1. The Moth

1. The Moth

Author: BBC Radio 4 March 11, 2022 Duration: 30:05

From street thug to spy – what the Russian president did before he came to power.

To understand what Vladimir Putin might do in the future, you need to understand his past; where he’s come from, what he’s lived through, what he’s done. Jonny Dymond hears tales of secret agents, gangsters and the time a young Putin faced off a rat.

He’s joined by:

Nina Khrushcheva, Professor of International Affairs at The New School in New York and the great-granddaughter of former Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev Tim Whewell, who watched the rise of the man who’s changing the world as Moscow correspondent for the BBC in the 1990s Dr Mark Galeotti, author of "We need to talk about Putin" and an expert in global crime and Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute.

Production coordinators: Sophie Hill and Siobhan Reed

Sound engineer: James Beard Producers: Caroline Bayley, Sandra Kanthal, Joe Kent Series Editor: Emma Rippon Commissioning Editor: Richard Knight


How does a man shape a nation, and how does a nation, in turn, shape the man? Putin, from BBC Radio 4, is a deep and necessary exploration of this question, moving far beyond the headlines to trace the personal and political forces that forged the Russian leader. Host Jonny Dymond guides this series, weaving together the pivotal moments from a childhood in post-war Leningrad to the corridors of the KGB and the ultimate consolidation of power in the Kremlin. This isn't just a biography; it's a layered investigation into the motivations and worldview of a figure who has defined an era. The narrative is built with insights from a range of voices-analysts who have studied his strategies, journalists who have chronicled his rise, and diplomats who have sat across the table from him. Each episode of this podcast feels like assembling a complex portrait, piece by piece, revealing how personal history is inextricably linked to global consequence. By focusing on the trajectory of one life, the series illuminates the broader currents of society, culture, and power politics that continue to resonate today. For anyone seeking context behind contemporary events, this meticulously produced podcast offers an essential and compelling journey into the past to better comprehend the present.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 16

Putin
Podcast Episodes
15. Tanks Riding Towards Moscow [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:54
Vladimir Putin survived the short lived revolt that saw thousands of mercenaries march towards Moscow, but at what cost?Jonny Dymond is joined by:Polina Ivanova: foreign correspondent for the Financial Times, covering Ru…
14. 12 Months On: President Putin’s Next Steps? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:20
Ukrainecast comes together with Putin, the BBC Sounds and Radio 4 podcast which examines the life, times, motives and modus operandi of Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. Returning to the show are three lifelong Kremlin-watch…
13. No Way Out? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:32
In the final episode of the latest series of Putin, Jonny Dymond and three expert guests examine how the Russian president shaped the war in Ukraine between March and October 2022, and how the war has begun to shape him.…
12. The Lightning Strike [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:33
On the 24th of February 2022, after months of military build-up and increasingly grave warnings, Vladimir Putin stepped over the brink and ordered the invasion of Ukraine.In this episode, Jonny Dymond tells the story of…
11. To the Brink [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:30
In late 2021, Vladimir Putin emerges from his Covid-19 bunker with an even smaller inner circle, increasingly outlandish demands of NATO and the west, and an immense military build-up on the border of Ukraine. How did se…
10. Preying on Hopes and Fears [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:55
In 2021 Vladimir Putin retreats to his bunker as the Covid-19 pandemic spreads through Russia. How did this isolation affect his thinking, and what role could it have played in his decision to invade Ukraine?To understan…
9. The Emperor's Palace [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:10
President Putin tries to crush the leading opposition figure, Alexei Navalny as Russians take to the streets in protest over pensions and local elections. And there are revelations about expensive watches and a secret an…
8. The Splinter [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:53
Master strategist or opportunistic gambler? Vladimir Putin styles himself as a judo master – an expert in spotting weakness in his opponents and then exploiting it. To figure out what we can learn from his attempts to ca…
7. The Ultimate Insult [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:33
False flags, brutal military tactics and aspirations of greatness – Putin’s approach to the war in Syria, as he tries to prove Russia is still a power-broker in the Middle East. To understand how Putin views history and…
6. The Believer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:22
Playing cat and mouse games with the world and using so-called little green men for masked warfare – what Russia's annexation of part of Ukraine in 2014 tells us about Vladimir Putin.“Like tsars through the centuries, Pu…