Under the Mat: A Dark History Podcast

Episode 38: The Soviet Gulag System

* Alexopoulous, G. (2017). Sick Labor: Illness and Treatment in Stalin's Gulags. https://yalebooks.yale.edu/2017/05/05/sick-labor-illness-and-treatment-in-stalins-gulags/Yale Books. https://yalebooks.yale.edu/2017/05/05/sick-labor-illness-and-treatment-in-stalins-gulags/ [https://yalebooks.yale.edu/2017/05/05/sick-labor-illness-and-treatment-in-stalins-gulags/] * Applebaum, A. (2003). Gulag: A History. Doubleday. * Bauer, B. (2005). Gulag: Life Inside. Hoover Institution. https://www.hoover.org/research/gulag-life-inside [https://www.hoover.org/research/gulag-life-inside] * Britannica. (2024). Gulag. https://www.britannica.com/place/Gulag [https://www.britannica.com/place/Gulag] * Britannica. (2024). The Gulag Archipelago. https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Gulag-Archipelago [https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Gulag-Archipelago] * Buder, E. (2020). The Truth About Stalin’s Prison Camps. https://www.theatlantic.com/video/index/607546/gulag-stories-russia/The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/video/index/607546/gulag-stories-russia/ [https://www.theatlantic.com/video/index/607546/gulag-stories-russia/] * Chicago Public Library. (n.d.). The Gulag. https://www.chipublib.org/the-gulag/ [https://www.chipublib.org/the-gulag/] * Filimonov, A. & Coalson, R. (2018). Cannibal Island: In 1933, Nearly 5,000 Died In One Of Stalin’s Most Horrific Labor Camps. https://www.rferl.org/a/cannibal-island-in-1933-nearly-5-000-died-in-one-of-stalin-s-most-horrific-labor-camps/29341167.htmlRadio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. https://www.rferl.org/a/cannibal-island-in-1933-nearly-5-000-died-in-one-of-stalin-s-most-horrific-labor-camps/29341167.html [https://www.rferl.org/a/cannibal-island-in-1933-nearly-5-000-died-in-one-of-stalin-s-most-horrific-labor-camps/29341167.html] * Gulag History Museum. (n.d.). Online Exhibit. George Mason University. https://gulaghistory.org/nps/onlineexhibit/stalin/index.html [https://gulaghistory.org/nps/onlineexhibit/stalin/index.html] * Gullotta, A. (2020). Russia and the Gulag: Putin is fighting for state control over how Soviet horrors are remembered. https://theconversation.com/russia-and-the-gulag-putin-is-fighting-for-state-control-over-how-soviet-horrors-are-remembered-142438The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/russia-and-the-gulag-putin-is-fighting-for-state-control-over-how-soviet-horrors-are-remembered-142438 [https://theconversation.com/russia-and-the-gulag-putin-is-fighting-for-state-control-over-how-soviet-horrors-are-remembered-142438] * History.com Editors. (2024). Gulag. https://www.history.com/articles/gulag [https://www.history.com/articles/gulag] * Johnson, E. (2017). In letters from Stalin's labor camps, a window into Soviet political oppression. https://theconversation.com/in-letters-from-stalins-labor-camps-a-window-into-soviet-political-oppression-71135The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/in-letters-from-stalins-labor-camps-a-window-into-soviet-political-oppression-71135 [https://theconversation.com/in-letters-from-stalins-labor-camps-a-window-into-soviet-political-oppression-71135] * King's College London. (2021). How victims of Soviet-era Gulags are shaping prosperity. https://www.kcl.ac.uk/news/how-victims-of-soviet-era-gulags-are-shaping-prosperity [https://www.kcl.ac.uk/news/how-victims-of-soviet-era-gulags-are-shaping-prosperity] * Luxmoore, M. (2021). Above the Arctic Circle, A Soviet-Era Metropolis Battles A ‘Drawn-Out Death’. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-vorkuta-soviet-mining-abandoned-gulag-arctic-exodus/31196830.htmlRadio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-vorkuta-soviet-mining-abandoned-gulag-arctic-exodus/31196830.html [https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-vorkuta-soviet-mining-abandoned-gulag-arctic-exodus/31196830.html] * Satter, D. (2007). The Soviet Gulag. Foreign Policy Research Institute.  https://www.fpri.org/article/2007/06/the-soviet-gulag/ [https://www.fpri.org/article/2007/06/the-soviet-gulag/] * Wizevich, E.. (2024). Discover the Story Behind a Legendary Exposé of the Brutality of the Soviet Union. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/discover-the-story-behind-a-legendary-expose-of-the-brutality-of-the-soviet-union-180985658/Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/discover-the-story-behind-a-legendary-expose-of-the-brutality-of-the-soviet-union-180985658/ [https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/discover-the-story-behind-a-legendary-expose-of-the-brutality-of-the-soviet-union-180985658/] * Zgustova, M. (2020). Dressed for a Dance in the Snow: Women's Voices from the Gulag. Other Press. * Zgustova, M. (2020). What I Learned About Beauty by Interviewing Women Who’d Been Prisoners of the Soviet Gulag. Time. https://time.com/5776803/women-gulag-history/ [https://time.com/5776803/women-gulag-history/] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Episode 37: The Halifax Explosion

