When the Rules Disappeared The Real Moscow Behind East of the Map: The Fax Machine

Chesterton Radio · Sep 2, 2026 · 36m

In the first episode of EAST OF THE MAP, the trouble begins with something wonderfully mundane: an American company’s missing shipment and a fax machine that ought to be waiting in Moscow.

But Moscow in 1992 is no ordinary place.

The Soviet Union is gone. Prices are changing almost by the day. Private businesses are appearing beside old state institutions. Western companies are arriving. Factories still stand and machines still run—but suddenly questions as simple as Who owns this? may have surprisingly complicated answers.

This Common Room Deep Dive includes Spoilers. We invite you to read…