Best Russian Language Arts Podcasts (2025)

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India's nine day tea strike and the birth of the Excel spreadsheet 59:20

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8m ago59:20

59:20

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week’s Witness History episodes. Tea expert Sabita Banerji talks about the history of tea in India. We look back at how women teapickers in 2015 fought for justice - and improved the lives of thousands of tea plantation workers. We hear the story of a famous photo of American president John F Kennedy working…

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Jason Sorens on Housing Supply Liberalization and Recent Research 44:18

2d ago44:18

44:18

Jason Sorens discusses his article about three recent papers that might lend support to opponents of liberalization. One paper finds that housing supply has no long-run effect on local rents, while two others find that restricting housing supply might translate into amenities. Sorens argues that the evidence so far still supports the conclusion tha…

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The origins of Indian cinema and the start of Scouting 1:00:00

3d ago1:00:00

1:00:00

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week’s Witness History episodes taking us from India to Texas. Professor Sunny Singh, author of A Bollywood State of Mind, discusses the origins of Indian cinema in 1912. And we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the release of Bollywood romance Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. We also head to Paris in 1971, to t…

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Whiff of a Knackers Armpit - a short story written and read by Frank Sonderborg 10:45

8d ago10:45

10:45

Frank Sonderborg remembers a holiday spent in Mayo Ireland with his Danish-in-laws. Where the weather and a pub crawl followed by too many glasses of Cider changed his mother-in-law forever.By Berni Albrighton

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Hula Hula - a short story written and read by Berni Albrighton 3:42

9d ago3:42

3:42

Lisa goes to her Uncle Kens to pick up a pair of blackout curtains and leaves with a memory that will stay with her a long time.By Berni Albrighton

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The First Meeting - a short story written and read by Charles Roberts 6:21

9d ago6:21

6:21

He had been looking forward to today. Meeting with her, just for a coffee mind, and a chat, to get to know her better. However he had imagined it would turn out, nothing could prepare him for the reality.By Berni Albrighton

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The fight against sexual harassment in Egypt and Omar Sharif enters the world stage 59:58

12d ago59:58

59:58

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week’s Witness History episodes, all with an Egyptian theme. We find out more about the 2014 fight against sexual harassment. And we hear from Professor Nicola Pratt, an expert on Middle East feminism about the significance of that moment in the fight for women's rights. Also, we go to the 1960s when antiqui…

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Nigeria’s Festac’77 and Gander’s generosity during 9/11 1:00:31

17d ago1:00:31

1:00:31

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Lucy Durán, a Spanish ethnomusicologist, record producer and Professor at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. We start with an African American artist who recounts exhibiting her work at Nigeria's largest ever festiv…

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The Chindits and USAID 1:00:31

24d ago1:00:31

1:00:31

Max Pearson presents a collection of this week's episodes of Witness History. The formation of an unconventional special force during the Second World War sparks a discussion about three others around the world with military historian Lucy Betteridge-Dyson. Plus, the founding of the United States Agency for International Development, the discovery …

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Washington DC and a film noir classic 1:00:02

1M ago1:00:02

1:00:02

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. We learn why the Mount Pleasant riots erupted in Washington DC in 1991, and hear from our guest, Sarah Jane Shoenfeld, a public historian of the US capital. Plus, more on John Lennon’s benefit concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York, his fin…

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BlackBerry phones and Spot the dog 59:07

1M ago59:07

59:07

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Jacquie McNish, author and former Senior Correspondent at the Wall Street Journal. We start with the former co-CEO of BlackBerry, who recounts the company's remarkable boom and bust. Then, the creation of the Spot the dog children's b…

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Kensington and the Russian Oligarch's daughter- a short story written and read by Frank Sonderborg. 11:22

2M ago11:22

11:22

Frank Sonderborg gets sent to Kensington to fix a simple IT problem for a Russian Oligarch's Daughter, Then it all starts to go downhill very fast, for Frank.By Berni Albrighton

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Long Way to the Top- a short story written and read by Frank Sonderborg. 9:46

2M ago9:46

9:46

Frank Sonderborg remembers a time in Surrey UK , when his son's Rock band, Tearaway, played a Charity Gig for the Sudan Charity, Kids for Kids.By Berni Albrighton

