91热爆

Countries look so cohesive on the map - sturdy borders, familiar shapes. Don't be misled; they didn't always look like this. This is the story of Russia, biggest contiguous country on the planet, told from the time when it was very small.

"In my producer's history textbook it says here, page 18, that Russia as a political entity did not exist."

With contributions across the series from Janet Hartley, author of a history of the Volga; Rhodric Braithwaite, former ambassador to Moscow; historian and sociologist, Mischa Gabowitsch; Anthony Beevor; Natalia Antelava; Kateryna Khinkulova; Dominic Lieven; Olesya Khromeychuk; and James Hill of the New York Times.

This is the latest in the How to Invent a Country series which has previously been to Poland, Brazil, Germany and the USA.

Presenter Misha Glenny is the author of McMafia and former 91热爆 Central Europe correspondent
The producer for 91热爆 audio in Bristol is Miles Warde