Post-Soviet Files

Music in the USSR

Sun, 22 Mar 2026 05:17:05 GMT

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=1

Noise MC, Swan Lake COoperative: https://youtu.be/R0jkgXrXk44?list=RDR0jkgXrXk44

Afghanistan songs playlist:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLeIx8rrlSc&list=RDjLeIx8rrlSc&start_radio=1

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Peter Magyar & the rise of TISZA

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 15:58:52 GMT

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.

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Explaining Conservatism in Eastern Europe

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 14:13:06 GMT

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.

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The Soviet Rock Legend, Gone Too Soon

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 13:57:30 GMT

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=1

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Lithuania Isn't Erasing History

Sat, 24 Jan 2026 06:30:56 GMT

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.

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Soviet Engineering Wasn't Always Terrible

Sun, 18 Jan 2026 15:25:02 GMT

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.

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The Surprising Origin of Estonia's Tech Revolution

Sun, 11 Jan 2026 01:20:01 GMT

Estonia is a country that punches way above its weight. In NATO, they are known as being experts in cyber security, while in the business world numerous major start-ups and tech companies emerged from the Baltic country. The origin of this technological prowess is often said to be in the 1990s when Estonia found itself free from occupation by the USSR. The reality, however, is much more interesting and stems from that very Soviet planned system. It developed within Estonia an appetite for systems-driven thinking we see only in a few other nations. Host James Orban explores this history and how it has imacted Estonia today.

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Did the Soviets Steal Christmas?

Sun, 28 Dec 2025 20:34:11 GMT

The USSR lasted for over 80 years, and how the state treated religio varied over time. One big way this happened was through public holidays, and especially holidays centered on religion. Host James Orban breaks down how the USSR treated Christmas, shifting the date and trappings to New Years.

This is a much shorter episode than usual, here's to a happy new year! Thank you all for the continue support this year

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the Death of Russian as a Lingua Franca?

Sun, 21 Dec 2025 13:52:10 GMT

For centuries, Russia has held cultural and economic pull for people across Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe. In the 2020s this seems to be changing, ot just due to the war in Ukraine. Geopolitical winds are changing, and even as the US is arguably in decline the Russian language too faces an uncertain situation. Many countries once occupied/governed by Moscow are turning to English or Mandarin education, while the Baltic States do everything they can to distance themselves in an effort to revitalize local languages.

Host James orban gives an overview of the situation in 3 regions once governed directly from Moscow. WIll Russian ever truly go away as a lingua franca? It depends.

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The Ornate Soviet Metro Never Built

Sun, 07 Dec 2025 17:15:07 GMT

In the Soviet Union, having a metro system in your city was a real status symbol. In most cities this would be good news, a sign their city was on the rise. Latvia's capital Riga was scheduled to have a metro built in the late 1980s as the population swelled to over 900,000. Early plans called for murals and marble ceilings, new rolling stock to rival that of Moscow and St. Petersburg, but this opulence masked the concerns of local residents. Many thought the metro would displace more local Latvians, making them a minority population in their own SSR, many worried about the ecological and environmental impact of such a project.

In today's episode host James Orban examines the history and impact of this project, its rise and fall in the span of less than a decade.

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Russia's Most Unique Literary Genre

Sun, 30 Nov 2025 04:22:25 GMT

All cultures have some form of "second world fiction", where a character enters another world. Japan's "isrkai" light novel industry and web fiction are what most people think of, but the post-Soviet sphere and particularly Russian speaking world has its own formof these stories. On this episode I discuss the origins of this genre, how it differs from Japanese light novels, and the unique sub-genre that centers on the experiences of former Soviet leader Josef Stalin.

Don't forget to subscribe and share this episode around if you enjoyed it1

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The Complicated Situation of Baltic Russians

Sun, 23 Nov 2025 16:35:45 GMT

In today's episode, host James Orban discusses the origins of the Russian minority in theBaltic States of Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania as they exist today. From their origins in the Tsarist times to how the Soviet Union implemented unofficial colonization programs all the way to the present day. Kremlin propaganda efforts have made the Russian minority a wedge issue, 30% of the Latvian population a one point identified themselves as Russian first and foremost, but the Baltic States have implemented various measured to better integrate these people into wider society.

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Eastern Europe Beyond the Soviet Union

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 23:24:51 GMT

In this short episode, host James Orban discusses the various issues at play when covering Central and Eastern European economics, culture, and politcs in the podcast format. There are very notable examples, but by and large coverage especially in the English language seems to over the years have come to be dominated by discussions of the Soviet Union. The USSR not for what it was, but for what Cold War era talking points painted it to be. Discussions on the future of the region and how things are today whether in Romania, Moldova, Hungary, Poland, or the Baltic states is less common.