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Indonesian history 50:20

2M ago50:20

50:20

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week’s Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Dr Anne-Lot Hoek, a research fellow at the International Institution of Social History in Amsterdam. This week, we’re looking at key moments in Indonesian history, as the country marks 80 years since independence. We start by hearing …

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Alone - a short story written and read by Vic Davey 3:27

2M ago3:27

3:27

We never really know if our loved ones are watching over us, until the moment they are ready to show themselves. Following a long and happy marriage, a man is left alone after the death of his wife, Madge. He tries hard to get through each day, but when his health starts failing he finds himself thinking more about the days when he first met Madge …

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Bullies- a short story written and read by Vic Davey 4:10

2M ago4:10

4:10

Sometimes your past becomes your present. Leaving school, determined not to let the bullying he had experienced affect his life, a young man works his way through various jobs. One day he is introduced to his new Supervisor only to find out it's the bully who made his school days so awful. Once again he feels like the young boy back at school, scar…

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Nagasaki bomb and Brazil’s biggest bank heist 50:52

2M ago50:52

50:52

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week’s Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Simone Turchetti, Professor of the History of Science and Technology, at The University of Manchester in the UK. It's 80 years since the US dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, forcing Japan to surrender at the end of the S…

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Russian revolutionaries and Japan’s record breaking rollercoaster 50:54

2M ago50:54

50:54

Max Pearson presents a collection of this week’s Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Dr Lara Douds, Assistant Professor of Russian history. We start in 1907, the men who would go on to lead the Russian Revolution met in London for a crucial congress marking a point of no return between the Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks…

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Lars Magnusson on the History of Economic Thought in Sweden 26:47

2M ago26:47

26:47

In 2022, Swedish historian of economic thought Lars Magnusson published a major book (in Swedish) about Swedish economic thought, from the late Middle Ages to the mid 19th century. The title (in English): From Medieval Provincial Law to State Liberalism: Economic Thought in Sweden. One theme is that proto-liberal thinking, often mixed in varying de…

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My love, tread softly - written and read by Berni Albrighton 1:41

2M ago1:41

1:41

When a moment of doubt comes into a relationship. You feel and see the difference in your partner but you don't want to acknowledge it. How many of us have been in this situation, fooling ourselves that everything is fine.By Berni Albrighton

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Millennium - a short story written and read by Charles Roberts 7:12

2M ago7:12

7:12

Judy, a beautiful young girl, disappears on the night of the millennium party in the city centre. Despite intensive searches by police and family and friends, Judy is never found. Where could she have gone?By Berni Albrighton

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The Wife- a short story written and read by Charles Roberts 7:57

2M ago7:57

7:57

A man's wife is reported missing by his neighbors and a police inspector arrives at his house to question him about it. The answers given to the police by the husband are surprisingly detailed and forthcoming.By Berni Albrighton

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The Walk - a short story written and read by Charles Roberts 3:09

2M ago3:09

3:09

Let's go for a quiet walk in the country on a sunny warm morning after rainy night and see nature in its element. A beautifully descriptive journey of walking through nature.By Berni Albrighton

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Take the Money and Run - How a Danish artist tricked a museum out of half a million kroner in the name of art 29:03

2M ago29:03

29:03

This podcast is based on an article called “Jens Haaning stak af med en half million fra museum: Nu fortæller han hvad det kostede ham selv”.Here is the link (and it’s not behind a paywall!) https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/kultur/jens-haaning-stak-af-med-en-halv-million-fra-museum-nu-fortaeller-han-hvad-detI hope you enjoy the podcast. Have a great week!…

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Saxophone diplomacy and bulletproof vests 50:51

2M ago50:51

50:51

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week’s Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Dr Natalia Grincheva, an expert in cultural diplomacy from Lasalle, University of the Arts in Singapore. We start by hearing about when US president Bill Clinton was presented with a saxophone on a 1994 visit to Prague and he and the …

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Nuclear diplomacy and Italo disco 51:13

