Actually Existing Socialism

Latest Episodes:

Half the Sky 002. This Whole Thing Smacks of Gender. Jul 01, 2026

Show notes

Half the Sky is an attempt to provide a perspective often lacking from the podcast space: that of women (and women-adjacent folks). If and when those voices are present, they are quite often offset by their dude counterparts. And so (at least on the mic) HTS is a bro-free zone.

Our hosts on this very special audio journey are Rae of ProlesPod, Jen (Big Nasty) of How the Red Was Won, Lenore from Workers Lit, Luna Oi!, and Revolutionary Th0t.

Episode two of Half The Sky is an in-depth conversation about the nature of gender. How does one acquire such a thing? What are we as materialists to make of an essentially vibes-based concept? What caused our hosts to become radicalized regarding gender? And what does it mean to extract the positionality from the identity? Heady stuff, folks. But just to make sure you don't feel overwhelmed, the gang also diverts into plenty of ADHD-fueled sidequests.

HTS Instagram

Theme Music by DJ DTA

Find the girlies elsewhere: On socials: Instagram.com/HalftheSkyPod

Lenore and Jen Big Nasty on Workers' Lit: Patreon.com/WorkersLit

Rae on ProlesPod: Patreon.com/ProlesPod

Luna Oi YT: Youtube.com/LunaOi

Revolutionary Th0t YT: Youtube.com/@revolutionaryth0t

Jen Big Nasty on How the Red Was Won: Patreon.com/HowtheRedWasWon

Laos: Revolutions in Reproduction w/ Holly High Oct 21, 2025

Show notes

After a long hiatus, AES is back — and we're kicking things off with the return of a favorite guest: Holly High! In this episode, we dive into Holly's latest project, her substack Laos: Revolutions in Reproduction, exploring how socialist ideals shape everyday life.

We discuss: socialist housing and urban planning in Laos, property ownership under socialism, the evolving role of the socialist state and much more!

Join us for a thoughtful conversation on how revolutions live on in the structures and systems of everyday life.

https://substack.com/@revolutionsinreproduction

hollyhigh.net

patreon.com/aesthepodcast

Vietnam: A Homecoming w/ Jen (@HowTheRedWasWon) Jan 15, 2025

Show notes

For this long awaited episode on Vietnam - Jen (@HowTheRedWasWon) joins to talk about her recent unique experience of visiting the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, a country that her grandparents fled from in the 1960s! Jen guides us through her journey there, what she learned, and some important reflections about revolution in the USA she had as a result.

Listed below are links to Jen's social media pages which are home to her educational projects on socialist theoretical texts and organizing. Check them out!

Jen on Twitter: @ho_chi_minnie // @keepaustinnasty // @howtheredwaswon

Jen on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/how_the_red_was_won/

Jen on Tiktok: @big.nasty08 // @red.won.pod

Mutual Aid Organization: @red_help_atx

The Stalin Eras: An Introduction (1878-1917) Dec 23, 2024

Show notes

Since March of this year I have been the co-host of another podcast called Prolespod (my tenure starts on Episode 49). On that show we have been working extensively on producing a special event series known as The Stalin Eras. The key focus of this series is to illuminate the early history of the Soviet Union and the life of its longest lasting leader, Joseph Stalin, using some of the latest scholarship. It features both narrative history and discussion.

This upload is the full introductory episode for the series. If you wish to listen to 10+ hours of content released thus far in the series I recommend subscribing to Prolespod on your choice of podcast platform and begin diving into this unique presentation of Soviet History that doesn't exist elsewhere!

To get more episodes of The Stalin Eras - subscribe to Prolespod - wherever you listen to podcasts!

Support Actually Existing Socialism at: patreon.com/aesthepodcast

Support Prolespod at: patreon.com/prolespod

North Korea: Socialist Living After War (1953-1965) w/ Andre Schmid Dec 10, 2024

Show notes

In this fascinating episode Andre Schmid joins to discuss his book "North Korea's Mundane Revolution". As always on this show, we're covering something new by talking about the early years of the North Korean revolution in the aftermath of the Korean War which "ended" in 1953. Andre Schmid's research and teaching focus on 19th and 20th century Korea and East Asia, as seen in the broader context of global, comparative history. He is interested in historiography and the uses of public memory, the relation between cultural practices and political economy, gendered social history and popular social movements.

More about Andre's work

Intro/Outro Music: Superman & Lois 4x10: Life Goes by so Fast Theme (Remake)

Soviet Punk Rock: Counterculture & Collapse in the Late USSR w/ Alexander Herbert Oct 15, 2024

Show notes

In this fascinating episode Alexander Herbert joins to discuss his book "What About Tomorrow?: An Oral History of Russian Punk from the Soviet Era to Pussy Riot". As always on this show, we're covering something new by talking about both counterculture music and the late Soviet Era. I myself have virtually no understanding of the punk genre, so don't think you need to be a Punk Rock enthusiast to enjoy this episode as the topics we broach include: soviet regulation of media, how all of this ties into the end of the soviet union and more!

