Ivan the Terrible
You're Dead to Me
BBC
4.7 • 11.8K Ratings
🗓️ 20 August 2021
⏱️ 50 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Was he really so terrible (hint: yes!), or is it all just a translation error (well, sort of)? Greg Jenner and his guests dive into the life, times, and crimes of Russia's first Tsar, the infamous Ivan the Terrible.
From his bumpy youth, early successes, and multiple wives, to his oppressive policy of oprichnina and notorious reputation for cruelty, the panel discusses the good, the bad, and the very, very ugly when it comes to one of history's most feared rulers.
Featuring Professor Peter Frankopan (University of Oxford) and Russian-born comedian Olga Koch, whose BBC appearances include OK Computer, Human Error, Fight, QI, and The Now Show.
The Athletic production for BBC Radio 4
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Before you listen to this BBC podcast, I'd like to tell you why I love podcasting. |
| 0:04.5 | I'm Sasha Johansson, I'm an Assistant Commissioner for the BBC and I work on making podcasts. |
| 0:11.1 | My real passion is discovering unbelievable unheard stories and working with the biggest |
| 0:16.9 | stars who can really bring those stories to life. |
| 0:20.1 | I love the whole process of making podcasts from the spark of an idea to hearing the final |
| 0:26.0 | edit. |
| 0:27.0 | There's nothing like it. |
| 0:28.0 | What makes BBC podcast special is that we're working for you, so whatever we commission |
| 0:32.6 | has to reflect the things that you care about and love, wherever you are in the UK. |
| 0:37.0 | So if you like this BBC podcast, there's so much more to discover. |
| 0:40.6 | Have a listen on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:42.1 | Hello and welcome to your Dead To Me, a BBC Radio 4 comedy podcast that takes history seriously. |
| 0:53.4 | My name is Greg Jenner, I'm a public historian, author, broadcaster and I'm the chief nerd |
| 0:58.0 | on the BBC comedy show Horrible History. |
| 1:00.6 | On this podcast, we ruthlessly smash together education and entertainment to expand your |
| 1:05.2 | historical horizons whilst gently tickling your funny bone. |
| 1:08.8 | And in this episode, we're grabbing our iron staffs and pointy beards to travel all the |
| 1:12.7 | way back to 16th century Russia, to explore the life and times, or is that life in crimes |
| 1:18.0 | of Ivan the Terrible? |
| 1:20.1 | To help us navigate the terrors and treacheries we are joined by two very special guests. |
| 1:24.9 | In history corner, he's professor of global history at the University of Oxford, where |
| 1:28.2 | he works on the history of Russia, the Middle East, China and beyond. |
... |
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