Podcast Summary: Dan Snow’s History Hit

Episode: The Rise of Putin and the 1999 Apartment Bombs
Date: March 19, 2026
Guests: Dan Snow (host), Helena Merriman (guest, journalist and creator of The History Bureau)

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode investigates the pivotal events of September 1999, when a series of devastating apartment bombings in Russia catapulted Vladimir Putin from obscurity into national prominence and, ultimately, the presidency. Dan Snow and guest journalist Helena Merriman unpack the murky circumstances of the bombings, persistent allegations of state involvement, and how these events set the tone for Putin’s Russia—touching on media freedom, conspiracy theories, and the interplay of trauma, propaganda, and power.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Setting the Scene: Russia in the Late 1990s

• Political Turmoil: Boris Yeltsin’s decline and the search for a successor amid rampant corruption and instability.
  • “By 1999, people in Russia want someone new, and Yeltsin knows that too. But he has no obvious successor. There's four prime ministers in just 18 months, and that sets the scene for them.” (Helena Merriman, 04:24)
• A Nation on Edge: Widespread uncertainty and societal unease as the post-Soviet era fails to deliver stability.

The Apartment Bombings: Chronology and Impact

• September 1999 Explosions:
  • Four bombs rip through apartment blocks in various cities (Buinaksk, Moscow, Volgodonsk), killing hundreds.
  • The attacks induce national panic; people sleep outdoors for safety, neighbors patrol streets.
  • “So you have four bombs, they blow up four apartments, hundreds die, and then this very, very strange set of murky events that happen in the weeks after…” (Helena Merriman, 04:26)
• Immediate Blame: The Russian government rapidly attributes the attacks to Chechen militants, resonating with the public given recent wars.

The Rise of Vladimir Putin

• From Unknown to Strongman: Putin, a former FSB chief and then barely known prime minister, delivers forceful public statements vowing revenge—projecting strength in contrast to Yeltsin.
  • “Here is this man offering revenge and retribution and people love that.” (Helena Merriman, 07:22)
• Transformation of Image: Focus groups, media management, and PR rebrand Putin as the action-hero-type leader Russians crave.
• Meteoric Approval Surge:
  • “You look at his approval ratings in the summer, 2%... And then after the apartment bombs, this war in Chechnya, him suddenly being all over the news, they rocket in just two months to over 40%.” (Helena Merriman, 19:20)
• Yeltsin's Resignation: On December 31, 1999, Yeltsin dramatically resigns live on TV, handing power to Putin—who quickly consolidates power.

The Ryzan Incident: Seeds of Suspicion

• Averted Fifth Bomb, Hidden Hand?:
  • Authorities discover a suspicious device in Ruzan, initially confirmed as another bomb using military-grade explosives—but confusion ensues when it’s later dismissed as a “training exercise” by the FSB.
  • Telephonic evidence ties suspects not to militants, but to FSB headquarters.
  • “Even stranger, when they then find two men who look just like the bombers... the two men say, we're not bombers, we're FSB. And they take out their ID cards to prove it.” (Helena Merriman, 11:34)
• Journalists Dig In: Early 2000s media, still relatively free, begins pursuing the contradictions, but is overshadowed by the outbreak of war in Chechnya.

Media Manipulation and the Shutting Down of Dissent

• NTV Showdown:
  • Independent TV channel NTV stages a dramatic confrontation over the Ryazan incident on air, just days before the presidential election, openly challenging the FSB's narrative.
  • Government responds by shutting down NTV, signaling the end of independent national television.
  • “A few days later, FSB commandos storm NTV. They arrest the owner, he's thrown in prison, the network closes a few years afterwards, and three days later, Russians go to the polls and Putin wins in the first round.” (Helena Merriman, 21:24)
• Consolidation: Putin eliminates major sources of critical journalism as he wins presidential power.

The Lingering Mystery and Consequences

• Persistent Doubts: Even with trials and convictions (not of Chechens), most files on the bombings are sealed, and key questions remain unanswered.
• Dangers for Investigators: Journalists and politicians who probe too closely suffer unexplained deaths—most famously Alexander Litvinenko, who linked the bombings to the FSB and was murdered in London.
  • “He writes them up, puts them in this book, which he calls The FSB Blows Up Russia. So, pretty obvious what he thinks. But the book doesn't get much coverage...” (Helena Merriman, 28:20)
• Suppression of Inquiry: Parliamentary investigations are blocked; independent commissions are met with violence.

