russian prison tattoos and organized crime called Thief in Law, you can buy it here: https://www.amazon.com/Thief-Law-Russian-Russian-Speaking-Organized/dp/0764355988/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1528954355&sr=8-1&keywords=thief+in+law+mark+bullenMark's site: https://www.markgbullen.com/Or find him on Twitter @markgbullenSupport SIR: https://www.patreon.com/shesinrussia
Tue, July 24, 2018
58: Unnamed Peninsula
Lily visits a certain well-known Russian-speaking peninsula and learns that since its annexation, things have changed. And mostly not for the better. For a more in-depth legal/historical overview of Crimea, listen to our episode https://soundcloud.com/shes-in-russia/episode-11-crimea-it-existed-before-2014https://www.patreon.com/shesinrussia
Tue, July 17, 2018
57: Telman’s Market
The story of Moscow’s (in)famous Cherkizon market, the 90s born “city within a city” known for its cheap prices, über-wealthy owner Telman Ismailov, rampant corruption, and horrible living and working conditions.https://www.patreon.com/shesinrussia
Tue, July 10, 2018
56: We Are Not Russia
Budapest local Zsolt tells Lily and her dear friend Liz about growing up in Soviet-occupied Hungary, why everything that's Russian is bad, and how Hungarian prime minister Orban Victor's feelings towards Russia have shifted since his days as a "young buck" on the early 90s political scene.https://www.patreon.com/shesinrussia
Tue, July 03, 2018
55: I'll Ask Her
Before the ever-encroaching Euro-Americans got their grubby hands on Alaska, Russian frontiersmen were colonizing the peninsula with the help of a fur trade-bead racket. Smith tells Lily the story.patreon.com/shesinrussia
Tue, June 26, 2018
54: Grand ft. Katerina Novikova
We talk with head of press for The Bolshoi Theater, Katya Novikova, about the cultural significance of the institution, Ballet Nureyev, and how the theater used to be overrun with cats.You can watch Bolshoi production in real time in movie theaters around the world, keep an eye on this list: https://www.bolshoi.ru/en/about/relays/Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/shesinrussiaPodcasts from Meduza: https://meduza.io/podcastsGlagolev FM: http://glagolev.fm/Arzamas: https://arzamas.academy/radio
Tue, June 19, 2018
53: Men Can't Sew ft. Alissa Klots
Hello, yes, we have a launched a Patreon, support SIR: https://www.patreon.com/shesinrussiaEuropean University professor Alissa Klots talks to us about early Soviet domestic labor and post-Stalinist discourses on aging. More about Alissa: https://eu.spb.ru/en/history/faculty/17377-klots-alisa
Tue, June 12, 2018
52: Lily Feels Funny
Lily and Smith talk about dating without language, parallel lives, and romanticizing America.
Tue, June 05, 2018
51: Malicious Hooligan ft. Slava Mogutin
Artist, activist, and writer Slava Mogutin talks to us about being exiled from Russia, outing Zhirinovsky, and the fetishization of military uniforms.Transcript of the episode: https://medium.com/shes-in-russia/malicious-hooligan-interview-with-slava-mogutin-2c529cc183b5Slava's website: http://slavamogutin.com/Get Slava's latest book of photography, Bros & Brosephines: http://www.powerhousebooks.com/books/bros-brosephines/Get Pictures & Words: https://www.amazon.com/Pictures-Words-5-Slava-Mogutin/dp/1976191742Episode image: Slava Mogutin by Paul Mpagi Sepuya ( taken from Slava's Instagram)
Tue, May 29, 2018
50: MIRVelous ft. Alicia Dressman
Nuclear policy specialist Alicia Dressman talks to us about ballistic missiles, Cold War weaponry, and what "the Russia threat" means to her.Follow Alicia: twitter.com/thedelphivision
Tue, May 22, 2018
49: Offended Sensibilites ft. Alisa Ganieva
A conversation with award-winning author Alisa Ganieva about her upcoming neo-noir detective novel Offended Sensibilities and the formation of a new kind of past-focused patriotism in Russia. A reading of a chapter from the book, translated into English by Isaac Stackhouse Wheeler.The translated text is published in the quarterly literary journal Apofenie. You can find it at https://www.apofenie.com/fiction/2018/5/1/an-excerpt-from-offended-sensibilitiesFollow Isaac: https://twitter.com/ThreeNamesTrans
Tue, May 15, 2018
48: Victory Day On Palace Square
On May 9, Lily went out into the city and collected stories from people celebrating Victory Day. On that day, people in Russia and much of the former USSR celebrate Nazi Germany's surrender in 1945 and the end of the Great Patriotic War.
