The History Bureau

In September 1999, just weeks after a 46-year-old Vladimir Putin became Prime Minister, four bombs blew up four apartment buildings across Russia, killing hundreds of people while they slept. The att...

Four bombs. Twelve days. Hundreds dead. What really happened in Russia in September 1999? Helena speaks to BBC foreign correspondent Andrew Harding to revisit a story that has haunted him for decades...

Three sacks of white powder discovered in a basement – and a ticking timer set for dawn. As fear grips the country and families sleep on the streets, a strange discovery in the city of Ryazan sparks ...

What if the truth behind the bombs could be revealed - on a television show? Following the events at Ryazan, journalists at Russia’s major television channel NTV prepare for a primetime broadcast: a ...

Two men challenging the FSB’s story flee to London seeking safety, only to end up dead. Years after the apartment bombings shook Russia a press conference is held in London, led by exiled oligarch Bo...

A former KGB investigator steps forward, risking everything to get to the truth. As Putin’s power grows, American journalist Scott Anderson returns to the story of the 1999 apartment bombings. Only on...

A trial of two suspected bombers seems to offer closure – but is this really case closed? As Mikhael Trepashkin prepares to present evidence that might shed light on what really happened in 1999, he'...

Who bombed the four apartment buildings? The reporters who covered this story look back with over 25 years of distance to answer a one question: who do they think bombed those four apartment buildin...