Samantha Lomb, a PHD in Russian history, joins the show to discuss her book "Stalin’s Constitution: Soviet Participatory Politics and the Discussion of the 1936 Draft Constitution".   Based on her studies of soviet archives Samantha guides us through a discussion of how the average Soviet citizen participated in reforming their new constitution in 1936 (one of the most progressive constitutions ever written!) ; the role of the press in their society, what living on a collective farm was like, the endemic lawlessness and violence of the countryside; the purges of 1936-1937 and addressing whether calling the Soviet Union "totalitarian" holds any validity. And that is just a taste!   Samantha's "free to access" book and more information regarding our discussion can be found on the patreon posting of this episode: https://www.patreon.com/posts/70042715   Episode Credits Intro:  ("Wistful" produced by Maxi Beatz) Outro: (Internationale Trap Remix by Matt Cousins) Opening Interlude Voiceover: (USSR 1936 Consitution read by Nils Paulsson) Opening Interlude Music:  ("Fair" produced by Y-2)