Mon, May 07, 2018
47: Golden Boy Tsoi
This week we listen to music by 1980s Leningrad legend/cult figure Viktor Tsoi and his band Kino. Plus we tell some meaty stories about Tsoi's life and the late Soviet / early Perestroika rock scene.
Tue, May 01, 2018
46: Elena Kostyuchenko at Columbia
Novaya Gazeta's Elena Kostyuchenko on why she decided to report on Chechnya, what exactly foreigners misunderstand about Russian media censorship, and why her journalism isn't trying to change people.This week we respond to a talk Smith went to earlier this month at Columbia University between Elena, who is the Harriman Institute’s Paul Klebnikov Russian Civil Society Fellow, and the World Editor of BuzzFeed News, Miriam Elder.Special thanks to the Harriman Institute for letting us use the audio for the show.
Tue, April 24, 2018
45: Where's Lily?
Smith asks Lily about her life in Russia. Lily talks about why she feels she has to explain basic bitch feminism all the time, the pecularities of black American cultural appropriation in Russia, and how she got broken up with for being a sugar mama. As a bonus, Lily debuts some new voices she's been practicing.
Thu, April 19, 2018
44: Moscow's Trash Collapse
In the suburbs of Moscow people have been fighting with local government to solve what has now clearly become a region-wide garbage management crisis. To make matters worse, it's in the largest urban area of a country that, at least on the official level, doesn't recycle.This week Lily tells Smith what she learned about Moscow Oblast's trash problem from talking with people at a protest in Lobnya, one of the several Moscow suburbs that held trash-related protests on April 14, in honor of the regional governor's birthday.
Fri, April 06, 2018
43: Lenin on the Lower East Side
On top of an unassuming building on the LES of Manhattan there is an 18-foot tall copper statue of Vladimir Lenin, gesturing to Wall Street.This week Smith tells Lily what she learned about the statue’s journey from post-Soviet Russia to New York — and what it has come to symbolize there — from speaking with the statue’s co-owners and residents of the neighborhood. Theme Music: Shit Happens by Tierra Whack
Tue, April 03, 2018
42: Kemerovo
This week SIR tells the story of the recent tragic fire in Kemerovo through voices from the city.On Sunday March 25, a fire broke out in a mall in the Siberian city of Kemerovo, killing 64 people, mostly children, who had come to see the movie Sherlock Gnomes and celebrate the start of their Spring break. The tragedy has been filling the Russian internet and media space for the past week, occupying the minds of people across the country who are mourning with the city.