* Britannica. (2026). Halifax explosion. https://www.britannica.com/event/Halifax-explosion [https://www.britannica.com/event/Halifax-explosion] * Commonwealth War Graves Commission. The Halifax Explosion, 105 Years On. https://www.cwgc.org/our-work/blog/the-halifax-explosion-105-years-on/ [https://www.cwgc.org/our-work/blog/the-halifax-explosion-105-years-on/] * Ingram, K. (2020). Remembering the Halifax Explosion. The Walrus. https://thewalrus.ca/remembering-the-halifax-explosion/ [https://thewalrus.ca/remembering-the-halifax-explosion/] * Kernaghan, L. & Foot, R. (2025). Halifax Explosion. The Canadian Encyclopedia. https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/halifax-explosion [https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/halifax-explosion] * MacDonald, M. (2017). The Halifax Explosion: Birth of Canadian Red Cross Disaster Response. Canadian Red Cross.  https://www.redcross.ca/blog/2017/12/the-halifax-explosion-birth-of-canadian-red-cross-disaster-response [https://www.redcross.ca/blog/2017/12/the-halifax-explosion-birth-of-canadian-red-cross-disaster-response] * Marcott, M. (2017). Exploring the aftermath of the Halifax Explosion a century later. Dalhousie University. https://www.dal.ca/news/2017/10/19/exploring-the-halifax-explosion--100-years-later.html [https://www.dal.ca/news/2017/10/19/exploring-the-halifax-explosion--100-years-later.html] * Tattrie, J. (2024). The Halifax Explosion and the CNIB.  The Canadian Encyclopedia. https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/the-halifax-explosion-and-the-cnib [https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/the-halifax-explosion-and-the-cnib] * Woodbury, R. (2025). Some Halifax Explosion artifacts pulled from the harbour will have a new home. CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/halifax-explosion-artifacts-mont-blanc-9.6996705 [https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/halifax-explosion-artifacts-mont-blanc-9.6996705] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Episode 36: The Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster

* Britannica. (2024). Chernobyl Disaster. https://www.britannica.com/event/Chernobyl-disaster [https://www.britannica.com/event/Chernobyl-disaster] * Briggs, H. (2019). Will We Ever Know Chernobyl's True Death Toll? BBC Future. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190725-will-we-ever-know-chernobyls-true-death-toll [https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190725-will-we-ever-know-chernobyls-true-death-toll] * Galán-Madruga, D. et al. (2019). Chernobyl Has Become a Refuge for Wildlife 33 Years After the Nuclear Accident. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/chernobyl-has-become-a-refuge-for-wildlife-33-years-after-the-nuclear-accident-116303 [https://theconversation.com/chernobyl-has-become-a-refuge-for-wildlife-33-years-after-the-nuclear-accident-116303] * Gessen, M. (2019). What HBO's Chernobyl Got Right — and What It Got Terribly Wrong. The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/what-hbos-chernobyl-got-right-and-what-it-got-terribly-wrong [https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/what-hbos-chernobyl-got-right-and-what-it-got-terribly-wrong] * International Atomic Energy Agency. (2024). Chernobyl FAQs. https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/focus/chernobyl/faqs [https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/focus/chernobyl/faqs] * NATO Association of Canada. (2019). Hiding Truth at All Costs: Revisiting the Chernobyl Disaster. https://natoassociation.ca/hiding-truth-at-all-costs-revisiting-the-chernobyl-disaster/ [https://natoassociation.ca/hiding-truth-at-all-costs-revisiting-the-chernobyl-disaster/] * OECD Nuclear Energy Agency. (n.d.). Chernobyl: The Site and Accident Sequence. https://www.oecd-nea.org/jcms/pl_28271/chernobyl-chapter-i-the-site-and-accident-sequence [https://www.oecd-nea.org/jcms/pl_28271/chernobyl-chapter-i-the-site-and-accident-sequence] * United Nations. (n.d.). International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day. https://www.un.org/en/observances/chernobyl-remembrance-day [https://www.un.org/en/observances/chernobyl-remembrance-day] * UN Environment Programme. (n.d.). How Chernobyl Has Become an Unexpected Haven for Wildlife. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/how-chernobyl-has-become-unexpected-haven-wildlife [https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/how-chernobyl-has-become-unexpected-haven-wildlife] * United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation. (n.d.). Chernobyl. https://www.unscear.org/unscear/en/areas-of-work/chernobyl.html [https://www.unscear.org/unscear/en/areas-of-work/chernobyl.html] * Willsher, K. (2019). Chernobyl Was Even Worse Than the TV Series. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jun/16/chernobyl-was-even-worse-than-tv-series-kim-willsher [https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jun/16/chernobyl-was-even-worse-than-tv-series-kim-willsher] * World Nuclear Association. (2024). Chernobyl Accident. https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/safety-and-security/safety-of-plants/chernobyl-accident [https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/safety-and-security/safety-of-plants/chernobyl-accident] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Episode 35: Stigma, Policy, and the Drug Poisoning Crisis ft. Dr. Elaine Hyshka

