Poland: Obliterated From the Map

Poland: Obliterated From the Map

Author: BBC Radio 4 March 28, 2022 Duration: 31:56

Long before Putin tried it on, long before the Soviet Union as well, Ukraine was controlled by somebody else - the old Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In the first of a new series, Misha Glenny and Miles Warde travel to eastern Poland to find out more.

It's a tale of terrifying power politics, when an ancient European kingdom was sliced up like a cake. Beginning in Krakow, they travel by train and tiny bus in an arc around the south east to the Renaissance city of Zamosc, near the border with Ukraine.

With contributions from Norman Davies, Adam Zamoyski, Professor Natalia Nowakowska, Bartek Ziobro of Krakow Explorers and Olesya Khromeychuk of the Ukrainian Institute in London.

The image shows the Warsaw Uprising Monument which features in episode three.

This is the latest in the How to Invent a Country podcast series which has previously travelled to Germany, the USA, Scandinavia and Brazil.

Presenter Misha Glenny is a former BBC Central European correspondent and the author of McMafia.

Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Miles Warde


We often take the world map for granted, but the lines that define nations are far from permanent. In How to Invent a Country, award-winning journalist Misha Glenny, presented by BBC Radio 4, digs into the fascinating and often turbulent processes that bring a nation into being. This isn't just a dry history lesson; it's an exploration of the powerful forces-political ambition, cultural narratives, and sheer accident-that draw borders and forge identities. Each episode takes you to a different corner of the globe, unpacking the specific moments when a place transformed from an idea or a territory into a country recognized by the world. You'll hear about the contested lands, the foundational myths, and the real people whose lives were shaped by these creations. This podcast reveals how the countries we know today were invented, showing that their stories are alive, contested, and continually being rewritten. Tune in for a compelling journey that changes how you see every line on the map.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

The Invention Of...
Podcast Episodes
Poland: A Nation Without a State [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:24
"The last king of Poland was arrested, put in chains and marched off to Russia." Professor Norman Davies.Between 1795 and 1918 there was no Poland, but the idea of Poland remained extremely strong. Travelling by bus and…
Poland: Obliterated From the Map [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:56
Long before Putin tried it on, long before the Soviet Union as well, Ukraine was controlled by somebody else - the old Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In the first of a new series, Misha Glenny and Miles Warde travel to…
The Birth of Bangladesh [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:01
Not many people recall the Dominion of Pakistan. It was set up after the British left India in 1947, and there were two territories a thousand miles apart, East and West Pakistan. The only thing connecting them was relig…
Scandinavia: The Narcissism of Small Differences [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:38
This is the story of how Norway threw off its patronising title of 'little brother' and emerged as the richest Scandinavian nation of all.In 1814 - just as Napoleon's rampage across Europe was drawing to a close - Sweden…
Scandinavia: The Narcissism of Small Differences [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:38
This is the story of how Norway threw off its patronising title of 'little brother' and emerged as the richest Scandinavian nation of all.In 1814 - just as Napoleon's rampage across Europe was drawing to a close - Sweden…
Scandinavia: The Viking Inheritance [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:00
The Swedes are very proud that they have not fought in a war since 1814, but they have not always been the knitwear pacifists they are today. Following a traumatic moment in their history - the Stockholm Bloodbath of 152…
Scandinavia: The Viking Inheritance [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:00
The Swedes are very proud that they have not fought in a war since 1814, but they have not always been the knitwear pacifists they are today. Following a traumatic moment in their history - the Stockholm Bloodbath of 152…
Scandinavia: The Bridge [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:56
In a brief September window, Misha Glenny and Miles Warde flew into Copenhagen to begin work on a new Invention of ... series. The plan - find out why Denmark, Sweden and Norway had responded to the pandemic in such diff…
Scandinavia: The Bridge [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:56
In a brief September window, Misha Glenny and Miles Warde flew into Copenhagen to begin work on a new Invention of ... series. The plan - find out why Denmark, Sweden and Norway had responded to the pandemic in such diff…