The History Bureau

A trial of two suspected bombers seems to offer closure – but is this really case closed? As Mikhael Trepashkin prepares to present evidence that might shed light on what really happened in 1999, he's thrown into prison. And as the verdict looms for two suspected bombers, so does an unsettling truth about how the Kremlin uses moments of crisis to tighten its grip. In this episode, Helena speaks to Steven Lee Myers, the former New York Times Moscow Bureau Chief who watched Putin consolidate his power in the years after the bombings. In Season 1 of The History Bureau, presenter Helena Merriman returns to one of the most contested - and consequential - stories in modern Russia. In September 1999, just weeks after Vladimir Putin became Prime Minister, four bombs blew up four apartment buildings across Russia. The bombs exploded in the middle of the night, killing hundreds of people while they slept. In this season, Merriman returns to the story with the reporters who were there on the ground. What did they get right first time around? And, in the chaos and confusion of unfolding events, what did they miss? Presenter: Helena Merriman Series Producer: Sarah Shebbeare Executive Editor: Annie Brown

Two men challenging the FSB’s story flee to London seeking safety, only to end up dead. Years after the apartment bombings shook Russia a press conference is held in London, led by exiled oligarch Boris Berezovsky. Once a kingmaker who helped propel Putin to power, Berezovsky now claims the bombs were an inside job. And in the room sits another man, Alexander Litvinenko, whose own investigation into the bombings will set him on a perilous collision course with the Kremlin. As the danger moves across borders, one question lingers: how high is the price for speaking out? In this episode, Helena speaks to Jeremy Vine and Gordon Corera, two journalists who followed the story from the UK. In Season 1 of The History Bureau, presenter Helena Merriman returns to one of the most contested - and consequential - stories in modern Russia. In September 1999, just weeks after Vladimir Putin became Prime Minister, four bombs blew up four apartment buildings across Russia. The bombs exploded in the middle of the night, killing hundreds of people while they slept. In this season, Merriman returns to the story with the reporters who were there on the ground. What did they get right first time around? And, in the chaos and confusion of unfolding events, what did they miss? Presenter: Helena Merriman Series Producer: Sarah Shebbeare Executive Editor: Annie Brown

Three sacks of white powder discovered in a basement – and a ticking timer set for dawn. As fear grips the country and families sleep on the streets, a strange discovery in the city of Ryazan sparks a chain of events that challenges everything people thought they knew about the bombings. In Episode 2, Helena speaks to David Satter, a journalist who has spent years trying to make sense of two pivotal weeks in Russia’s history. In Season 1 of The History Bureau, presenter Helena Merriman returns to one of the most contested - and consequential - stories in modern Russia. In September 1999, just weeks after Vladimir Putin became Prime Minister, four bombs blew up four apartment buildings across Russia. The bombs exploded in the middle of the night, killing hundreds of people while they slept. Merriman returns to the story with the reporters who were there on the ground. What did they get right first time around? And, in the chaos and confusion of unfolding events, what did they miss? Presenter: Helena Merriman Series Producer: Sarah Shebbeare Executive Editor: Annie Brown

In September 1999, just weeks after a 46-year-old Vladimir Putin became Prime Minister, four bombs blew up four apartment buildings across Russia, killing hundreds of people while they slept. The attacks plunged the country into panic. Families fled their homes. Residents patrolled their blocks around the clock. An entire nation paralyzed by fear.But who did it? It's a mystery that has fuelled some chilling theories. The government blamed Chechen militants. Many reporters agreed. But then the whispers started. Was something even more sinister going on? Over 25 years later, journalists who covered the bombings still can't agree on who planted the explosives or why.Presenter Helena Merriman returns to the story with the reporters who were there on the ground. What did they get right first time around? And, in the chaos and confusion of unfolding events, what did they miss?