John and Mike dug into the archives for a classic - the legendary "Russia episode," originally recorded August 2019 but never released until now. Your favorite podcast hosts plumb the depths of history to give their loyal readers a tour of Russian civilization the likes of which has never seen before. If you have any curiosity at all about our mysterious neighbors to the East, you'll want to listen to this one the whole way through.   Musical Accompaniment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooUX8_jDHxc   A few corrections: first, Proto-Indo European originated around 2,500 BCE, not 2,500 years ago. Second, Voltaire was a deist, not an atheist (practically the same thing!). Third, the population of Russia that were serfs in the early 19th century was roughly 30-40%, not "more than half". Remember, we are amateurs and encourage you to trust but verify everything we say.   Excellent encyclopedia article on Stalin. Reads better than Wikipedia: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Joseph-Stalin