Neighbouring Russia, with Erika Fatland

Intelligence Squared

Arts, News, Society & Culture, News Commentary

4.2 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 24 June 2022

⏱️ 38 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Tracing Russia’s vast border, which meets those of 14 other countries, helps tells the history of Russia itself. From its imperial past to Soviet-era expansions and contractions leading up to its current war of aggression in Ukraine today, the Russian border is a landscape of uneasy uncertainty for many of the country's immediate neighbours. Erika Fatland is a Norwegian writer whose work has focused on issues that range from terrorism to travel and cultural history. Her 2020 book, The Border, followed the path of Russia's border over thousands of miles in order to understand how countries approach being a neighbour to a temperamental superpower. Following the tragic events in Ukraine, the book is even more relevant and Erika joined our producer Catharine Hughes to talk about it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, I'm Ian Stirling and I'm with one of McCain's farmers who grow their potatoes hang on these are odd-looking potatoes
0:06.0	That's kale Ian. You do know you need potato to make chips, right?
0:10.5	Yes, but we don't just grow potatoes. We actually rotate different crops to help keep the soil healthy. So we eat McCain chips
0:16.8	I'm helping do some good. Exactly. Yeah, you're supporting the move to regenerative farming
0:22.3	By the way, I do know the difference between kale and potatoes
0:26.1	Of course you do.
0:27.6	McCain, let's all chip in.
0:30.8	I mean Stirling and today I'm at a McCain potato field being chased by a massive war
0:36.4	It's just a lady bird Ian. Well, it had a real war spanner, Jay. Why are they here? Well, we plot wildflowers to help encourage wildlife
0:44.7	Like birds and insects. So we eat McCain chips. I'm helping do some good. Yeah, exactly. You're supporting the move to regenerative farming
0:52.1	Okay, this time it's definitely a wasp. My life's in danger
0:55.8	Ian, that's a butterfly. McCain, let's all chip in
1:01.1	If you love the intelligence guide podcast you can support the show and help us do what we do by hitting subscribe by apple podcasts
1:07.6	And in return you'll get bonus content at free listening and early episodes too
1:18.0	Welcome to intelligence squared. I'm Connor Boyle today on the podcast writer Erica fatland
1:23.7	Takes us on a journey of a few thousand miles across 14 nations while tracking the path of just one country's border
1:30.4	One that stretches from eastern Europe to Asia and onto Alaska and the US to asking what is it like living so close to Russia
1:41.2	Here's our host Catherine Hughes producer on the intelligence squared podcast
1:45.5	No, we didn't travel writer Erica fatland joins me now to talk about her book the border a journey around Russia through North Korea China Mongolia Kazakhstan as a by chance Georgia Ukraine Belarus Lithuania
2:02.8	Finland Norway and the northeast passage Erica, welcome to intelligence squared. Thank you so much
2:08.6	I want to start your journey in North Korea
2:12.2	Which is a country I assume the least number of our listeners will have traveled to and it's not a country that people
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