The Kremlin: A fortress that has shaped a nation
Anne McElvoy at the Free Thinking Festival with historian Catherine Merridale, head of English Heritage Simon Thurley and writers Amit Chaudhuri and Michael Chaplin.
Start the Week is at the Radio 3 Free Thinking Festival in Gateshead. Anne McElvoy talks to the historian Catherine Merridale about the Kremlin - a Russian fortress which has retained its original medieval function to intimidate and control, and which holds a special place in the imagination. Few buildings in England inspire such fear, but Simon Thurley explores how the country's architecture has influenced the world. The Newcastle-born writer Michael Chaplin looks to the history of the River Tyne to understand the changing fortunes of the city and its population; and the Indian writer Amit Chaudhuri attempts to save the remnants of Calcutta's colonial past under its ever-changing skyline.
Producer: Katy Hickman.
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Catherine Merridale
Catherine Merridale is Professor of Contemporary History at Queen Mary, University of London.
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Red Fortress: The Secret Heart of Russia’s History is published by Allen Lane.
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Michael Chaplin
Michael Chaplin is a writer.
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Tyne View is published by New Writing North.
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Simon Thurley
Simon Thurley is an architectural historian and Chief Executive of English Heritage.
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The Building of England: How the History of England has Shaped our Buildings is published by William Collins.
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Amit Chaudhuri
Amit Chaudhuri is an author and Professor of Contemporary Literature at the University of East Anglia.
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Calcutta: Two Years in the City is published by Union Books.
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Credits
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Presenter | Anne McElvoy |
| Interviewed Guest | Catherine Merridale |
| Interviewed Guest | Simon Thurley |
| Interviewed Guest | Amit Chaudhuri |
| Interviewed Guest | Michael Chaplin |
| Producer | Katy Hickman |
Broadcasts
- Mon 28 Oct 2013 09:00Â鶹Éç Radio 4
- Mon 28 Oct 2013 21:30Â鶹Éç Radio 4
Podcast
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