Unobscured

By iHeartPodcasts and Grim & Mild

Society & Culture History

What's Unobscured about?

History is full of stories we think we know. They are old and dark, but time has robbed us of perspective and clarity. They've become obscured and misunderstood. Which is why this series exists: to dig deep and shed light on some of history’s darkest moments. To help us better understand where we’ve come from. To make it Unobscured. Each season pairs narrative storytelling from Aaron Mahnke, creator of the hit podcast Lore, with prominent historian interviews. Season Four: Grigori Rasputin

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LAST EPISODE

Some Unobscured News

05.05.2022

The spirit of UNOBSCURED has evolved and transformed into a brand new show called GRIM & MILD PRESENTS. We'll still be doing season-long deep-dives into major topics, but releasing episodes bi-weekly throughout the year, rather than all lumped into October ...

Unobscured episodes:

05.05.2022 Some Unobscured News The spirit of UNOBSCURED has evolved and transformed into a brand new show called GRIM & MILD PRESENTS. We'll still be doing season-long deep-dives into major topics, but releasing episodes bi-weekly throughout the year, rather than all lumped into October ...
01.26.2022 Interview: Helen Rappaport Our interview with Helen Rappaport, Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and best-selling author of books on Russia and the Romanovs. Her books like "Four Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Romanov Grand Duchesses," and "The Race to Save the ...
01.19.2022 Interview: Joshua Sanborn Our interview with Dr. Joshua Sanborn, Professor of History at Lafayette College. His book on the collapse of the Romanov regime, "Imperial Apocalypse: The Great War and the Destruction of the Russian Empire," provides a rich history of the Great ...
01.12.2022 Interview: Heather Coleman Our interview with Dr. Heather Coleman, Professor of History at the University of Alberta. In her teaching and writing on the religion of the ninteenth and twentieth centuries, Dr. Coleman has shed new light on the role that religious life ...
01.07.2022 Introducing: Grim & Mild Presents Hi, Unobscured fans! Aaron Mahnke kicks off the new year with a brand-new podcast we think you'll enjoy. Don't just take our word for it, though. Check out the trailer for Grim & Mild Presents to decide for yourself! About ...
01.05.2022 Interview: Douglas Smith Our interview with Douglas Smith, award-winning historian, author, and translator. His book "Rasputin: Faith, Power, and the Twilight of the Romanovs" is a major study of Rasputin's rise and influence, and the very best historical work available on the life, ...
12.08.2021 Ghosts Grigory was mortal. The autopsy proved that. But as the Romanovs grappled with that reality, the world found that legends and myths were much harder to kill. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12.01.2021 Let This Cup Pass It seemed Grigory Rasputin was untouchable. If the plots laid against him weren't exposed before they hatched, then the hands set against him failed in their courage at the last moment. But even for a man like Grigory, some day ...
11.24.2021 A Time to Live The empire was bleeding. Who was to blame? As the accusations flew thick and fast, Grigory Rasputin proved once again that the ladder of chaos was an old friend. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy ...
11.17.2021 Great Will Be the Ruin Grigory struggled to heal. But as he swam back to life, another more successful assassination shot a hole in divine autocracy, and The Great War swept over the empires of his world. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See ...
11.10.2021 Laying On of Hands Venomous rumors wrapped Rasputin and the Romanovs in a whirlwind. Grigory himself was at the center of the storm. But when the holy man seemed to promise the only path to healing, it made his grateful patrons turn a blind ...
11.03.2021 Standoff Nicholas and Alexandra found themselves in an endless cascade of battles. Comfort and rest was in short supply. Every path before them seemed to lead to the same dead end. But one voice promised to guide them home. Learn more ...
10.27.2021 Sheep's Clothing At the right hand of the Tsar, Grigory Rasputin turned his newfound power and prestige to vicious ends. And he wasn't the only one. Predators across the empire were howling for blood. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See ...
10.20.2021 Made Manifest The Tsar and his people wrestled for control of the empire. A voice whispering that control was his divine right was exactly what Nicholas wanted to hear. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10.13.2021 Man of Contradictions His hometown was a crossroads. Money and merchandise passed him by, so when Grigory set out on the road himself, it just made since. But he walked into a future that no one could see coming. Learn more about your ...
10.06.2021 In Search of a Friend When she traded her name for an empire, Alexandra faced a world that bewildered her—imperial Russia. Even her wedding was overshadowed by death. The darkness of those waters left her searching for a lineline. Learn more about your ad-choices at ...
09.29.2021 Trailer: Unobscured Season 4 Unobscured—the popular historical documentary podcast from Aaron Mahnke—returns for a brand new season. This time, the team aims to separate fact from fiction about one of history’s most mysterious characters: Grigori Rasputin. Season 4 premieres on October 6th. Learn more ...
08.06.2021 Introducing: Bridgewater Hi, Unobscured fans! Since you love this podcast, we think you'll like Bridgewater, too. Check out the trailer and decide for yourself! About Bridgewater: When a relic from his past is rediscovered, folklore professor Jeremy Bradshaw puts his life on ...
05.12.2021 Strange Arrivals Teaser: Rendlesham Hey, Unobscured fans! We’d love to tell you about another series from Grim & Mild: Strange Arrivals. In this extended trailer, we give you a sneak preview of the story at the heart of Strange Arrivals season two: The Rendlesham ...
01.27.2021 INTERVIEW 4: Paul Begg Our interview with writer Paul Begg. To wrap up our exploration of Whitechapel in 1888, we turn to the historian and researcher whose dedication to the original documents laid the foundation for deep and rigorous study of the murders. Learn ...
01.20.2021 INTERVIEW: Drew Gray Our interview with Dr. Drew Gray, historian of the 18th and 19th centuries, and Subject Lead in History at the University of Northampton. With Dr. Gray, we explore the history of police magistrate hearing, the development of Victorian model dwellings, ...
01.13.2021 INTERVIEW: Louise Raw Our interview with Dr. Louise Raw, whose book, "Striking a Light," became a new landmark in British labor history. We explore her journey into historical writing, the process of discovering the matchwomen, and hear the stories that brought them to ...
01.06.2021 INTERVIEW 1: Adam Wood Our interview with Adam Wood, publisher of Mango Books and executive editor of "Ripperologist Magazine." His book, "Donald Swanson: The Life and Times of a Victorian Detective," gave us a dramatic and on-the-ground perspective. Our conversation explores how it came ...