Tue, March 27, 2018
41: Russian Soul Inspectors ft. Hannah Gais
We've got Hannah Gais on to talk about the phrase the "Russian soul." We cover the phrase's origin and subsequent adoption by the West, its contemporary uses amongst unhinged Twitter personalities, and how it is Russia has excellent sushi despite being a landlocked country.Read Hannah's article on the "Russian Soul" in The Baffler: https://thebaffler.com/this-american-carnage/whos-afraid-of-the-russian-soul-gaisFollow her on twitter at @hannahgais and go to her website to check out her other writing, https://hannahgais.com/Theme music: Shit Happens by Tierra WhackSubscribe to our Telegram channel: https://t.me/shesinrussia
Tue, March 20, 2018
40: The House Behind the Vacant Lot
This week we are co-presenting -- with Event Horizon Magazine and translator Isaac Wheeler -- the English-language debut of author Olga Onoyko. We're devoting this episode to Olga's surreal, dream-like short story, "The House Behind The Vacant Lot." Lily interviews the author and Isaac reads his translation of her story. Olga Onoyko is a 33 year old, Moscow-based musicologist by training, who works in IT. She is the author of multiple published novels and short stories. In 2007 she received the Debut award in the Fantasy genre for her novel "Surgical Intervention" (Хирургическое вмешательство), and in 2009 an encouragement award from the European Science Fiction Society.Isaac's translation of "The House Behind The Vacant Lot", written in 2003 and published in Russian in 2007, will appear in Issue 3 of literary and graphic arts periodical Event Horizon on March 21.Read the story here: https://eventhorizonmagazine.com/More about Olga and her work here: http://olga-onoyko.ruFollow our Telegram channel: https://t.me/shesinrussiaTheme Music: Shit Happens by Tierra WhackInterlude: В каждом доме (гроб cover) by synecdoche montaukCover Art: Vacant Lot by Erica Lambertson
Tue, March 13, 2018
39: Maybe Putin Won't Be President Anymore
On March 18 Russians will vote to elect a (possibly new) President to lead the country for the next 6 years. This week SIR changes it up, handing our mics over to three millennial, liberal-leaning Russians -– Nastya, Max, and Rita -- to discuss the personalities and platforms of all 8 candidates.During the discussion, they explain why TV is the country’s “main problem”, what kinds of gifts you get the first time you vote in Russia, why Ksenia Sobchak was more badass when she started her campaign, and why Alexey Navalny (the only Russian opposition leader covered widely in Western media), along with his call to boycott the elections, should be resisted, or at least ignored.Follow our Telegram channel: https://t.me/shesinrussiaCheck out the are.na channel for this ep: https://www.are.na/share/XJPSNfgTheme Music: Shit Happens by Tierra Whack
Tue, March 06, 2018
38: Women's Day Hooray
In Russia International Women's Day is celebrated widely every March 8 since 1917. At some point in the Soviet era, the holiday (whose original incarnation is a strongly Socialist-rooted celebration of the struggle for women's rights, gender equality, and in Russia specifically the women who initiated and comprised the 1917 February revolution) morphed into a twisted mirror-image of itself that reinforces woman's traditional social role as caretaker and patron saint of beauty, family, and the home. SIR discusses the revolution that made the holiday mainstream in Russia, how the day is celebrated today, plus the story of arguably one of Russia's most influential revolutionary/Party officials.Follow our Telegram channel: https://t.me/shesinrussiaTheme Music: Shit Happens by Tierra WhackInterludes: Феникс by ГШ, The General by Dispatchare.na: https://www.are.na/share/YVpvKmu
Tue, February 27, 2018
37: Indict Me
Russiagate unfolds: on Feb. 16, 2018. Former FBI director and current US Special Counsel Robert "the Swan" Mueller III published an "unprecedented" indictment of 13 Russian people and 3 Russian companies all related to the so-called Internet Research Agency, aka the "Troll Factory" in St. Petersburg and now all formally accused of interfering in the 2016 US presidential elections.Allow SIR to explain: what actually happened, why it matters, and why we knew all this already.Follow our Telegram channel: https://t.me/shesinrussiaTheme Music: Shit Happens by Tierra WhackInterludes: Computer Luv by Ravyn Lenae, Your Mouth by Frank Zappaare.na: https://www.are.na/share/PPVsqBi
