In kasekstan they moved the capital city from almati to astana, which has now been renamed and te sultan. I was wondering if he's been to this city, and if you could describe what it's like. It's a planned city, and it sounds unlike anything else. Yes, it's not a very pleasant place. But it's at times quite impressive. Because kasaksten is a very rich country. They have gas oil, a lot of minerals. So you can really see this wealth. When you go to astanr nurs Sultan as it is called now in honor of the first president. There is no matro. There are these
Tracing Russia’s vast border, which meets those of 14 other countries, helps tells the history of Russia itself. From its imperial past to Soviet-era expansions and contractions leading up to its current war of aggression in Ukraine today, the Russian border is a landscape of uneasy uncertainty for many of the country's immediate neighbours. Erika Fatland is a Norwegian writer whose work has focused on issues that range from terrorism to travel and cultural history. Her 2020 book, The Border, followed the path of Russia's border over thousands of miles in order to understand how countries approach being a neighbour to a temperamental superpower. Following the tragic events in Ukraine, the book is even more relevant and Erika joined our producer Catharine Hughes to talk about it.
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