Russian Rulers History Podcast

Rasputin's purported influence over the Tsar and Tsarina leads to his murder by members of the Russian aristocracy.

Rasputin's life and murder is one of the most controversial in world history. Here we try to set the record straight.

The death of Alexander I has long been a mystery. Did he fake his death and become a starets named Feodor Kuzmich to atone for his role in his father Paul I's murder?

In today's podcast we review the rebellions and discuss why they happened and corollaries to today's world events.

The Pugachev Rebellion reached incredible heights of violence only to be crushed, with Pugachev betrayed by his own men.

The Pugachev Rebellion was the largest of its kind in Russia until the revolutions of 1905 and 1917.

The Bulavin Rebellion, while the smallest of the four, was the one that might have succeeded if a few things came out differently.

Stenka Razin, a Don Cossack ataman, led a large insurgent army towards Moscow to save the Tsar and get rid of the evil boyars.

The Bolotnikov rebellion was the first of four major rebellions to hit Russia between 1600-1800.

From 1894 to present day, the ROC almost disappeared. Today, it is vibrant and international.

The Church went through years of decay post Peter the Great. Numerous schismatic groups flourished throughout Russia.

The Patriarchal Era spanned a little over 125 years until Peter the Great ended it in 1720.

The Russian Orthodox Church's founding is steeped in myth and legend. Learn more about the early days in this episode.

Russia is a vast and cold country. Learn how that influenced its history.

Chechnya and Russia have a bitter relationship going back to the time of Ivan the Terrible.