The Siege of Tsaritsyn: Stalin's First Victory

The Crown Jewels: Romanov Diamonds and Bolshevik Plunder

In this episode, we trace the fate of the Russian imperial crown jewels after the revolution. When the Bolsheviks seized power in 1917, they inherited one of the most spectacular treasuries in Europe—including the 189-carat Orlov Diamond, the Shah Diamond, and the legendary imperial crown made for Catherine the Great. But what happened to these symbols of tsarist power? Some were sold abroad to fund Soviet industrialization; others were locked away for decades in the Kremlin Diamond Fund. We follow the jewels through the chaos of civil war, the secret sale of crown assets by Lenin's government, the mysterious disappearance of the Imperial Easter eggs during the Stalin era, and the eventual re-emergence of some pieces in the 1960s. Along the way, we meet the jeweler Carl Fabergé, the Bolshevik commissar who inventoried the treasury, and the British dealer who bought Romanov diamonds at rock-bottom prices. A story of splendor, survival, and the strange afterlife of an empire's glittering remains. #RomanovDiamonds #RussianCrownJewels #BolshevikTreasure #OrlovDiamond #ShahDiamond #ImperialCrown #CarlFaberge #DiamondFund #Kremlin #SovietLooting #History #FexingoHistory #RussianRevolution #TsarNicholasII #CatherineTheGreat #Romanovs #EasterEggs #Bolsheviks Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

War Communism: The Soviet Policy That Starved a Nation

This episode dives into War Communism, the radical economic policy the Bolsheviks imposed during the Russian Civil War from 1918 to 1921. Lucas and Luna explore how nationalization, forced grain requisitioning (prodrazverstka), and labor militarization devastated the Russian economy and led to mass famine and urban collapse. They discuss the role of the Cheka in enforcing policies, the collapse of industrial production, and the peasant revolts like the Tambov Rebellion that forced Lenin's retreat. Key figures include Leon Trotsky, who organized labor armies, and the doomed efforts of the Supreme Council of the National Economy (Vesenkha). By the end, they reflect on how War Communism's failure paved the way for the New Economic Policy and shaped Soviet economic thinking for decades. #WarCommunism #RussianRevolution #Bolsheviks #Prodrazverstka #TambovRebellion #LeonTrotsky #Vesenkha #CivilWar #Famine #SovietUnion #Lenin #Cheka #Nationalization #LaborArmies #NEP #EasternEurope #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Lenin's Mausoleum: The Body That Built a Cult

In 1924, Vladimir Lenin died, and his body was embalmed and placed in a mausoleum on Red Square. This episode explores the science, politics, and cult of personality behind the preservation of Lenin's body. We discuss the embalming techniques of Vladimir Vorobiev and Boris Zbarsky, the architectural evolution of the mausoleum by Alexey Shchusev, and the evacuation of the body to Tyumen during World War II. We also examine how the mausoleum became a tool for Soviet propaganda and a pilgrimage site, raising questions about the intersection of science, ideology, and reverence for a revolutionary leader. #Lenin #Mausoleum #Embalming #SovietUnion #RedSquare #VladimirVorobiev #BorisZbarsky #AlexeyShchusev #Tyumen #CultOfPersonality #Bolshevik #RussianRevolution #Communism #Propaganda #History #FexingoHistory #EasternEurope #20thCentury Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk: Lenin's Peace with Germany

In March 1918, the Bolsheviks signed a separate peace with the Central Powers that cost Russia a third of its European territory. This episode explores the bitter negotiations at Brest-Litovsk, where Leon Trotsky faced off against German General Max Hoffmann. We cover the internal party struggle—Lenin arguing for immediate peace against 'Left Communists' like Nikolai Bukharin who wanted revolutionary war. The treaty ceded Ukraine, Finland, the Baltics, and parts of Belarus and the Caucasus, effectively dismantling the Russian Empire. We also discuss the role of the Ukrainian People's Republic and its own peace deal with the Central Powers. The episode examines how this 'obscene peace' bought the Bolsheviks time but fueled opposition from the Whites and Allied powers. We touch on the treaty's collapse in November 1918 and its long-term consequences for Eastern Europe. #BrestLitovsk #TreatyOfBrestLitovsk #LeonTrotsky #VladimirLenin #MaxHoffmann #NikolaiBukharin #LeftCommunists #UkrainianPeopleRepublic #CentralPowers #RussianRevolution #Bolsheviks #WorldWarI #PeaceNegotiations #EasternFront #Ukraine #Finland #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The October Revolution: Storming the Winter Palace

In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into the pivotal October Revolution of 1917, focusing on the dramatic storming of the Winter Palace in Petrograd. They explore the planning by the Military Revolutionary Committee under Leon Trotsky, the role of the cruiser Aurora, and the relatively small-scale violence that marked the Bolshevik seizure of power. Listeners will learn about the key figures like Vladimir Lenin, who famously declared 'The time has come!', and the composition of the Red Guards and sailors from Kronstadt. The episode also touches on the immediate aftermath, including the formation of the Sovnarkom and the initial decrees on land and peace. A nuanced look at a mythologized event. #OctoberRevolution #WinterPalace #Bolsheviks #LeonTrotsky #VladimirLenin #Petrograd #AuroraCruiser #RedGuards #KronstadtSailors #MilitaryRevolutionaryCommittee #Sovnarkom #DecreeOnLand #DecreeOnPeace #RussianRevolution #1917 #EasternEurope #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]