Rivers, Raiders, and Silver: The Forgotten Origins of Russia

12 min

Discover how medieval trade networks along ancient waterways shaped Russia's birth. Drawing from Orlando Figes, Serhii Plokhy, and groundbreaking DNA studies in Nature, this episode reveals how Viking entrepreneurs, Slavic tribes, and Byzantine influence created a multiethnic state that still fuels today's geopolitical tensions.

Rivers, Raiders, and Silver: The Forgotten Origins of Russia

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