Romanov: Czar Of Hearts begins in the mid-60s aboard the infamous Soviet K-19 nuclear submarine. Lurking somewhere in the North Sea, the sub was dubbed ‘The Widowmaker’ after 20 of its sailors fell victim to a nuclear-reactor leak four years earlier. But it’s a junior crew member which this podcast is especially interested in. Plying his trade in the galley is a young Russian-Lithuanian cook named Vladimir Romanov who, unbeknown to his fellow crew, would one day own the very vessel he was cooking in.

A freewheeling financial career in the Baltics ensued for Romanov, who eventually found himself at the door of Tynecastle Park in 2004, armed with a net worth said to be in excess of £100m. With Hearts strapped for cash at the time, Romanov was handed the keys to the building, making for a now well-documented eight-year ownership spell that peaked with two Scottish Cup wins but ended in near-death for the club in 2013. 

Entrusted with telling the tale of the Romanov era is broadcaster and Hearts fan Martin Geissler who, clearly committed to doing the story justice, analyses the moments of near glory and corporate backstabbing with commendable precision. In one rather chilling episode, the host goes so far as to sit down with Graham Rix, the footballing outcast who was inexplicably headhunted by Romanov to become Hearts manager in 2005, despite being a registered sex offender at the time.

At seven episodes in length, those with a passing interest in Scottish football may struggle to stick with the series in full, while many Hearts fans will understandably feel as though they’ve heard it all before. Yet, it’s the podcast’s in-depth nature and access to a multitude of insightful figures that help Romanov: Czar Of Hearts do such a good job of explaining why the former navy chef currently lives in exile in a remote Russian village aboard a now refurbished K-19. 

Romanov: Czar Of Hearts is available now on BBC Sounds.