'The Mad Russian': Reflections of a Cold War Wrestling Villain

Length 15:28
Licensor Aaron Henkin
Producer(s) Aaron Henkin
Formats Documentary, Soft Feature, Special
Topics Entertainment, Historical, Sports
Produced March 2, 2006
Added to PRX March 29, 2006
 

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Summary:

Pro wrestler Nikolai Volkoff used to infuriate Cold War crowds with his singing of the Soviet National Anthem --- now he's a 55-year-old grandfather, a vegetarian, and a patriot.

Tones:

Amusing, Surprising, Thoughtful

Language:

English

Description:

This is a story about the unusual immigrant experience of Nikolai Volkoff. He was one of the most despised villains in the history of professional wrestling, infuriating his opponents and inciting Cold War-era wrestling crowds with his singing of the Soviet national anthem.

Volkoff always fascinated me when i was a kid growing up watching Saturday morning wrestling, and I was floored when a friend told me he heard a rumor that the old wrestler was living in Baltimore county, working as a code enforcement inspector with the housing department. I did some digging around, got in touch with him, hung out with him off & on for about 6 months, and this radio story was the result...