12.09.2020 Never Done Cases were closed and the files were sealed. Investigators went back to careers scattered across the British empire. It would be decades before their conclusions would shed light on London's dark Autumn of Terror. It would be almost one hundred ...
12.02.2020 Making a Killing Turmoil swept England, from Whitechapel's mean streets to the halls of power. Public servants savaged each other in person and in the press. Blame was thrown on all sides. None of it helped. Vulnerable women continued to die. Learn more ...
11.25.2020 Solitary A terrorist bombing campaign left London crawling with spies. Paranoia and isolation afflicted everyone, from the clandestine service to the people they were sworn to protect. But even efforts of the government's Special Branch couldn't prevent one of the most ...
11.18.2020 House to House Taunts in red ink sent a wave of fear through London. The Metropolitan police knew they had to respond. So the forces under Charles Warren mobilized like never before, and everything was on the line. Learn more about your ad-choices ...
11.11.2020 Mismatch The version of events all depends on where you stand. Eye witnesses and identifications are key to detective work, but even veteran investigators can struggle to see through the screen of their assumptions. Matching perception to reality can be the ...
11.04.2020 Flaws Chief Inspector Swanson inherited a complicated legacy. The history of the Metropolitan Police was full of twists and turns. No less the city they patrolled, that had never grown completely comfortable under a watchman's eye. Learn more about your ad-choices ...
10.28.2020 Synthetical Turn They said London was a den of vice and violence growing grimmer by the day. The police had their orders to put the pieces together. But there were plenty of visitors who had no trouble taking pleasure in a community ...
10.21.2020 Stardom Victorian journalists had learned the lesson well: true crime sells. They were investigators, but they were storytellers too. And the story they told was meant to shock middle class London, as much as it was meant to inform. Not a ...
10.14.2020 Rome & Babylon A city divided. It didn’t happen by accident. A century of destroying the old to bring in the new left many without homes. If glossy West London was the city’s pride, the poor pushed to the margins were shamed. All ...
10.07.2020 Temple Mount Victorian London was the world’s greatest city. But building an industrial empire of steel and treasure comes at a startling human cost. The ancient city’s cults of personality raised heroes and villains for a new era: the Scotland Yard Detective ...
09.30.2020 Trailer: Unobscured Season 3 The deep-dive historical documentary podcast, Unobscured, returns for a dark and bloody 3rd season. Follow along as we take a journey into what many consider to be the most infamous true crime story in history: Jack the Ripper. Season 3 ...
09.01.2020 Introducing: The Hidden Djinn Around the world, and throughout history, billions of people have believed in an entire race of creatures known as the djinn. Ancient, powerful, and hidden from the human eye, djinn lore spans continents and centuries. Join host Rabia Chaudry every ...
08.13.2020 Introducing: American Shadows a Grim & Mild American Shadows is a bi-weekly podcast from iHeartRadio and Aaron Mahnke’s Grim & Mild. The show focuses on the darker stories from American history: the people, places, and things that are hidden and forgotten in the shadows. From better-known tales ...
04.01.2020 Introducing: Strange Arrivals While you wait patiently for us to craft new seasons of Unobscured, dive into a different sort of journey. Introducing Strange Arrivals, a brand new podcast from iHeartRadio, Aaron Mahnke, and host Toby Ball that explores the mysterious events of ...
02.26.2020 INTERVIEW 8: Molly McGarry Our interview with Molly McGarry, Associate Professor of History at the University of California, Riverside. To wrap up our exploration of spiritualism, we follow her observations about the power and influence of spiritualism in American life, from past to present.
02.19.2020 INTERVIEW 7: Cathy Gutierrez Our interview with Cathy Gutierrez, who has served as Professor of Religion at Sweet Briar College and Scholar in Residence at the New York Public Library. We discuss the nuances and historical development of spiritualist theology, as she explores it ...
02.12.2020 INTERVIEW 6: John Buescher Our interview with John Buescher, co-director of the International Association for the Preservation of Spiritualist and Occult Periodicals. His dedication to cataloging and preserving spiritualist newspapers give his books on mediums a remarkable command of the people and ideas driving ...
02.05.2020 INTERVIEW 5: Mary Gabriel Our interview with Mary Gabriel, whose books have been finalists for the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, and the National Book Critic's Circle Award. Her biographies of Victoria Woodhull and Karl & Jenny Marx unveil the radical threads running ...
01.29.2020 INTERVIEW 4: Nancy Rubin Stuart Our interview with Nancy Rubin Stuart, whose award winning biographies of American women include The Reluctant Spiritualist, our guide to the life of Maggie Fox for this season of Unobscured.
01.22.2020 INTERVIEW 3: Emily Clark Our interview with Emily Clark, Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Gonzaga University. Her first book, A Luminous Brotherhood, explores spiritualism in New Orleans, giving us a perspective on spiritualism beyond the northeastern hubs of the movement.
01.15.2020 INTERVIEW 2: Margaret Washington Our interview with Margaret Washington, professor of History and American Studies at Cornell University. Her work on Sojourner Truth's life in the American landscape was invaluable for seeing spiritualism in a broad historical context.
01.08.2020 INTERVIEW 1: Ann Braude Our interview with Ann Braude, Senior Lecturer on American Religious History at Harvard Divinity School. Her book, Radical Spirits, was a guiding light for our exploration of the role of spiritualism in American life.
12.18.2019 There Is No Death Blows fell. Times changed. New voices rose up with answers to the nation’s pressing questions. But through it all, spiritualists worked to create an enduring place for themselves where the spirits could go on speaking.
12.11.2019 The Sheep and the Ghosts What power did the spirits wield? They had convinced millions of their presence. They had moved mediums into high places. They had crossed oceans and shaken slumbering nations. Now the movement's leading lights saw a world to win.
12.04.2019 Invisible Hands Seances circled a high stakes table. Spirits were still comforting families, but in cities like New Orleans and New York, they also held to a glowing vision. The future of the nation's laws, and the levers of its economy, were ...
11.27.2019 Wounds The war was over but the fight to determine the future of the nation continued. And the spirits had much to say. Devastated families cried out for their lost loved ones. Sometimes, the beloved dead answered back.
11.20.2019 Open Graves As shots rang out and armies crossed the nation, black spiritualists in New Orleans found themselves fighting for their homes against all comers. But most of the nation’s spirit believers were focused on the spirits clamoring around a different residence—Abraham ...

