An alternative-history conspiracy theory has been taking root on YouTube and Reddit forums. It alleges that a long-enduring, advanced society called Tartaria built much of our perennial architecture worldwide. After a catastrophic mudslide took out most Tartarian citizens, the theory goes, their remaining buildings are now being systematically dismantled to suppress the truth about their origin. How much of this theory is true? And why is it gaining traction right now? Conspiracy Theories is on Instagram @theconspiracypod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Chapter 1: What is the Colossal Reach of the Tartarian Empire?
It's October 1963 in New York City. Jackhammers are chipping away at granite. A massive stone eagle takes flight inside a sling dangling from a crane. A few forlorn architects stand nearby holding up picket signs, but at this point there's nothing they can do. The old Penn Station is being torn down.
Back when it was built in 1910, the Roman-styled landmark was breathtaking inside and out, with vaulted ceilings, ornate windows, and 84 columns. But maintenance was expensive and complicated. Plus, it took up two full blocks, more real estate than the growing city could spare. So now, it all had to go. But what if there's more to this story than just logistics and capitalism?
Perhaps the demolition of Penn Station wasn't just about making the commute more efficient or about freeing up space for a new skyscraper. Could it be that someone wanted to keep the real history of this stunning structure under wraps? Welcome to Conspiracy Theories, a Spotify podcast. I'm Carter Roy. New episodes come out every Wednesday.
Chapter 2: Why was Penn Station demolished?
You can listen to the audio everywhere and watch the video only on Spotify. And be sure to check us out on Instagram at The Conspiracy Pod. Today we'll be talking about the Tartarian Empire theory, that many of the world's most remarkable structures were all created by Tartarians, an ancient, technologically advanced society.
We want to extend a special thanks to our guest, Zach Mortice, whose coverage was instrumental to our research. We'll hear from him directly throughout the episode. Stay with us.
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Today's conspiracy theory is still in its infancy. Its current iteration only emerged about eight years ago, and there isn't really a centralized or official source of information. The finer points are still being floated and debated on Reddit and YouTube. So, before we dive in, keep in mind that everything I'm about to talk about is still actively developing.
Chapter 3: What is the narrative around the Tartarian Empire?
Consider this a snapshot of a moving target. Tartaria or Tartary is an outdated name for a real place that once existed. The vast area appears on the 18th century European maps in what is currently Russia, China, and other parts of Eastern Europe and Asia. It's not really accurate to think of the place as an organized country.
It was home to several unrelated nomadic tribes that have been around since the 5th century. But according to online theorists, that mainstream narrative isn't true. They believed that the Tartarian Empire was once so powerful it influenced architecture all over the world.
Believers would tell you that everything from ancient structures like the pyramids to more modern buildings like Penn Station were all assembled by the Tartarians. Theorists generally agree that Tartarian architecture is typified by grand scale and ornate details, like breathtaking domes.
Basically, if it's built on a massive scale and looks extravagant, chances are Tartarian theorists have claimed it. But theorists really jump on buildings that also have a hint of incongruity in their history or their use. Journalist Zach Mortice uses a great example in his coverage of the Tartarian Empire for Bloomberg City Lab.
He singles out a 1939 photograph that shows the stunning multi-domed Iowa State Capitol building in the background. In the foreground are a bunch of dirt roads and men building a stone wall by hand. It's pretty incredible that this impressive state building was made by craftsmen who had to spread concrete with their hands.
So, a Tartarian theorist might argue, maybe the technologically advanced Tartarians built it instead. A post on the Reddit page for Tartaria also points out that it seems weird that hugely impressive structures often have utilitarian uses, like a gilded post office or a high school topped with domes.
That reinforces the idea that perhaps the ornate building was originally created by Tartarians for a grander use, and it only became something more mundane after its original occupants vacated it. based on their alleged architecture, Tartarians prioritized grandiosity.
According to theorists on Reddit and YouTube, they had resources to spend on luxuries because they tapped into an infinite source of energy. There are a few ideas about how the Tartarians accessed unlimited energy. One is related to harnessing the constant attraction and repulsion of magnets to generate functional energy.
Another Tartarian theorist links the energy to the mind of inventor Nikola Tesla and involves a rotating magnetic field. But the Tartarians' real achievement came from how they transported all that so-called free energy. Power didn't move through unsightly wires and utility boxes. Those functions were built right into their dwellings.
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Chapter 4: How did the Great Reset affect the Tartarian Empire?