Alexander Herbert, who holds a Masters in Russian history from Indiana University, and a PHD in Modern Russia from Brendeis University, is an expert in the history of the Soviet Union and Global Environmental History. His research examines the interrelations of science, technology, and environmental change in the late USSR. Alexander is additionally interested in the intersection of popular culture and education and has published two books: the first on the history of punk rock in the Soviet Union and Russia, and another that uses horror films in the late USSR to examine the anxieties and fears of late Soviet society. He has also taught classes on the history of capitalism, radical politics in Europe, film history, and underground culture. Support the podcast at patreon.com/aesthepodcast

Alex's Substack

"Nothing lasts forever: Russian Punks in Georgia" (Alex's documentary mentioned in the episode)

Lenin in 45 Volumes Intro Music

Outro Music

Win or Else: Soviet Sports, Soccer, and the NKVD w/ Samantha Lomb Aug 12, 2024

Show notes

In this episode, Samantha Lomb returns as a guest to talk about a recent book she edited entitled: Win or Else: Soviet Football in Moscow and Beyond, 1921-1985.

In Win or Else, the late soviet historian Larry E. Holmes shows us how Soviet football culture regularly disregarded official ideological and political imperatives and skirted the boundaries between socialism and capitalism. Drawing on rich archival materials as well as newspapers and interviews with former players, Win or Else reveals the foundations of Soviet sports culture and the hazards that teams faced both in victory and in loss.

This is a fun conversation even if you aren't interested in the sports. We cover the early history of the Soviet conception of sports to the intriguing connection Soviet soccer had to the NKVD, the state security organization that would later become known as the KGB - and everything in between!

You can support the show at www.patreon.com/aesthepodcast

Get the Book here - Win or Else: Soviet Football in Moscow and Beyond, 1921-1985

Intro/Closing Music

Isaiah Rashad x Aaron May Type Beat

Understanding Siege Socialism w/ Gabriel Rockhill Jul 09, 2024

Show notes

Gabriel Rockhill joins to talk about a controversial concept for Western socialists: "siege socialism". A term coined by the great Michael Parenti.

Unlike most episodes of this show we won't be focusing on a specific country but examining the variety of past and present socialist countries through the lens of historical materialism and dialectics, two concepts Gabriel explains for us.

Gabriel Rockhill is the Founding Director of the Critical Theory Workshop, Professor of Philosophy at Villanova University, and the author or editor of over nine books, as well as numerous scholarly and general public articles.

He is the editor of the upcoming translation of Domenico Losurdo's magisterial Western Marxism: How it was Born, How it Died, How it can be Reborn. It is is a paradigm-shifting book that provides a trenchant critique of the Western left intelligentsia. It reveals how its dominant ideological orientation—characterized by defeatism, utopianism, and anti-communism—is rooted in the political economy of imperialism.

You can support the show at www.patreon.com/aesthepodcast

To learn more about Gabriel's work check out the following links:

https://x.com/GabrielRockhill

https://monthlyreview.org/product/western-marxism/

https://gabrielrockhill.com/

https://criticaltheoryworkshop.com/

https://www.youtube.com/@criticaltheoryworkshop5299

https://monthlyreview.org/product/western-marxism/

Intro/Closing Music

Lil Baby Type Beat - "God's Work"

Carl Doy - Bella's Lullaby (Twilight Theme)

Indigenous & Soviet: Politics, Power, and Prejudice w/ Sardana Nikolaeva Jul 01, 2024

Show notes

Sardana returns to finish our discussion on her recent study published through Ziibiing Lab "Indigenous Diamonds : Extractivism and Indigenous Politics in the Diamond Province of Russia."

In our discussion we delve into the impacts extractivism has had on the people of the Sakha Republic before, during, and after the Soviet Union (USSR). Sardana, who is Sakha, also gives her own personal and community experiences of growing up both Indigenous and Soviet.

Sardana Nikolaeva is a Postdoctoral Fellow with Ziibiing Lab (Global Indigenous Politics Collaboratory) at the Department of Political Science of the University of Toronto. Her work broadly centers on Indigenous politics, Indigenous classed and gendered experiences, geopolitical 'economy, economic sanctions, and extractivism.

The Indigenous Peoples of the Soviet Union (Part 1) w/ Alice and Dennis Bartels

Support the show at www.patreon.com/aesthepodcast

Find me on twitter @AESThePodcast

Sardana's study

Indigenous Diamonds :Extractivism and Indigenous Politics in the Diamond Province of Russia.

Sardana's appearances on other podcasts

Indigenous diamonds w/ Sardana Nikolaeva

Indigenous People and the Soviet Union: a Sakha perspective w/ Sardana Nikolaeva (pt.1)

An Other's view of Russia w/ Sardana Nikolaeva

Indigenous & Soviet: Diamonds of Sakha w/ Sardana Nikolaeva Jun 17, 2024

Show notes

Sardana Nikolaeava joins this episode to discuss her recent study published through Ziibiing Lab "Indigenous Diamonds : Extractivism and Indigenous Politics in the Diamond Province of Russia." In our discussion we delve into the impacts extractivism has had on the people of the Sakha Republic before, during, and after the Soviet Union (USSR). Sardana, who is Sakha, also gives her own personal and community experiences of growing up both Indigenous and Soviet.

The Indigenous Peoples of the Soviet Union (Part 1) w/ Alice and Dennis Bartels

Support the show at www.patreon.com/aesthepodcast

Find me on twitter @AESThePodcast

Sardana's study

Indigenous Diamonds :Extractivism and Indigenous Politics in the Diamond Province of Russia.

Sardana's appearances on other podcasts

Indigenous diamonds w/ Sardana Nikolaeva

Indigenous People and the Soviet Union: a Sakha perspective w/ Sardana Nikolaeva (pt.1)

An Other's view of Russia w/ Sardana Nikolaeva