Athena Media - Podcast Directory

Death of an Empire is a 5 part radio series exploring twenty years since the dissolution of the Soviet Union led by Seamus Martin, former Moscow correspondent of The Irish Times, and exploring what made the Soviet Union, what lead to its collapse and what its like inside modern Russia today. Produced by Helen Shaw. Episode 2 Gorbachev and Reform (1980s) Episode two examines Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachevs age of reform in the 1980s and the first cracks in the Soviet State as the Baltic States bid for independence. Former professor at Trinity College, Ron Hill followed Gorbachevs career and tells us why Gorbachev began his reforms of glasnost and perestroika. Seamus speaks to Cesolvas Stankecivius, the deputy speaker in the Lithuanian parliament, who was part of the struggle to re-gain Lithuanian independence. Actress Joan Sheehy vividly describes the historic tour by the Abbey Theatre while Sinead O Marcaigh, then a young student living in Moscow says daily supplies like food were always challenging to f