We’re back with a vengeance! And small land and medals, and spring. In Prague! In all seriousness, I had some serious health issues, so I wasn’t able to make the episode in time, but I promise that such things will not happen in the future. I have to add that I made a small mistake in the episode, Daugavpils is in the south-eastern part of Latvia, not in the southern part. Well, it IS in the south, but it’s also very to the east, so I should add that. To add to your listening experience, here’s a picture of what happened in Prague, 1968:
Also, this time’s recommendation is Wittenberg to Westphalia: The wars of the reformation podcast. It is awesome, and you should pay them a visit, if you care about what and when happened during the reformation in Europe. Link:Â wittenbergtowestphaliapodcast.weebly.com
What’s up? Fellow Latvian podcaster here.
Was linked to your work by a mutual acquaintance and upon checking your page out realized that I could give you a tip.
In my opinion, as a relatively unknown podcaster you have to do everything to make the life of the listener more convenient and easier. So my first reaction when visiting your site was to realize that you’re on iTunes (according to the “about the project” section), yet don’t include iTunes links on show notes for each episode. May I ask, why not? As a iTunes user, my reaction is such that I don’t have the time to hunt it down on iTunes myself. I couldn’t see any of the links, couldn’t find it with Google, screw this, I’m out…
So, yeah, it might help your cause if you linked to it on the posts for each separate episode.
Those are my two cents. Take the advice, however, you please.
Keep up the work!
This is so much fun and it rings true.
Just wanted to say that i like your podcast. Keeps up the good work.
Cheers from Hungary
Hahahahaha I had zero idea about The Soviet Union until I listened to this podcast. Your accent is wicked cool breh, anyways love listening I’ll subscribe it’s pretty chill.
Hi!
Very interesting. LOVED the Brezhnev joke! Just one minor nit-pick. You seem to like years ending with -8. However, the Hungarian Revolution was in 1956, not 1958. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan was in 1979, not-78. So maybe the theory has its limits.
Hey, keep it up!
Yeah, that was a refernce to another joke that’s popular here. I thought I mentioned that and the right dates in the episode, just after that. If I didn’t, thanks for pointing this out, I’ll have to do some digging through old files and editing. Thank you!
Oh, it’s a very minor point! Not to worry!
As a Czechoslovakian, I am proud of your pronunciation of czech words in this episode. Well done comrade!!!!
My parents came in the second migration of Soviet Jews in the 1990’s, my father got a letter from his aunt to come to Israel and that was enough to get his family out.
The funny thing is that he had no such aunt.
Love the show!, especially the examples of jokes from the Soviet era! About the Brezhnev joke, we tell a similar joke here in Ireland, about people from the south of the country, (I think most countries have a region or area they tell jokes about).
So, an Irish satirical website, (like the Onion), wrote that North Korea had just announced they had sent a man to the sun, based on the same joke.
But the story got picked up and repeated by agencies who didn’t know it was satire, as an official announcement from North Korea. I’ve met South Koreans who believe the North Korean government really did say they had sent a man to the sun.
http://waterfordwhispersnews.com/2014/01/21/north-korea-lands-first-ever-man-on-the-sun-confirms-central-news-agency/
http://www.e-reading.club/book.php?book=8279
Dear Curonian,
Above is a link to the text of Breznev’s books: “Little Land” “Resurrection” and “Virgin Land” that you mention in this episode. It is in Russian Good work.
It is in Russian. I have the original from at my grandfather’s dacha, if I find it, would you like me to mail it to you?
Awesome! Thank you, Alexey!
I used to work with a man who’s parents were Czech. In his early teen years in the late 1960s he would get sent to Czechoslovakia during the summer to stay with relatives. During the Russian Invasion he said they would constantly change the road signs to confuse the Russian Army Columns heading to Prague. Also my father worked with a Czech Man who said he talked to some “Russian Soldiers” who looked Mongolian. He said they were told they were in West Germany by their officers.
I actually had an uncle (my aunt’s fourth husband) who left the Soviet Union (from outside Yekatrinburg the 70s by forging documents the verified he was Jewish (he wasn’t). He then found a Presbyterian charity (and ‘converted’) to be able to emigrate to Canada. (my aunt is American). From what he told me, it was somewhat common. They met in Sint Eustatius (Dutch Caribbean island) in the late 80s, so, he did well for himself, and never really let in where his wealth came from.
USSR was pronounced on 30 December 1922, not 30 November