Helena Merriman

So the FSB, they've always denied any involvement in the apartment bombs. Vladimir Putin himself, he wrote an authorized biography, and that was published in April 2000, so just six months after the bombs. And he responds to these allegations. He says, what, blowing up our own apartment buildings? You know, that is really utter nonsense. It's totally insane. No one in the Russian special services would be capable of such a crime against his own people.

And I think the feeling for the FSB and for Putin was that this would put to rest these questions. You know, they'd sent a couple of people to prison. They then sealed the files away for the next 75 years. But of course that's not what's happened. And I think one of the most interesting things to discover is just how live questions around this story still are in Russia today. Why are the questions so live?

I think you see a country that's closing in on itself. You know, you have independent newsrooms have been shut down, reporters in exile, Western news sites have been blocked, Facebook, Instagram and X, these platforms that once connected Russia to the outside world, they've all been banned.

And when you look at how the Kremlin handled the apartment bombs, I think you can see a template there for how they would continue to act and how they would manage future scandals. So whenever you've seen crises since then, whether that's plane crashes, bombings, the pattern's the same. They move very fast to control the narrative. They flood the media with the official version of events. And they close investigations very quickly before any of these awkward questions can be asked.

So I think for us looking at this story now, it's really not just about what happened in 1999. It's about how power works in Russia now. And how narratives are controlled. And amidst that control, what I find fascinating is how very brave people in Russia are still asking these questions even now.

Jos julkisuus on ensimmäinen historiallinen kirja, mitä tapahtuu, jos se kirja tapahtuu vääränä? Vuonna 1999 neljä asennettomuotoa pysähtyivät Ruotsissa. Sanoja on tullut. Mutta 25 vuotta myöhemmin emme edes tiedä varmasti, kuka teki sitä. Se on mysteeri, joka on tullut rauhallisista teorioista.

Because these bombs, they're part of the origin story of one of the most powerful men in the world. Vladimir Putin. I'm Helena Merriman, and in a new BBC series, I'm talking to the reporters who first covered this story. What did they miss first time round? The History Bureau. Putin and the apartment bombs. Listen first on BBC Sounds.

Kaarklas korjaa, Kaarklas vaihtaa. Emmi Kaarklassilta moikka. Lähes huomaamaton kiven iskemä voi lämpötilavaihtelujen vuoksi kasvaa koko lasin halkaisevaksi railoksi. Siksi kiven iskemät on syytä korjauttaa ensitilassa. Ja toki se hallinnut tuulilasikin pitää vaihtaa. Varaa aika jo tänään. Kaarklas.fi. Kaarklas. Aidosti välittäin. Kaarklas korjaa, Kaarklas vaihtaa.

In 1999 four Russian apartment buildings were bombed. Hundreds killed. But even now we still don't know for sure who did it. It's a mystery that sparked chilling theories. I'm Helena Merriman, and in a new BBC series I'm talking to the reporters who first covered this story. What did they miss the first time? The History Bureau. Putin and the apartment bombs. Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

In 1999, four Russian apartment buildings were bombed. Hundreds killed. But even now, we still don't know for sure who did it. It's a mystery that sparked chilling theories. I'm Helena Merriman, and in a new BBC series, I'm talking to the reporters who first covered this story. What did they miss the first time? The History Bureau. Putin and the apartment bombs. Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

If journalism is the first draft of history, what happens if that draft is flawed?

In 1999, four Russian apartment buildings were bombed, hundreds killed.

But even now, we still don't know for sure who did it.

It's a mystery that sparked chilling theories.

I'm Helena Merriman, and in a new BBC series, I'm talking to the reporters who first covered this story.

What did they miss the first time?

The History Bureau, Putin and the apartment bombs.

Listen on bbc.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

If journalism is the first draft of history, what happens if that draft is flawed?

In 1999, four Russian apartment buildings were bombed, hundreds killed.