The White Death

The White Death

From Very Special Episodes by iHeartPodcasts

June 10, 2026 · 46 min · Season 1 · Episode 82

About this episode

The episode explores the story of Simo Häyhä, a Finnish farmer who became a legendary figure during the Soviet invasion in 1939.

In the winter of 1939, Finland faced overwhelming odds. The Soviet Union was invading with hundreds of thousands of troops. Standing in their way was an unlikely defender: a shy farmer and expert marksman who would later become known as “The White Death.” But behind the myth was simply a reserved man fighting for his homeland. Hosted by Zaron Burnett, Dana Schwartz, and Jason English Written by Lucas Reilly Story Editor is Virginia Prescott Senior Producers are Josh Fisher and Emilia Brock Additional Production by Edeliz Perez Story Editor is Virginia Prescott Editing and Sound Design by Jesse Nighswonger Mixing and Mastering by Jesse Nighswonger Research and Fact-Checking by Austin Thompson and Lucas Reilly Original Music by Elise McCoy and Jesse Nighswonger Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla Executive Producers are Virginia Prescott and Jason English Give it up for our excellent cast who brought this one to life! Featuring Miska Kajanus as Simo Häyhä  Additional voices provided by Tuomas Ahva,Jukka Hurme, Tuomas Brock, and Tuukka Rantanen Special thanks to Sirpa Ristimäki-Brock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People in this episode

Hosts: Zaron Burnett, Dana Schwartz, Jason English

Guest: Miska Kajanus

Topics covered

  • Finnish history
  • World War II
  • myth vs reality
  • heroism
  • personal stories

Keywords

  • Simo Häyhä
  • White Death
  • Finland
  • Soviet Union
  • World War II
  • marksman
  • hero

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Finland, Soviet Union

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