Brian Cox's Russia (2017)

Marking a hundred years since the Russian revolution, Hollywood actor Brian Cox travels to Russia to discover stories of Scots who made this vast country their own. Brian first spent time in Russia during the communist era. Brian taught theatre students at Moscow Arts Theatre for a scheme called Raising the Curtain. His time there gave Brian a life long passion for the country and now he travels back to meet the students and see the dramatic changes. Brian revisits the turbulent times of Russian history including the 1917 revolution, the Stalinist purges and the siege of Leningrad which created surprising bonds between our two countries. The series also covers three hundred years of shared history between Russia and Scotland, from the mercenary who helped shape Peter the Great's army, to the Scottish industrialist who introduced football to St Petersburg. It also celebrates the poetry of Lermontov and his 'Yearning' for the Scottish Highlands as well as the Russian passion for Robert Burns.