3M ago51:13

51:13

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Dina Esfandiary, Middle East Geo-economics Lead at Bloomberg Economics. We start in 2015 with insider accounts of the Iran nuclear deal and the Greek debt crisis. Then, the 1995 'Turbot War' between Canada and Spain. We hear how inter…

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The new car. A short story written and read by Charles Roberts. 9:04

3M ago9:04

9:04

An accountant has been embarrassing his daughter as he takes her to school in his battered old Cortina for long enough. One day he is driving to his office after dropping her off at school when the engine blows up. Now he is forced to buy a 'new' car and the only one he can find is a nineteen thirties Rolls Royce. What will his daughters reaction b…

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The car. A short story written and read by Charles Roberts. 9:33

3M ago9:33

9:33

After inheriting a plot of overgrown woodland, he begins to clear out dilapidated wooden garages that haven't been opened for many years. In one of the garages he discovers an old Bentley in need of a lot of tender loving care. He risks his marriage as he spends the next six years renovating the car before he enters it into the Concore's de Eleganc…

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The last voyage. A short story written and read by Charles Roberts. 7:53

3M ago7:53

7:53

A chap finds an abandoned, once beautiful, yacht in a backwater. He buys it and sets about renovating it back to its original glory. After ten years of work he has to sell it in order to have enough money to get married. He sets out to deliver the yacht to its new owner in the Bahamas and carrying a precious cargo, but as he is crossing the Atlanti…

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The 'trial of the juntas' and Evita’s missing body 50:59

3M ago50:59

50:59

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week’s Witness History episodes, all with an Argentine theme. We find out more about the 1985 ‘trial of the juntas’ when the country’s former military leaders stood accused of torturing and murdering thousands of their own people. And we hear from historian Dr Victoria Basualdo about life in Argentina, both …

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Dancing in the Street and Ai Weiwei 50:53

3M ago50:53

50:53

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History episodes including the story behind Mick Jagger and David Bowie's duet for Live Aid in 1985 and the Chinese artist who was jailed for his art inspired by the Sichuan earthquake in 2008. He speaks to music journalist Alice Austin to explore other concerts in world history that have had …

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The ice-cream man- a short story written and read by Charles Roberts 5:03

3M ago5:03

5:03

After having a good day at the town's Gala, Eddie, the ice cream man, drives home. It had been a long, tiring day but he knew the roads. As lights from oncoming traffic blind him, he misjudges the S bend and the oncoming bridge. The large drainage ditches make it even more difficult to control his van.…

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The Phantom Train-written and read by Charles Roberts 7:24

3M ago7:24

7:24

After eating too much over the Christmas period, haven't we've all done it, a couple decide to buy bicycles and join a club to get fit and lose weight. But, towards the end of a ride out into the country, things take a strange turn.By Berni Albrighton

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The White Dog- a short story written and read by Charles Roberts 7:21

3M ago7:21

7:21

After a relentless storm, a young couple make a decision that they will regret, and decide to look at the dangerous rapids that had been created as a result of torrential rains. They take their baby in it's push chair, but slip and the pushchair and baby fall into the rapids. Is there anyway that the baby can survive the rock filled flooded gorge?…

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Survival - a short story written and read by Vic Davey 3:20

3M ago3:20

3:20

A harrowing story of survival. Eventually, the beatings, the starvation, the inhumane conditions, makes a person indifferent to what is happening around them. Survival is what matters, and doing anything to ensure you are on the right side of the furnace.By Berni Albrighton

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Best served cold - a short story written by Felicity Randle. 4:45

3M ago4:45

4:45

Bishop had finally served his time and could carry out the one thing that had been a long term plan of his. But first, there were things to put in place. Somewhere to live, a job, perhaps a change of appearance. And then there was Gareth. That was the end goal. The Written Word Group acknowledges the third party contributors and producers of this r…

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Robert Kennedy's funeral train and the opening of the Medellin Metro 50:58

3M ago50:58

50:58

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service, all related to trains and journeys which have helped to shape our world. Our guest Nicky Gardner, travel writer and co-author of Europe by Rail: the Definitive Guide, discusses the origins of train travel. The first story involved the hijacking of…

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The Flamenco- a short story written and read by Vic Davey 2:02

