The Fall of the USSR, Pt II
Boris Yeltsin rose to power in post-Soviet Russia amid chaos and economic collapse, ushering in a disastrous era of 'shock therapy' reforms that devastated the average citizen while birthing the oligarchs. Vladimir Putin later capitalized on the resulting national humiliation, promising sta
Sign up to read the full summary
Free AI-powered recaps of every episode, delivered to your inbox.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.
Mentions
Books, people, and resources mentioned in this episode.
People
Companies
Topics
Listen to This Episode
More from Stuff You Should Know
The Fall of the USSR, Pt I
How Russia Shapes What the World Thinks
Selects: Fallout Shelters: Probably Useless (Let’s Never Find Out)
Who was Robert Maxwell?l
Selects: Iran-Contra Affair: Shady in the 80s, Part 1
Let's Go to Camp... David!
Related episodes
From other shows on similar topics.
Ben Wittes: A Defiant Ukraine
The Bulwark Daily
Putin Escalates Ukraine War After Talks With Trump Envoys
The MeidasTouch Podcast
June 30th, 2026: Could Putin Actually Be Overthrown?
The President's Daily Brief
The Global Story:The tightrope of reporting in Putin’s Russia
Global News Podcast
Trump Iced Out By World Leaders as They Form New Alliances Against the US
IHIP News
February 24, 2026
Letters from an American
Get summaries like this every morning.
Free AI-powered recaps of Stuff You Should Know and your other favorite podcasts, delivered to your inbox.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.