6. The Believer

6. The Believer

Author: BBC Radio 4 March 30, 2022 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, Putin sees himself as the rightful heir and the guardian of one true Christian faith,” says Lucy Ash, who has seen first-hand how the Russian leader has used religion to justify war and bolster his image.

To make sense of the man everyone is trying to figure out, Jonny Dymond is joined by:

Lucy Ash, BBC reporter and author of the upcoming book “The Baton and the Cross” about the Russian Orthodox Church under Putin Steven Lee Myers, New York Times correspondent and former Moscow bureau chief Dr Gulnaz Sharafutdinova, professor of Russian politics at Kings College London and author of “Red Mirror: Putin's Leadership and Russia's Insecure Identity

Production coordinators: Sophie Hill and Siobhan Reed

Sound engineer: Rod Farquhar 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
4. The Shallow Roots of Democracy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:05
Cementing power in Russia, a revolution in Ukraine and a challenge to the US - Jonny Dymond examines Vladimir Putin’s second term as president. To help him make sense of how this tumultuous period from 2004 to 2008 began…
3. Unleashing power [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:52
President Putin turns on the men who manoeuvred him to power, he turns on the media and turns to the West with an offer of support after 9/11. According to Britain’s former ambassador to Russia, there are two sides to Pu…
2. Out of the shadows [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:01
Operation successor: the story behind the Russian president's mysterious rise to power. From bag carrier to the most powerful man in Russia. In just a few years Vladimir Putin went from working for the mayor of St Peters…
1. The Moth [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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,…
Introducing Putin [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:30
Jonny Dymond tells the extraordinary and revealing story of Vladimir Putin's life.