Tue, February 20, 2018
36: We Love Banya
The Russian banya -- the body/soul cleansing, health stimulating spa ritual cum social club. This week we talk about the significance of the banya in Russian culture, why it's very much not just a sauna, what kinds of banyas Russians use today (and one of their slightly frightening prototypes). Plus how to properly "steam" someone with veniki [bushels of leafy twigs, often birch or oak]. Theme Music: Shit Happens by Tierra Whackare.na channel: https://are.na/smith-freeman/banya-the-russian-saunaTelegram channel: https://t.me/shesinrussia
Tue, February 13, 2018
35: Latvia ft. Kristaps Andrejsons
We're kicking off our ongoing series on former Soviet countries with Kristaps Andrejsons, host of The Eastern Border podcast and, incidentally, a Latvian.Our conversation runs the gamut: wild boars in Riga, the three waves of National Awakening (i.e. how Latvia became a country), and the best summer festival.Theme Music: Shit Happens by Tierra WhackListen to Kristaps's podcast: http://theeasternborder.lv/Telegram channel: https://t.me/shesinrussia
Tue, January 30, 2018
34: Surfing The Net ft. Igor Belkin
This week we shoot the shit with Igor Belkin, journalist, media person, "blogger", about the Russian Internet (Runet). We've got Livejournal in the early 2000s, quintessential Runet memes, and menacing Orthodox officials. Plus what it's like to be a Russian expat in America.Theme Music: Shit Happens by Tierra WhackInterlude: IAmNobody by Lin-ZTelegram channel: https://t.me/shesinrussia
Tue, January 23, 2018
33: Space Cadets
This week we tell the story of Russian and American space programs -- the race to space, why "free men" should get there first, Russian bear hugs, and the (lack of) politics in space.This episode is a montage of primary source clips from archives and other corners of the internet that tell the story starting from the 1800s til the present day. And we, of course, play peanut gallery.Theme Music: Tierra WhackInterlude: Mae Jemison by SammusTelegram channel: https://t.me/shesinrussia
Tue, January 16, 2018
32: Translation Station ft. Kevin Rothrock & Isaac Wheeler
This week we discuss the theory and daily practice of translation, joined by two honored guests and translators. Our first guest is Kevin Rothrock, Senior Editor and Translator at Meduza in English, who tells us about his daily work bringing independent Russian news to English speakers, and how to stealthily pick fights on Twitter. Our second guest is Isaac Stackhouse Wheeler, professional independent translator of both Russian and Ukrainian poetry and prose, who tells us, among many other things, what the heck an intuitive door handle has to do with translation.You can find Kevin on Twitter @KevinRothrock and on his podcast The Russia Guy, wherever you listen to podcastsYou can find Isaac on Twitter @ThreeNamesTrans and on his podcast Black Box Poetry, wherever you listen to podcastsTheme Music: Shit Happens by Tierra WhackInterlude: More Brothers Rides by Palace MusicTelegram channel: https://t.me/shesinrussia
Tue, January 09, 2018
31: Beaches Go To Brighton
This week we were both in NYC and took the opportunity to spend the day talking to people in Brighton Beach, aka Little Odessa, aka the neighborhood of choice for Soviet immigrants. We spoke to people from all over the former USSR (and Turkey!) who live, work, and/or were visiting Brighton, asking them about the neighborhood and their relationship to it. We tried to let them do the talking.Telegram channel: https://t.me/shesinrussia
Tue, January 02, 2018
Taking a break this week
Telegram channel: https://t.me/shesinrussia
Tue, December 26, 2017
30: 2017 Round Up
This week we select clips from some of our favorite episodes of the year. Happy New Year.Telegram channel: https://t.me/shesinrussia
Tue, December 19, 2017
29: Bourgeoisie Tree
This week Lily tells Smith the tale of the Russian Christmas/New Year's tree. Pagan anti-demon rituals, Peter the Great shaking and moving, a pro-tree Pravda op-ed by a party leader: Lily plots the course of how the Christmas Tree came to Russia and then ultimately became the New Year's tree.Theme Music: Tierra WhackInterludes: Guayaba (aeonfuxxx on Soundcloud)Special thanks to the scholarship of Elena DushechkinaTelegram channel: https://t.me/shesinrussia
