- 17
- Episodes
- 103
- Ratings
- 2022
- First episode
About Putin
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, what he's done. Jonny Dymond tells the extraordinary and revealing story of Vladimir Putin's life with the help of guests who have watched, studied and dealt with the Russian president.
- Publisher
- BBC Radio 4
- Category
- society & culture
- Language
- en
- Explicit
- No
- First episode
- 10 Mar 2022
- Latest episode
- 21 Jan 2026
Latest episodes
17 episodes in the feed.
21 Jan 2026
Introducing The History Bureau - Putin and the Apartment Bombs
In September 1999, just weeks after a 46-year-old Vladimir Putin became Prime Minister, four bombs blew up four apartment buildings across Russia, killing hundreds of people while they slept. The attacks plunged the country into panic. Families fled their homes. Residents patrolled their blocks around the clock. An entire nation paralyzed by fear. But who did it? It's a mystery that has fuelled some chilling theories. The government blamed Chechen militants. Many reporters agreed. But then the whispers started. Was something even more sinister going on? Over 25 years later, journalists who covered the bombings still can’t agree on who planted the explosives or why. Presenter Helena Merriman returns to the story with the reporters who were there on the ground. What did they get right first time around? And, in the chaos and confusion of unfolding events, what did they miss?
27 Jun 2023
15. Tanks Riding Towards Moscow
Vladimir Putin survived the short lived revolt that saw thousands of mercenaries march towards Moscow, but at what cost? Jonny Dymond is joined by: Polina Ivanova: foreign correspondent for the Financial Times, covering Russia and Ukraine. Owen Matthews: journalist, historian and author of “Overreach” Andrei Soldatov: investigative journalist and author of ‘The New Nobility: The Restoration of Russia's Security State and the Enduring Legacy of the KGB’ Production coordinator: Sophie Hill Sound engineer: Neil Churchill Researcher: Isobel Gough Producer: Lucy Burns Exec producer: Joe Kent Editor: Emma Rippon
23 Feb 2023
14. 12 Months On: President Putin’s Next Steps?
Ukrainecast comes together with Putin, the BBC Sounds and Radio 4 podcast which examines the life, times, motives and modus operandi of Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. Returning to the show are three lifelong Kremlin-watchers to cast ahead and speculate on just how this war might develop. Professor Nina Khrushcheva is an historian at The New School in New York and the great grand-daughter of Nikita Khrushchev, Sir Laurie Bristow was the UK’s Amabassador to Moscow from 2016-2020, and Vitaly Shevchenko is the head of the Russia section for BBC Monitoring. Today’s episode was presented by Jonny Dymond as part of a series of episodes marking the one-year anniversary of the start of the war in Ukraine. The producers were Fiona Leach and Luke Radcliff. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480
14 Dec 2022
13. No Way Out?
In the final episode of the latest series of Putin, Jonny Dymond and three expert guests examine how the Russian president shaped the war in Ukraine between March and October 2022, and how the war has begun to shape him. With Russia’s military position weakened by fierce Ukrainian counter-attacks, how much pressure is Vladimir Putin really under? Is there any way out for Putin, or might an increasingly difficult war proving his undoing? Guests: Steve Rosenberg, BBC Russia Editor Nina Khrushcheva, Professor of International Affairs at the New School in New York Dr Mark Galeotti, author of Putin’s Wars: From Chechnya to Ukraine Production coordinators: Helena Warwick-Cross and Siobhan Reed Sound engineer: Graham Puddifoot Producer: Nathan Gower Researcher: Octavia Woodward Series Editor: Simon Watts
7 Dec 2022
12. The Lightning Strike
