The History of Russia - Members Only The Boyar Duma

This time around we’ll be starting things off in St Petersburg and meeting some peripheral yet nevertheless influential characters and then in the second part of the episode we’ll catch up, albeit briefly with Grigory Rasputin because he’s on his travels again and he’ll be meeting up with some influential characters of his own.

It's 1757 and for the first time in a long time the Russian army gets to flex its muscles.

In this episode we’ll be taking a closer look at the affair between Catherine and Poniatowsky and we’ll be checking in on yet another health scare.

But as interesting as those subjects are, we'll be spending the majority of our time getting to grips with some new, major developments on the European diplomatic front - developments that would turn the old established order on its head and that would come as a nasty surprise for two key individuals.

In the 2nd of the famous Russian Authors mini-series I provide my own take and interpretation on the life and works of perhaps one of the least known of the Russian literary giants - Nikolai Gogol

This time around there are Just two main items on the agenda - The Empress Elizabeth’s ongoing, and so-far frustrated efforts, to secure the Romanov succession and the political machinations and intrigues that would eventually lead to the outbreak of the Seven Years War.

Oh and finally and as indicated by the title there is someone from outside of Russia who gets to play quite an important and intriguing role in our proceedings.

Rasputin becomes a Strannik or a wandering holy man and travels the highways and byways of Siberia spreading his own interpretation of God's word and the gospels, Meanwhile, in St Petersburg, the Tsar, Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra, are awaiting the birth of their 4th child..