Tue, December 12, 2017
28: Reading Russian Rainbow
Cozy up for story time. This week we bring you a reading of two texts translated from Russian -- a short story called "Thirteen" by Alisa Ganieva and an excerpt from a novel called "The Gardener is Gone" by Lena Eltang. The short story was translated by Isaac Stackhouse Wheeler and published in The Missing Slate. The novel is currently in the process (!) of being co-translated by Isaac and Reilly Costigan-Humes -- we're very grateful to the translators for the chance to get a sneak peek of their beautiful work and share it with our listeners. Theme Music: Shit Happens by Tierra WhackInterlude: Taylar Elizza BethTelegram channel: https://t.me/shesinrussia
Tue, December 05, 2017
27: Tit4Tat
This week we're checking in with “Russiagate”/ the “Russian matter” [российское дело]. You will learn: what Michael Flynn’s plea deal is and why there's a fuss about it; and what happened to RT America, the US branch of a multinational Russian news network. RT’s case has in incited yet another tit for tat between the US and Russian governments involving their respective “Foreign Agent” laws (which are very much not the same), the tit of which is looking to be alot more harmful than the tat. We give you the lowdown on these latest developments, plus, concordantly, a healthy dose of ethical discussion around social media and the very blankety term “fake news”.Theme Music: Shit Happens by Tierra WhackInterludes: DoNormaalTelegram channel: https://t.me/shesinrussia
Tue, November 28, 2017
26: Small Shuttered Palace ft. Molly Zuckerman
This fall, European University at St. Petersburg was shut down under dubious circumstances. We talk with Molly Zuckerman about the school's contentious history with government and the plight of foreign students now stranded by the school's closure. Plus, she shares some good tidbits on kegels from a Russian sexologist.Theme Music: Tierra WhackInterludes: TatarkaTelegram channel: https://t.me/shesinrussia
Tue, November 21, 2017
25: Bloc Chain Bitches
It would seem that governments are finally starting to cotton on to cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. The Russian government is no exception. This week we cover exactly what cryptocurrency and blockchain are, the Russian government's economic, legislative, and technological move into the crypto space, and the state of private crypto businesses in Russia.Theme Music: Shit Happens by Tierra WhackInterludes: Tiff The GiftTelegram channel: https://t.me/shesinrussia
Tue, November 14, 2017
24: Black October Roundtable (of us)
How did the Bolshevik Revolution and the actual establishment of the Soviet Union inspire and encourage activists and intellectuals of the African Diaspora? With what specific mechanisms of hard and soft power did the Soviet Union, from its earliest years, seek to create a ‘global Black proletariat’?We didn’t answer these questions ourselves, but thankfully someone else did! For the week leading up to the 100th anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution (Oct. 7, 2017), The African American Intellectual History Society published a series of articles online written by various scholars of Black and Russian/Soviet history and art on this very interrelationship. We present the main ideas from the articles and bring your highlights and analyses of the most compelling ones.Theme Music: Tierra WhackInterludes: SZA, KehlaniTelegram channel: https://t.me/shesinrussia
Tue, November 07, 2017
23: Healthcare Bear Stare
How has the Russian healthcare system transformed since 1991? How much does the average Russian doctor earn now? This week we bring you an overview of healthcare in Russia today, from how insurance works to why the constitution's promise of 'free healthcare for all' isn't quite as good as it sounds in real life.Plus we're joined by our dear friend Izzy, who tells the story of her own personal saga cum cultural struggle with the Russian healthcare system when she was a wee student in St. Petersburg.Theme Music: Tierra WhackInterlude: Skwod by Nadia RoseTelegram channel: https://t.me/shesinrussia
Tue, October 31, 2017
22: Moms in The Motherland
