Kasakstan was one of the first central asian countries to become part of the russian empire, and that was in the eighteenth century. The nomads had no experience working like a traditional farmer so they were forced to live on state farms. One million cassacks died of hunger during just a few years in the 19 thirties. Since a huge catastrophe, of which we can still see the consequences. And then it was also the test site of semi palantines qhere the russians or saviets were testing their nuclear bombs.
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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