The Motherland Podcast

For some inexplicit reason, Russians LOVE buckwheat.

It’s a grain that can and is (but really shouldn’t) be used as a side dish for basically all meals, given to babies as porridge, and as a breakfast…

Apparently, surprisingly, we had to bribe our way into and around Russia.

In this episode we share our experiences dealing with pirates, stubborn officials, as well as the shameless use of a priest’s…

In this episode Zac recounts some holiday experiences with Masha and extrapolates that perhaps (despite Masha’s positive reviews) visiting Russia during the winter may not be the best idea!

With tempe…

All birth experiences are equal but some birth experiences are more equal than others …

Today we delve into what it was like to give birth in Soviet Russia… think collective birthing, screaming mother…

You would think that animals say the same thing around the world, but apparently not in Russia!

Today we explore the sounds of animals in The Mother Land and embrace the government mandated restrictio…

The Russian birthday song is something to be admired. Born from the soviet era cartoon crocodile ‘Gena’ this song ‘Let Them Run Clumsily’ is now the traditionally Russian birthday celebration.

The lyr…

Grab a bottle of vodka and take a seat in your local children’s playground while we regale you with our stories of Russian style drinking and the drinking styles we saw in Russia.
на-здоровье! (cheer…

Join us for a journey through the maze that is the Russian language, as Marsha struggles to enlighten Zac as to object genders, plurals and other confusing nonsense.

Words and phrases:
- Parliament: ду…

With Putin making a play for an eternal rein, we thought it was time to break down the reasons why (not…?) to visit Russia.

Words and phrases:
- Propaganda: пропаганда - ‘propaganda’
- Truth: правда - ‘…

So we got married in Russia.

The only thing grander than the wall to wall gold laden icons was how loose the babushkas got on the dance floor.

It turns out that Russians love to dance. A lot.

Words and …

Imagine a cross between Michael Jackson, Cher and Prince, give him an vaguely Indian heritage, and put him in a frock, and you come close to the glory that is Philipp Kirkorov.

Strap in for a concert …

Look deep enough into any religion and you are bound to discover some interesting rituals. No factor, until a global pandemic strikes.

Join us for a journey into the world of Orthodoxy: Chalice sharin…

If you ever want some black market caviar, we know a guy who can hook you up. But it won’t come cheap.

Join us for a journey into the shady underworld of this iconic Russian delicacy.

Words and phrases…

Russian’s don’t typically get along with their family-in-law. Masha constantly shocks her Russian counterparts when she shares her positive relationship with Zac’s mum.

The typical Russian Baba is the…

Join us for a two day, 60 km walk through the Russian wilderness.

Ignore the warning signs, keep away from the fist sized snail, pay off the criminal and end up in church.

This is the story of our Russ…

How many people does it take to sell you a smoke detector? In Russia, the answer is always more.

This is our experience navigating the labyrinth that is the Russian bureaucracy. Getting into the count…

If you find yourself flirting in Russia, would you know how and when to drop formalities?

Whether it’s for business or pleasure, you need to know which version of ‘you’ to use when addressing the oth…