On this week's episode we bring you the political mother. We trace the history of the Soviet conception of motherhood, interview an honest-to-goodness Russian mom, and talk about three recent tragedies (Kursk, Beslan, and The Ukrainian Crisis) to which mothers responded by politicizing and organizing.Plus, we give some real practical and useful advice on how to stimulate the clitoris.Music: Tierra Whack
Tue, October 24, 2017
21: How To Be A Human and Not Fuck Up ft. Olya Polyakova
This week in the Petersburg studio (Lily's room) we're joined by social entrepreneur, activist, and all around inspiring human, Olya Polyakova. We talk about how she documented her arrest and 12-day detainment for peacefully protesting in June, how to best use the toilet in a 2-person prison cell, what it means to feel freedom in the city, and why it's important that Ksenia Sobchak is running for president.Follow Olya on Instagram: @PolyakovaPolyakovaWatch the tour of her cell: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyRw2D7eSMETelegram channel: https://t.me/shesinrussia
Tue, October 17, 2017
20: Mini Leviathan
We talk with Lily's friend Nastya all about Russian movies since perestroika. Well we were supposed to, but we lost most of the recording. So instead we bring you a baby episode about heating pads (get one!), and a theory about how The Return and Leviathan, both directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev, exemplify Russia's changing relationship with The West.Fear not, in the future, we'll re-record a full episode on Russian film.Telegram channel: https://t.me/shesinrussia
Tue, October 10, 2017
19: Baby's First Year
Another variety show! This time we listen to clips from U.S. media specifically from the first year of Putin’s first term as president, resuming our peanut gallery position with light commentary and analysis. The clip topics range from Clinton and Bush’s brief overlap, to Bush musing about Putin’s soul, to the thorn in the two men’s 8 year relationship as presidents together - what to do about anti-ballistic missiles. We also check in with this week's protests in Russia, and shill for Turkish Airlines and their supreme warm buns.Telegram channel: https://t.me/shesinrussia
Tue, October 03, 2017
18: Ryumochnaya Tour, 2017
This is the ryumochnaya - a humble drinking house featuring hard liquor, maybe some beer, an assortment of open-faced sandwiches, pickles and perhaps some other simple, hearty fare. Also known as the place you go to drink cheap vodka by the milliliter. We went to some of St. Petersburg's finest ones, got really drunk, and interviewed some other drunk strangers. Here's what we have to show for it.Telegram channel: https://t.me/shesinrussia
Tue, September 26, 2017
17: Stand By Me (and James Clapper)
Rob Reiner’s latest production is an absurdly sincere piece of civilian propaganda -- the freshly minted Committee to Investigate Russia (website + trailer starring Morgan Freeman), whose advisory board consists of a hodgepodge of 'non-partisan' figures, ranging from liberals to centrists to never-Trumpers. We go through this latest iteration of Cold War II content and connect it to the larger contexts of American jingoism and Hollywood’s peculiar history of politicizing.Telegram channel: https://t.me/shesinrussia
Tue, September 19, 2017
16: Russia and America Are Different Countries ft. Sean Guillory
With Sean Guillory of the SRB Podcast, we map out the Russian Left (not just Navalny folks!), question why Russia is always expected to mimic America, and go on some fruitful tangents about the likes of Jefferson and teen-aged John Quincy Adams. Check out Sean's podcast at seansrussiablog.org, he does good interviews.Telegram channel: https://t.me/shesinrussia
Tue, September 12, 2017
15: Russian Rap "Rial Tolk"
This week’s episode is all about Russian-language rap: the history, how to think about race in a non-American paradigm, and a nice set of samples from some Russian artists.Telegram channel: https://t.me/shesinrussia
Tue, September 05, 2017
14: Rap Battle and Kirill Serebrennikov
This episode we discuss three things with Lily’s dear friend Maksim: a NYT op-ed that posits Russia as America’s foil, the recent rap battle between Oxxxymiron and Gnoyniy, and the dubious arrest of theater director Kirill Serebrennikov.
Tue, August 29, 2017
13: Russia Variety Show!
