The once and future political center of Russia, the brick-walled Kremlin dates from the Middle Ages, but received its boost when a Byzantine refugee princess married an ambitious Muscovite prince, and together they created a fortress that would one day serve a superpower.

Dr Charles Ward, professor emeritus of Foreign Languages and Literatue at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee shares his thoughts of the rise of Moscow under Ivan III and Sofiya Palaeologina and the construction of the Kremlin we see today, while listener Geoff Kozen discusses visiting Moscow, from the Kremlin to the subway stations.

Plus borscht! Perfect for a cold winter night when you're craving beets.

Sources:

Merridale, Catherine. Red Fortress: History and Illusion in the KremlinPlokhy, Serhii . Lost Kingdom: The Quest for Empire and the Making of the Russian Nation, from 1470 to the PresentSixsmith, Martin. Russia: A 1,000-year Chronicle of the Wild EastVoorhees, Mara. Lonely Planet Moscow

Photograph cc:4.0 by wikipedia user Ludvig14