3M ago2:02

2:02

The dances told stories of families, of lives, oppression and misery. In the next beat came victory, and the welcoming of a new age. The images and power of the flamenco, told in this emotional and descriptive short story.By Berni Albrighton

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The Dream- a short story written and read by Charles Roberts 12:43

3M ago12:43

12:43

In 1951 a five year old boy hears of a British victory in the Le Mans 24 hour race. He begins to imagine what it would be like to design and build a racing car to race in that Le Mans event. This becomes his dream. In 1966 he makes his dream come true.By Berni Albrighton

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Jaws and the Charleston church shooting 51:07

3M ago51:07

51:07

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. This programme includes outdated and offensive language. It’s 50 years since the original Jaws film was released in cinemas across America. The movie premiered on 20 June 1975. Our guest is Jenny He, senior exhibitions curator at the Academy Museu…

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It's just a trick, isn't it? - A short story written and read by Vic Davey 7:03

4M ago7:03

7:03

A husband and wife mind reading act have created a brilliant illusion, one where they convince the audience that they really can read a person's thoughts. That while blindfolded, it is possible to identify an object and describe the person who owns it. Audiences loved it and their act grew in popularity. Everything was going well, until one perform…

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The Danish Loser Man (tabermand) 28:41

4M ago28:41

28:41

In this episode, we will talk about “the Danish Loser Man “ and the problems he has. The term “tabermand” was coined years ago and refers to a man who is lagging behind women both financially and education wise. The podcast is based on an article from the Danish newspaper Information. Here is a link to the article:…

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What a performance - a short story written and read by Charles Roberts 7:53

4M ago7:53

7:53

The theatrical performance had been perfect and after a standing ovation the curtains close. The Director looks for his leading lady, but she is nowhere to be found in the theatre. No one has seen her since she walked off the stage. Where could she be? And what is the twist at the end.By Berni Albrighton

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The Lady in White- a short story written and read by Charles Roberts 7:21

4M ago7:21

7:21

A young man had a dream about a lady dressed in white. One day, on his way home, he sees her, the lady who he had dreamt about. She is walking ahead of him and has a white dog with her. The young man hurries to catch up with her. The outcome is not what he expected.By Berni Albrighton

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The Bystander - a short story written and read by Charles Roberts 10:37

4M ago10:37

10:37

Jake stood with the small crowd which had gathered on the river bank. They were watching the police and fire brigade work hard to retrieve a car which had crashed through the thick ice. But all was not as it seemed.By Berni Albrighton

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Ronald Reagan and Lonesome George 50:51

4M ago50:51

50:51

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Dolly Jørgensen, Professor of History at the University of Stavanger in Norway and a specialist in the history of extinction. We start in 2012 with the death of a famous Galapagos tortoise called Lonesome George, who was the last of h…

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The First Time - a short story written and read by Charles Roberts 5:21

4M ago5:21

5:21

On his way to his date with Marianne, Steve drives past the wreckage of a car crash. He was more irritated than anything else because the hold up and detour were going to make him late. He needn't have worried. The evening turned out to be very special and neither of them expected to feel the way they did about eachother. However, everything was sh…

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A flash of light- a short story written and read by Charles Roberts 7:53

4M ago7:53

7:53

Its Christmas Eve and an elderly man is at home putting the lights on the Christmas tree while his wife does last minute shopping. The open fire is comforting and casts light throughout the room, reflecting in the window pane. A storm is brewing, or is it? A delightful story that lets us have a peek inside the thoughts of a man, left with a simple …

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The old shack on the hill- a short story written and read by Maria Elena. 3:29

4M ago3:29

3:29

This story is based on fond memories of my Grandmother when I was about 7 years of age. I would stay a weekend with her in her old shack. I will always remember my Grandmother with great respect.By Berni Albrighton

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Discovery of the first exoplanets and the goalie who killed a seagull 51:23

4M ago51:23

51:23

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Dr Jeni Millard, a science presenter, astrophysicist and astronomer. First, how two astronomers announced they had discovered the first two planets outside our solar system. Then, German twins Frederik and Gerrit Braun on building Min…