Andrey Aksyonov in Batumi

Andrey Aksyonov in Batumi

Male Depression Does Not Exist

Andrey Aksyonov is a history popularizer, host of the podcast The Fall of the Empire, and a researcher of culture and everyday life in the Russian Empire.

A lecture about how a man in the early 20th century was “supposed” to live in order to avoid public condemnation:
cards, duels, mistresses, officers’ honor, and a complete ban on showing weakness.

Five absurd rules of life for an Imperial Guards officer and three of the most ridiculous duels of the early 20th century.
Why in the Russian Empire everyone — from revolutionaries to elite officers — had their own understanding of honor, and how these ideas led to World War I and revolution.

A story about toxic masculinity — long before the term itself appeared.