PBS Compass Points: How Moscow's turbulent past shapes Putin's vision for Russia

Runtime: 26:47
How Moscow's turbulent past shapes Putin's vision for Russia

Air Date: May 15, 2026 7:30 PM EDT

Moscow started as a fort on a hill and has survived invasion, revolution, civil war, and Soviet collapse to transform into a formidable world power. But with the limits of Russia's power tested in Ukraine, is history doomed to repeat itself? Nick Schifrin discusses how Moscow's complex past helps us understand the present with Simon Morrison, author of "A Kingdom and a Village."

About the Moderator/Host: Nick Schifrin
Nick Schifrin is PBS News Hour’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Correspondent and serves as the host of Compass Points from PBS News.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/video/compass-points/2026/05/how-moscows-turbulent-past-shapes-putins-vision-for-russia