On the 24th of February 2022, after months of military build-up and increasingly grave warnings, Vladimir Putin stepped over the brink and ordered the invasion of Ukraine. In this episode, Jonny Dymond tells the story of the crucial first month of the war, as Putin’s ambitions first faltered and then collapsed in the face of fierce Ukrainian resistance. By examining his speeches, public appearances and the political context, this programme chronicles Putin’s first weeks as a war leader. To dispel the fog of war and understand Putin’s role at this dramatic time, Jonny Dymond is joined by: Bridget Kendall - former BBC Moscow and Diplomatic Correspondent, now Master of Peterhouse, Cambridge. Vitaliy Shevchenko - Russia Editor at BBC Monitoring and co-presenter of Ukrainecast Owen Matthews - Journalist, historian and author of Overreach Production coordinators: Helena Warwick-Cross and Siobhan Reed Sound engineer: Rod Farquhar Producers: Nathan Gower Researcher: Octavia Woodward Series Editor: Simon Watts
30 Nov 2022
11. To the Brink
In late 2021, Vladimir Putin emerges from his Covid-19 bunker with an even smaller inner circle, increasingly outlandish demands of NATO and the west, and an immense military build-up on the border of Ukraine. How did seclusion change his mindset? And how did the west misunderstand him so badly? To understand the Russian President and interpret his words and actions in those crucial weeks before the invasion, Jonny Dymond is joined by: Andrei Soldatov - Investigative journalist, specialist in Russia’s intelligence services, and author of ‘The Compatriots: The Russian Exiles Who Fought Against the Kremlin’ Sarah Rainsford - BBC Eastern Europe Correspondent and former Moscow Correspondent Sir Laurie Bristow - Former British diplomat and UK Ambassador to Russia, 2016-2020. Production coordinators: Helena Warwick-Cross and Siobhan Reed Sound engineer: Rod Farquhar Producer: Nathan Gower Researcher: Octavia Woodward Series Editor: Simon Watts
12 Apr 2022
10. Preying on Hopes and Fears
In 2021 Vladimir Putin retreats to his bunker as the Covid-19 pandemic spreads through Russia. How did this isolation affect his thinking, and what role could it have played in his decision to invade Ukraine? To understand how Putin views history and his place in it, Jonny Dymond is joined by: Nina Khrushcheva, Professor of International Affairs, The New School; former BBC Moscow correspondent Sarah Rainsford; and Alexander Vindman, former director of European Affairs at the US National Security Council. Production coordinators: Sophie Hill and Siobhan Reed Sound engineer: Rod Farquhar Producers: Sandra Kanthal, Caroline Bayley, Joe Kent Series Editor: Emma Rippon Commissioning Editor: Richard Knight
7 Apr 2022
9. The Emperor's Palace
President Putin tries to crush the leading opposition figure, Alexei Navalny as Russians take to the streets in protest over pensions and local elections. And there are revelations about expensive watches and a secret and very opulent palace. To understand how Vladimir Putin rules Russia Jonny Dymond is joined by: Catherine Belton, author of ‘Putin’s People: How the KGB took back Russia and then took on the West' Sergei Guriev, Professor of Economics at Sciences Po and co-author of 'Spin Dictators' Vitaliy Shevchenko, Russia Editor, BBC Monitoring 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
6 Apr 2022
8. The Splinter
Master strategist or opportunistic gambler? Vladimir Putin styles himself as a judo master – an expert in spotting weakness in his opponents and then exploiting it. To figure out what we can learn from his attempts to call time on liberal democracy and Russian meddling in the 2016 US election, Jonny Dymond is joined by: Henry Foy, European diplomatic correspondent for the Financial Times and a former Moscow bureau chief Nina Khrushcheva, professor of international affairs at the New School in New York Misha Glenny, author of ‘McMafia’ and rector of the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna 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
1 Apr 2022
7. The Ultimate Insult
False flags, brutal military tactics and aspirations of greatness – Putin’s approach to the war in Syria, as he tries to prove Russia is still a power-broker in the Middle East. To understand how Putin views history and his place in it, Jonny Dymond is joined by: Professor Angela Stent of the Brookings Institution, a former national intelligence officer for Russia and Eurasia at the US National Intelligence Council Anatol Lieven of the Quincy Institute Kevin Connolly, former BBC Moscow and Middle East correspondent. Producers: Caroline Bayley, Sandra Kanthal and Joe Kent Production coordinators: Sophie Hill and Siobhan Reed Sound engineer: Rod Farquhar Series Editor: Emma Rippon Commissioning Editor: Richard Knight.