Older episodes

Unobscured

What's Unobscured about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Unobscured episodes:

Some Unobscured News

Interview: Helen Rappaport

Interview: Joshua Sanborn

Interview: Heather Coleman

Introducing: Grim & Mild Presents

Interview: Douglas Smith

Ghosts

Let This Cup Pass

A Time to Live

Great Will Be the Ruin

Laying On of Hands

Standoff

Sheep's Clothing

Made Manifest

Man of Contradictions

In Search of a Friend

Trailer: Unobscured Season 4

Introducing: Bridgewater

Strange Arrivals Teaser: Rendlesham

INTERVIEW 4: Paul Begg

INTERVIEW: Drew Gray

INTERVIEW: Louise Raw

INTERVIEW 1: Adam Wood

Never Done

Making a Killing

Solitary

House to House

Mismatch

Flaws

Synthetical Turn

Stardom

Rome & Babylon

Temple Mount

Trailer: Unobscured Season 3

Introducing: The Hidden Djinn

Introducing: American Shadows a Grim & Mild

Introducing: Strange Arrivals

INTERVIEW 8: Molly McGarry

INTERVIEW 7: Cathy Gutierrez

INTERVIEW 6: John Buescher

INTERVIEW 5: Mary Gabriel

INTERVIEW 4: Nancy Rubin Stuart

INTERVIEW 3: Emily Clark

INTERVIEW 2: Margaret Washington

INTERVIEW 1: Ann Braude

There Is No Death

The Sheep and the Ghosts

Invisible Hands

Wounds

Open Graves