Host Aubrianna Snow speaks with Dr. Elaine Hyshka about the drug poisoning crisis in North America, reducing stigma surrounding substance use, and how governments can address the crisis through evidence-based policy. * Dr. Elaine Hyshka is an Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Health Systems Innovation at the University of Alberta’s School of Public Health, and Scientific Director of the Inner City Health and Wellness Program. Her program of health systems and services research is focused on advancing a public health approach to substance use in Canada. She works closely with service providers, health authorities, people with lived experience of substance use, and all levels of government to identify, evaluate, and scale systems innovations for improving health outcomes and advancing health equity. Between 2019-2023 Dr. Hyshka co-Chaired Health Canada’s Expert Advisory group on Safer Supply and between 2017-2019 she served as Co-Chair of the Alberta Minister of Health’s Opioid Emergency Response Commission. Her research and leadership have been recognized with multiple awards, including a Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal, a Trailblazer Award from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research’s Institute of Population and Public Health, and a President’s Excellence Award for Outstanding Achievements in Innovation from Alberta Health Services. More about harm reduction and drug policy: * Canadian Drug Policy Coalition [https://drugpolicy.ca/issues/harm-reduction/] * National Harm Reduction Coalition [https://harmreduction.org/about-us/principles-of-harm-reduction/] If you or someone you know is struggling with substance use, reach out [https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/substance-use/get-help-with-substance-use.html]. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Episode 34: The Opioid Crisis in Canada

* Bains, C. (2024). More than 1 in 4 deaths among young people in Canada were opioid-related in 2021, study finds. CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/opioid-young-people-1.7174098 [https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/opioid-young-people-1.7174098] * Boynton, S. (2025). New Purdue opioid crisis settlement builds ‘momentum’ for Canada: B.C. AG. Global News. https://globalnews.ca/news/11247593/opioid-crisis-lawsuits-purdue-mckinsey-canada-bc-us/ [https://globalnews.ca/news/11247593/opioid-crisis-lawsuits-purdue-mckinsey-canada-bc-us/] * CATIE. (2025). Reported drug toxicity deaths dropped in parts of Canada in 2024 – But what’s behind the numbers? https://www.catie.ca/prevention-in-focus/reported-drug-toxicity-deaths-dropped-in-parts-of-canada-in-2024-but-whats [https://www.catie.ca/prevention-in-focus/reported-drug-toxicity-deaths-dropped-in-parts-of-canada-in-2024-but-whats] * CBC News. (2025). Edmonton region hits all-time monthly peak in opioid-related deaths. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/edmonton-drug-poisoning-opioid-1.7575814 [https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/edmonton-drug-poisoning-opioid-1.7575814] * Freeze, C. & Woo, A. (2026). Opioid deaths are declining. Five factors help explain why. The Globe and Mail. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-opioid-deaths-have-declined-sharply-in-canada-these-five-factors-help/ [https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-opioid-deaths-have-declined-sharply-in-canada-these-five-factors-help/] * Howlett, K. (2020). Canada’s Opioid Crisis. The Canadian Encyclopedia. https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/canadas-opioid-crisis [https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/canadas-opioid-crisis] * Pugliese, K. (2025). Healing works, but First Nation opioid crisis isn’t stopping. APTN. https://www.aptnnews.ca/national-news/healing-works-but-first-nation-opioid-crisis-isnt-stopping/ [https://www.aptnnews.ca/national-news/healing-works-but-first-nation-opioid-crisis-isnt-stopping/] * Uguen-Csenge, E., Ayres, S., & D’Souza, S. (2025). Health Canada ignored expert advice to expand access to safe drugs for opioid users, internal documents show. CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/opioid-overdose-crisis-street-drug-government-funding-9.6976562 [https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/opioid-overdose-crisis-street-drug-government-funding-9.6976562] * Van Santvoort, A., Wilson, C., & Xiong, D. (2023). Adding up the billions of government dollars directed at Canada’s opioid crisis. Times Colonist. https://www.timescolonist.com/local-opioid-crisis-news/adding-up-the-billions-of-government-dollars-directed-at-canadas-opioid-crisis-7073142 [https://www.timescolonist.com/local-opioid-crisis-news/adding-up-the-billions-of-government-dollars-directed-at-canadas-opioid-crisis-7073142] * Zafar, A. (2025). Opioid deaths in Canada fell 17% in 2024, but thousands are still dying. CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/opioid-deaths-decline-canada-1.7615255 [https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/opioid-deaths-decline-canada-1.7615255] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.