On episode 46 of the show we are joined by Semyon Bagdasarov, a Russian politician, historian and political scientist, and an expert on Middle East and Central Asia. Bagdasarov is a deputy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation of the fifth convocation (2007-2011) and a former member of the Committee on Civil, Criminal, Arbitration and Procedural Legislation. An ex-officer of the Russian Army, he retired to the reserve with the rank of Colonel in 1995. Bagdasarov has been awarded with multiple orders and medals of the USSR and the Russian Federation. At present time he is the director of the "Center for the Study of the Middle East and Central Asia."