Post-Soviet Files

To many in the United States, the msuic of the Soviet Union can be summed up as the Red Army Choir, maybe the Cossack Choir and Katyusha. Many in Gen Z get their first taste of the Soviet musical world via war games like World of Tanks, where some of these tracks serve as background music. In reality, the music scene of the USSR was varied and complex, offering a world of stories to tell just the same as the West. In this episode we give a very high level overview of the musical situation in the country and broader Warsaw Pact including East Germany. Referenced Music:Oktorberklub: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhLnsNurNHk&list=RDbhLnsNurNHk&start_radio=1Noise MC, Swan Lake COoperative: https://youtu.be/R0jkgXrXk44?list=RDR0jkgXrXk44Afghanistan songs playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLeIx8rrlSc&list=RDjLeIx8rrlSc&start_radio=1N

Could the 2026 Hungarian election leave Viktor Orban out of power? In today's emergency episode, we discuss the rise of Peter Magyar and Tisza, a political party which has risen in the last few years out of nothing to build a coalition that can take on the sitting government. After 16 years in office, illiberal democracy may be over. The TISZA Party promises not just a shift in domestic policy, it promises a shift back to the normal path of democracy.In this episode we over how Peter Magyar got into politics, the origins of Fidesz, how AI is shaping the campaign landscape and the seizure of Ukrainian state bank assets. This is a developing story so please check back for updates. Regular content will resume Sundays, election cycle permitting.

This is a different format than usual, but I felt it must be said. Many Americans seem to lionize certain figures in Eastern Europe as though our political leaders represent the nation's general identity. Budapest, Warsaw and Moscow are large cities the same as Tokyo, Berlin, and New York.. Cosmopolitan life does not stop just because a government declares itself to uphold a hyper-traditional facade.This is all just my opinion, and it is not exhaustive. Eastern European conservative values are different from those in the United States, and that is the point. The charicature of our region is what bothers me very deeply and I wish it would stop.

The band KINO and its lead singer Viktor Tsoi are legends of the Soviet rock scene. Many say that Viktor left the world too soon, yet his music is beloved by millions around the globe today. This episode seeks to examine his rise to fame and the environment in which KINO operated. The Soviet Union had long held a contentious relationship with the music industry, for many decades most music which was widely released had to have explicit state backing in one way or another. Viktor Tsoi was born in 1952, and passed away in 1990 one year prior to the formal dissolution of the USSR. His legacy and music 30 years later resonate with people across borders. KINO's first album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lK355IQmm7I&list=RDlK355IQmm7I&start_radio=1 Omnistar East is a channel which has repurposed many old USSR era songs into music video style productions. Below is a link to one of their works featuring KINO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYC1tMk0ZrY&list=RDzYC1tMk0ZrY&start_radio=1Thank you again for subscribing to the Post Soviet Files

Central Eastern Europe is full of statues memorializing kings, poets, and the victims of war. The Baltic States especially since the collapse of the USSR have been trying to assert their national identity after decades of systematic attempts to erase their language and culture. Soviet monuments have been controversial in the region since the collapse in 1991. Today, the host James Orban discusses a recent issue with these statues and how they are fundamentally different from someone paying respect to the war dead.

The USSR had a much different philosophy with regard to the profession of engineering. In today's episode we explore in brief a history of how the profession was viewed by the state, why it was promoted so heavily, and how the social position of engineers evolved over time. Now, whether it was objectively "better" is a different question. TRemember to follow the Post Soviet Files wherever you listen!