30 Mar 2022
6. The Believer
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
25 Mar 2022
5. An Indispensable Tsar
Bare-chested photo ops and the invasion of Georgia - what Vladimir Putin did as prime minister. Then, he returns to the presidency vowing to save Russia from the west. To make sense of his carefully crafted image and how his attitudes to both Ukraine and the West have defined his rule, Jonny Dymond is joined by: Catherine Belton, author of ‘Putin’s People: How the KGB took back Russia and took on the West' Andrei Soldatov, a Russian investigative journalist and author of ‘The New Nobility: The Restoration of Russia's Security State and the Enduring Legacy of the KGB’ Mark Galeotti, University College London lecturer and director of Mayak Intelligence. Production coordinators: Sophie Hill and Siobhan Reed Sound engineer: James Beard Producers: Caroline Bayley, Sandra Kanthal, Joe Kent Series Editor: Emma Rippon Commissioning Editor: Richard Knight
23 Mar 2022
4. The Shallow Roots of Democracy
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 a path towards events we are witnessing today, he’s joined by: Steven Lee Myers, former Moscow bureau chief for the New York Times and author of ‘The New Tsar; The rise and reign of Vladamir Putin’ Natalia Antelava, former BBC correspondent and co-founder and editor of Coda Story Arkady Ostrovsky, Russia and Eastern Europe editor for the Economist and author of ‘The Invention of Russia From Gorbachev's Freedom to Putin's War’ Production coordinators: Sophie Hill and Siobhan Reed Sound engineer: James Beard Producers: Sandra Kanthal, Caroline Bayley, Joe Kent Series Editor: Emma Rippon Commissioning Editor: Richard Knight
19 Mar 2022
3. Unleashing power
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 Putin; one pragmatic and charming, the other angry and irrational. To understand him and what he might do next you need to learn to read both. Jonny Dymond is joined by: Sir Roderic John Lyne, British Ambassador to Russia from 2000 to 2004 Misha Glenny, former BBC correspondent and author of ‘McMafia’ Irina Borogan, Russian investigative journalist and author of “The New Nobility: The Restoration of Russia's Security State and the Enduring Legacy of the KGB” Production coordinators: Sophie Hill and Siobhan Reed Sound engineer: James Beard Producers: Caroline Bayley, Sandra Kanthal, Joe Kent Series Editor: Emma Rippon Commissioning Editor: Richard Knight
16 Mar 2022
2. Out of the shadows
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 Petersburg to being prime minister, then president. To make sense of how he did it, Jonny Dymond is joined by: Misha Glenny, former BBC correspondent and author of ‘McMafia’ Natalia Gevorkyan, co-writer of the first authorised biography of Vladimir Putin published in 2000, and of “The Prisoner of Putin” with Mikhail Khodorkovsky Oliver Bullough, writer, journalist. former Moscow correspondent for Reuters and author of “Butler to the world” Production coordinators: Sophie Hill and Siobhan Reed Sound engineer: James Beard Producers: Caroline Bayley, Sandra Kanthal, Joe Kent Series Editor: Emma Rippon Commissioning Editor: Richard Knight
11 Mar 2022
1. The Moth
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, what he’s done. Jonny Dymond hears tales of secret agents, gangsters and the time a young Putin faced off a rat. He’s joined by: Nina Khrushcheva, Professor of International Affairs at The New School in New York and the great-granddaughter of former Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev Tim Whewell, who watched the rise of the man who’s changing the world as Moscow correspondent for the BBC in the 1990s Dr Mark Galeotti, author of "We need to talk about Putin" and an expert in global crime and Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute. Production coordinators: Sophie Hill and Siobhan Reed Sound engineer: James Beard Producers: Caroline Bayley, Sandra Kanthal, Joe Kent Series Editor: Emma Rippon Commissioning Editor: Richard Knight
10 Mar 2022
Introducing Putin
Jonny Dymond tells the extraordinary and revealing story of Vladimir Putin's life.
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