Narratives, Power, and the Legacy of 1999

• Playbook for Modern Authoritarians: The fusion of mass media, national trauma, and the presentation of a strong, protective leader proves a potent formula—mirrored in other countries and eras.
  • “It seems to be a very potent combination. It's happened again and again from place to place. It's a playbook.” (Dan Snow, 22:35)
• Unanswered Questions: Despite plausible motives on all sides—Chechen terrorists, FSB, opportunistic oligarchs—the evidence remains circumstantial. Official versions prevail but widespread skepticism persists.
• Lingering Interest: The Ruzan "training exercise" remains a touchstone for Russian citizens searching for truth.
  • “One of the most searched words on the Russian Internet was Ruzan sugar. So this was a throwback directly to this particular story.” (Helena Merriman, 31:16)
• Broader Reflection: The story highlights the importance—and dangers—of investigative journalism in authoritarian societies.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Putin’s Early Persona:
  “People in Russia had this term for him, Syria Miska, the gray mouse, because he was just so unremarkable.”
  (Helena Merriman, 07:22)

• The FSB’s Implausible Defense:
  “He says, oh, no, there wasn't a bomb. This was just a training exercise run by the FSB to see if you were paying attention, and you were...But our testing equipment must have been contaminated from when we used it in Chechnya. And no one believes it.”
  (Helena Merriman, 12:36)

• The Impact of the Bombings on Public Opinion:
  “You look at his approval ratings in the summer, 2%...And then after the apartment bombs, this war in Chechnya...they rocket in just two months to over 40%.”
  (Helena Merriman, 19:20)

• Media Resistance and State Repression:
  “On the other side, they'd ask the FSB, and you think the FSB would say no? ...Instead of, you know, did you sleep with my boyfriend? They're basically saying, did you try to bomb our apartment?”
  (Helena Merriman, 21:00)

  “A few days later, FSB commandos storm NTV. They arrest the owner, he's thrown in prison, the network closes a few years afterwards, and three days later, Russians go to the polls and Putin wins in the first round.”
  (Helena Merriman, 21:24)

• Dangers to Investigators:
  “Within a few months, one of them is coming home one night. We don't know the details of what happened, but his body is found, bullet through his head...”
  (Helena Merriman, 25:00)

• Think Piece Reflection:
  “If it's cock up or conspiracy, historians always go with cock up because conspiracy is very difficult... Maybe that's the difference here. Is it weird pursuing a conspiracy which you believe… well, which could well be true?”
  (Dan Snow, 32:53)

• On the Risks of Asking Questions:
  “A lot of the people that we wanted to speak to didn't want to speak on the record or are dead or are dead. You know, there's a big kill list that's developed behind this story.”
  (Helena Merriman, 36:22)

Key Timestamps

• 02:16 — Introduction to the 1999 apartment bombings and Putin’s sudden prominence.
• 04:24–09:18 — Background: Yeltsin’s decline, chronology of the bombings, and connection to Chechen conflict.
• 11:33–13:57 — Suspicious events in Ruzan; the FSB’s “training exercise” claim and initial press scrutiny.
• 17:02–18:44 — Yeltsin’s resignation, Putin’s assumption of power, and the deliberate crafting of Putin’s public image.
• 19:15–21:59 — Putin’s approval ratings soar; NTV’s confrontation and crackdown.
• 24:00–29:34 — Early Western optimism about Putin; suppression of independent investigations; Litvinenko’s fate.
• 30:19–32:53 — Ongoing mysteries, sealed trial records, and the landscape of Russian public opinion.
• 32:53–35:06 — Weighing “cock-up vs. conspiracy” and the nuanced realities of state, criminal, and terrorist overlap.
• 36:22–37:42 — Journalists’ personal risks and the importance of persistent, critical reporting.

Concluding Reflections

Dan Snow and Helena Merriman present a chilling, layered exploration of the 1999 apartment bombings—a nexus of violence, state intrigue, and power politics that echoes through modern Russian history. The discussion is nuanced, acknowledging multiple theories and the lack of definitive proof, but emphasizing the seismic impact these events had on Russia’s trajectory. Journalism’s crucial (and dangerous) role is underscored, as is the playbook Putin helped pioneer in manipulating media and public trauma to achieve—and solidify—power.

Recommended follow-up:
Listen to Helena Merriman’s podcast, The History Bureau: Putin and the Apartment Bombs, for a deeper investigation into these events. Search for it wherever you get your podcasts.