Examples of other content to check out:

The Eastern Border by Kristaps Andrejsons

Talk Eastern Europe Podcast

YouTube Channels

The Ushanka Show ]

NFKRZ

Gattsu

In Moscow's Shadows by Mark Galliatti

Lady Izdhar on YouTube

Yugopnik, on YouTube

Living Ironically in Europe, on YouTube

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Russia's Failed Eurovision Alternative

Sun, 09 Nov 2025 05:36:45 GMT

Russian propaganda is rarely original. Back in the mid-1970s, Poland's Socialist government approved of various music festivals and song competitions covering a wide variety of genres. The Intervision Song Contest was one attempt to rival the Western Eurovision contest. It did not last long. In 2025, almost 50 years later, Russia revived the competition in the name of "anti-woke", "traditional" values. The winning act was an artist from Vietnam famous in his home country for writing pro-LGBT music. This was not the only dilemma facing this 600 million ruble project.

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Did $300 Break Hungarian Socialism?

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 13:59:53 GMT

From 1989 to 1990, governments around the Socialist bloc were facing financial hardship and various movement organizing for greater labor rights, democratic processes, openning up of the markets, and all manner of other similar policies. Host James Orban examines the response one government from the region took. Hungary under Kadar in 1989 approved for Hungarians to be given global passports, and to be allowed greater access to foreign currency. What did people do? They went shopping in Vienna. Those shopping trips, as apocryphal as they may be on details, were the first real moment of experiencing Western capitalism.

If you enjoy today's episode please don't forget t leave a review and subscribe!

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Europe's Tech Sovereignty, Between US-China

Mon, 27 Oct 2025 18:09:33 GMT

The European Union has long faced a brain drain from east to west, but in the last decade or so many young people especially in tech have decided to permanently move to the United States seeking a better life. Recently with immigration laws evolving in the US and the current US-China trade tensions, host James Orban looks into how this landscape is changing. Interviewing Marton Barcza, host of Tech Altar of YouTube, the pair discuss current affairs as they relate to Central and Eastern Europe.

Tech Altar on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TechAltar

Visegrad Dispatch Substack: eurodreampod.substack.com

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Will The US EVer Listen?

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 14:37:41 GMT

Host James Orban discusses how Eastern Europe is broadly viewed in the US as compared to Europe. While Berlin, Vienna and London have broadly started to hire and listen to experts who originate from the region or who have a lot of first hand knowledge, at every level American institutions and individuals seem resistant.

Find More Here

The Eastern Border by Kristaps Andrejsons:

Follow me on substack: https://eurodreampod.substack.com/

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The American Exodus to Europe is Starting

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 11:56:43 GMT

Can Europe take advantage of the apparent American exodus? For as long as I've been alive, Americans have said "I'll leave if X candidate wins the election", and rarely does this happen. In 2025, reports are emerging from Spain, France, Poland, and Portugal among other countries that more and more Americans are applying for visas of all different kinds. On today's episode host James Orban digs into this question of whether the Americans arriving will integrate, what might help them do so, and how the current political climate makes these new arrivals different from those who came before. Perhaps we are seeing a distinct shift in immigration patterns, more and more Americans taking the leap to move abroad in search of what they believe is to be a better life.

Subscribe to the Substack here: https://eurodreampod.substack.com/

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Growing Slavic Communities in Southern USA

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 16:14:10 GMT

For a long time as someone who grew up in a part of the United States where everyone was from somewhere else, I had this thought that living in much of the US South would be akin to going somewhere no one would understand my experiences or references. I grew up around other immigrants and was shaped by that - so when I found that my new home in the southern US was seeing a rise in businesses from Eastern Europe and specifically the Slavic world I figured I would bring this to light.

Whether you are passing through or here for a few months, be sure to check out the following businesses: Pulaski Deli, Euromarket and Cafe, Atmosphere Restaurant.

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A link to the Visegrad Dispatch Substack can be found heree: https://eurodreampod.substack.com/

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The Chaos of Hungary's Capitalist Transition

Sun, 17 Aug 2025 21:08:56 GMT

In this episode host James Orban explores the transition of Hungary from one-party Communist rule to a democratic capitalist state. Many people across the West assume it was a clean break, but that couldn't be further from the truth.

If you enjoyed today's episode, feel free to subscribe to the Substack below:

https://eurodreampod.substack.com/

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