On this episode we switch it up a bit and bring you a menagerie of clips; from special CIA movies made for Reagan, to the second-hand embarrassment of HRC’s “reset” button moment, to the voice of the Soviet Union in America, we give our analysis and hot takes. We discuss the hypocrisy of American exceptionalism, struggle through a clip of 2016’s final presidential debate (who’s the puppet? -__-), and get a little into how race influences how we see Russia and Russians. Also, the infamous airplane guy of episode 11 leaves a message, much to our glee.
Tue, August 22, 2017
12: Rasputin Peasantry
It's 1905 and this is the story of how a Siberian peasant mystic w/ apparently real healing powers and a propensity for debauchery and assault befriended the last royal family of Russia (and contributed to their demise). Scandal, intrigue, murder - and all because the heir to the Russian throne was a 'bleeder'. Also, Lily is outed as a decadent cosmopolitan and Smith intercepts an unrequited love/catcall.
Tue, August 15, 2017
Episode 11: Crimea, It Existed Before 2014
Wait, was the annexation of Crimea illegal per international law? To answer this question, we start at the beginning -- the 15th century, when Crimea was ruled by the ottoman empire and was the center for the Slavic slave trade -- and end at present day. The Ukrainian crisis and the annexation of Crimea mark the beginning of the so-called Cold War II. On this week’s episode we answer the questions: What laws did the Russian government break in annexing Crimea? How do we balance the will of the Crimean people against opposing international legality? And how does Putin use rhetoric to re-interpret international precedents as emotional rather than legal?Also Smith asserts that there are only 4 types of people, much to Lily’s chagrin.
Tue, August 08, 2017
Episode 10: Soviet Absence and Where The Jews Aren't
The topic for this week is writer/journalist Masha Gessen’s 2016 book Where the Jews Aren't: The Sad and Absurd Story of Birobidzhan, Russia's Jewish Autonomous Region (despite our nitpicking in the episode, we very much recommend reading this book). Via our discussion of Gessen’s text, Soviet Jews and Jewish identity, we try to connect and articulate a larger theme in Soviet/Russian history of absence and the unfinished, unreal, and failed positive projections that attempt to fill these absences.Theme music is "Shit Happens" by Tierra Whack
Tue, August 01, 2017
Episode 9: She's in America
Changing up the format for this week, we decided to do a little check in with American politics, in case you need help keeping up. Plus some stories from Lily’s daily life in Russia. Smith presents the meat of the episode with several hand-selected moments from the absurd mayhem that is US politics this past week. Topics include Trump & 40,000 Boy Scouts, everyone and his brother crooning over “The Maverick” McCain (aka when you get sick, people forget all the bad things you did), how America is slapping Russia’s wrist this time, and of course the shenanigans of The Moochster-- we recorded this before his ousting.Theme music is "Shit Happens" by Tierra Whack
Tue, July 25, 2017
Episode 8: Khrushchev and His Apartments
On this episode Lily tells Smith about the housing crisis in the Soviet Union and how Nikita Khrushchev sought to solve it, namely by building lots of prefabricated concrete apartment buildings all over the USSR, known collectively as Khrushchevki. The proposed demolition of many of these very buildings is the subject of an ongoing debate in Moscow today, with multiple generations of residents coming out to protest the destruction of their homes, and their impending relocation.We talk about what these rather humble constructions have come to represent over half a century, the concept (and reality) of privacy in a socialist society, standardized interior decorating, and how to get a coffin down a narrow stairwell. Balalaika by Alexei ArkhipovskiyTheme music is "Shit Happens" by Tierra Whack
Tue, July 18, 2017
Episode 7: Don Jr. is a Pretty Prompt Emailer
It truly feels like reality is trolling you when a central topic for debate in American politics and media involves a mediocre (at best) Russian-Azerbaijani pop star, his real-estate mogul father, a rando British publicist/ tabloid journalist, Miss Universe 2013, a medium-profile Moscow-based lawyer, the Russian Prosecutor General, and Trump’s eldest son's poorly thought-through email thread. On this episode we revisit the topic of Russian government meddling in the 2016 elections, also known as the ‘Trump-Russia scandal’, and try to make sense of the developments from the past few weeks, which have proven to be more absurd than we previously imagined. Mediocre musical stylings by EMINTheme music is "Shit Happens" by Tierra Whack
Tue, July 11, 2017
Episode 6: Resurrecting Pussy Riot
Pussy Riot was/is a mostly anonymous feminist activist/performance art group formed in Moscow in 2011, in a time when widespread protests (main protest slogan of the time=”For fair elections”) were unfolding across Russia. A notorious protest-performance in early 2012 got three of the members arrested. What ensued was a highly public trial, and, for two of the accused, a brutal sentencing that main painfully evident (to regular Russians and foreigners alike) some of the more frightening aspects of the bureaucratic, judicial and prison systems in place in modern day Russia. On this episode we take you through this darkly absurd story, try to get a better idea of the individual women involved, discuss what it all meant to various groups of people, and whether or not, at the end of the day, Pussy Riot is actually cool.