My name is Zach Mortice. I'm a Chicago-based design critic and journalist.
Zach's background is in architecture and its relationship to culture, so it made perfect sense for him to cover the Tartarian Empire theory for Bloomberg City Lab and explain some of the flaws in the theory. Without getting into the nitty-gritty of construction details, Zach lays out a simple answer for why buildings looked more grand in the past than they do now. The cost of labor and equipment.
To carve these intricate buildings, you need a massive army of stonemasons, right? And you can generate lots of cut and carved stone in a situation where labor is relatively cheap, and machines are pretty expensive, right? And that's what you had back then. Today, labor is relatively expensive and the machines can churn out stuff on a factory floor really cheaply, right?
So that's why our buildings today are kind of minimalist and regularized because their individual components are churned out in factories.
For most of human history, labor was a relatively cheap resource. When Penn Station was built in 1910, it was reasonable to pay a skilled artisan to sculpt a large eagle statue because mass-produced building materials weren't yet widely available. But mounting that eagle several stories up required some mechanical assistance.
Zach points out that Tartarian theorists might not be aware of the technology that was actually available to construct buildings like Penn Station and other alleged Tartarian structures.
They had scaffolding, they had elevators in the early 20th century. There were devices used to kind of quasi mass manufacture some kinds of ornament like terracotta, for example. The technological innovations that allowed something like a gold leaf Capitol dome are pretty easy to find.
So the economic realities, and therefore the construction priorities, were just different back then. And even though technology might have been limited, it wasn't non-existent. But there's still the destruction and replacement of so-called Tartarian structures to consider. Zach links the trend towards simplistic and streamlined contemporary structures to the rise of modern architecture.
So modern architecture is a set of ideas that emerged in the early to mid 20th century and gained really widespread acceptance all over the world after World War II. And this is an architecture that prizes above all economy, simplicity, and minimalism. It often saw the architecture styles of the past that were very ornate and flowery and expressive as wasteful and kind of profligate.
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Chapter 5: What is the evidence for Tartarian architecture?
When old buildings were built, electricity was expensive or non-existent, didn't really have air conditioning. But maybe sometimes the guy building the building didn't want the people working in the basement to be in the dark, sweating to death. So they would dig out concrete moat around the building. They put some windows in so you get a little bit of light and air.
Nowadays, zoning laws often require these kinds of windows in residential basements to create a means of escape in an emergency. There's not a lot of other evidence for a worldwide mud flood. If a geological event that significant occurred, it seems like there would be more physical indicators beyond submerged buildings. There's also a complete lack of historical evidence.
If it happened within the last 300 years, there would almost certainly be written accounts of the disaster. That leads us directly into the last part of the theory. suppression. Theorists think there's a global conspiracy to conceal the history of the Tartarian Empire. There are plenty of ideas about how suppression is being committed and why.
I already mentioned efforts to dismantle alleged Tartarian structures, from individual demolition to large-scale destruction masquerading as warfare. But theorists also think there were campaigns to stamp out any memories of Tartaria. Some Redditors talk about the possibility that 19th century Tartarian truthers could have been institutionalized to silence them.
According to believers, there are a few things motivating this massive effort to reconfigure history. One could be free energy. We already know that the United States government can kill any invention that significantly affects energy efficacy. Courts granted that power due to concerns over national security. An infinite energy source could make an enemy unbeatable.
There are economic interests to consider, too. Reddit posters joke about, quote, But we do know that oil companies' profits can hinge on fossil fuels remaining the primary global energy source. We obviously don't have any evidence that oil companies suppress free energy, but they do fight to maintain dominance over other energy sources like solar or wind power.
But again, all of this is just speculation. I haven't come across any hard evidence of suppression, like documentation of a cover-up or testimony from a whistleblower. All the so-called examples of suppression also have a legitimate explanation. The thinking behind the demolition of Penn Station, for example, was well documented.
All in all, the Tartarian Empire theory is compelling, but at best it depends on the possibility of evidence rather than the real thing. As it stands, theorists can't back up their claims with proof that can compete with the mainstream narratives. According to Zach's research in 2021, the Reddit hub for Tartarian theorists, r slash Tartaria, had 8,700 members.
By the end of 2024, it had over 50,000. This theory is mostly speculation with minimal evidence. So why is it still exploding online? The online conspiracy theory that an ancient advanced society called Tartaria built most of the significant structures worldwide is gaining popularity. But proponents don't offer much coherent proof of their ideas.
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