This is the second part on Yevgeniy Prigozhin covering his private military company, the Wagner Group. I discuss the origins of the group, their operations across the Middle East, Africa, and Ukraine, as well as their notorious brutality. I also talk about Prigozhin's political ambitions and his escalating conflict with the Russian Ministry of Defence, which resulted in his failed attempt to stage a military coup in Russia in June 2023. Exactly two months later, Prigozhin died in a plane crash, which was widely interpreted as a public execution ordered by Russia's president, Vladimir Putin.

Follow Post-Soviet Chronicles and don't forget to listen to Part 1 on Prigozhin's youth, huge contracts with the Russian state, media empire including his infamous troll farm, and his role as Putin's personal thug!

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This is the first part of the story of the man behind the Wagner private military group, also known as Putin's chef, Yevgeniy Prigozhin. It covers his youth in prison, successful restaurant businesses, and subsequent huge government contracts in catering, which made him a billionaire. We will also discuss his infamous troll farm and media empire, which was highly effective in pumping out Russian propaganda and disinformation in Russia and abroad. Finally, we will talk about Prigozhin's alleged obsession with cruelty and violence, as well as his role as Putin's personal thug in dealing with Russian government critics.

Stay tuned and follow this podcast for part 2 on his involvement with Wagner group, political ambitions, and unsuccessful military coup!

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Nursultan Nazarbayev, the first president of independent Kazakhstan, was the most powerful person in the country. For decades, his family controlled the most lucrative sectors of the country's economy. But in 2019, he suddenly stepped down. He picked his successor and hoped that he would be able to maintain his influence through various lifelong titles including 'Elbasy' (the Leader of the Nation). But instead, his power gradually diminished until he was stripped of all of those titles becoming almost nothing more than the country’s richest pensioner.

What caused Nazarbayev’s downfall and why wasn’t he able to maintain his influence? Let’s talk about it in this episode.

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Who is Ukrainian president Zelensky and how did he turn from comedian to war-time leader fighting off Putin's Russia, one of the most powerful militaries in the world?

A famous Russian-speaking actor and comedian, Volodymyr Zelensky, won the Ukrainian presidential race in 2019. In February 2022, his country was invaded by Russia. While Russian special forces were already on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, and most Western governments expected Ukraine to fall within days, president Zelensky rejected the West’s offer to evacuate him saying his famous phrase: I need ammunition, not a ride. He has since become a symbol of resistance against Vladimir Putin’s aggression and has been praised around the world. This episode of Post-Soviet Chronicles is about his life, his successes and failures, as well as his role in re-shaping his country and the entire region.

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Introduction to Post-Soviet Chronicles, a podcast on Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and other former Soviet Union members exploring notable historical and political events that have shaped these countries since 1991.

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