Tue, July 04, 2017
Episode 5: Totoro, Catbus, Dovlatov!
This week it’s story time. Lily talks about the stairwell in her new apartment and then reads a short story by Sergei Dovlatov called 'The Colonel Says I Love You', published in the New Yorker in 1986.
Tue, June 27, 2017
Episode 4: Oliver Stone Likes Putin's Judo Statue
Between 2015 and 2017 Oliver Stone met and chatted with President Putin on film, the result of which is The Putin Interviews, a 4-part series that aired on Showtime (US) and Channel 1 (Russia) this month. Joined by Gracie, our first guest (!), we react to the spectacle of this production, discuss Stone’s interviewing skills, and the unfortunate charm of the Russian President. Cover art by Sam Woo StaarTheme music is "Shit Happens" by Tierra Whack
Mon, June 05, 2017
Episode 3: Russian Witch-Hunt Lite
Yes, Trump seems to be some kind of horrible stimulus-response automata, with a weirdly specific vendetta against [most] people. But maybe he's not wrong when he says all this Russia stuff is a witch-hunt. Automata get it right sometimes, just by chance I think. On this episode we discuss the Russia Meddling Investigation (Trump, Putin, Hacking, Collusion) and all of its entanglements, try to sort through the burgeoning toxicity of the word "Russia," and give Rachel Maddow a piece of our minds. Cover art by Sam Woo StaarTheme music is "Shit Happens" by Tierra Whack
Tue, May 30, 2017
Episode 2: Alexei Navalny and These Poor Police Officers
The past several months have seen some of the biggest protests in recent Russian history, and they've been largely galvanized by the work of one man: Alexei Navalny. Navalny is well known in Russia as an active critic of corruption and the main opposition politician standing up to the cronies of status quo politics. Western media likes to frame Navalny as the prodigal son of Western Democracy, admiring his disdain for Dmitry Medvedev’s duck house and other displays of corrupt decadence. Navalny also gets likeability points for his ability to inspire a large and unusually young following (greatly helped by his use of good graphic design and emojis) and his good humor in the face ( ;)) of multiple brilliant green attacks. But as it turns out he’s much more multifaceted than all that... Cover art by Sam Woo StaarTheme music is "Shit Happens" by Tierra Whack
Tue, May 30, 2017
Episode 1: Putin and Snowden Probably Never Met
In May of 2013 Edward Snowden leaks thousands of documents to reporters demonstrating the breadth of surveillance by the NSA on the American people. In June, he lands in Moscow seeking asylum from a government infamous for its poor record on human rights. What ensues is a series of American-Russian political reactions, an absurd novel authored by Snowden's own pro-bono lawyer, and Putin’s patronizing praise for the NSA-whistleblower -- "he's a warrior for human rights." Cover art by Sam Woo StaarTheme music is "Shit Happens" by Tierra Whack
Tue, May 30, 2017
Introduction
A little intro to our podcast, She's In Russia -- our small attempt to ward off Cold War II.
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