Education
This episode we welcome Callum back to Hearts of Oak as he joins us to discuss his latest trip.
First it was an Afghanistan vacation, then a cheeky weekend in Serbia and now his recent sabbatical takes him to Russia!
He is best known for being the co-host on the hugely popular Lotus Eaters Podcast and is now carving out a 'dark tourism' niche for himself by showing us these countries in a way we have never seen before.
His report on his latest trip to Russia, including the Donbass region is a must see, absolutely fascinating viewing.
The media tell us one story.
Callum is showing the other side.
Watch the documentaries of his adventures...
Russia: https://youtu.be/B0i0zbuCIIM
Afghanistan: https://youtu.be/2oMW5pL9Z4w
Serbia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0Q_Tp0IVzc&t=3s
Our previous interview with him...
Callum - رجل إنجليزي في كابول / An Englishman in Kabul
https://www.podbean.com/pu/pbblog-vti5d-b2f6e6
Connect with Callum at...
GETTR
https://gettr.com/user/Callum
TWITTER
https://twitter.com/AkkadSecretary?s=20&t=jM2HdR0iXmda0vJHwrTg-w
YOUTUBE
https://www.youtube.com/@BritannicaPolitica
SUBSCRIBESTAR
https://www.subscribestar.com/callum
LOTUSEATERS
https://www.lotuseaters.com/
Interview broadcast live 16.2.23
*Special thanks to Bosch Fawstin for recording our intro/outro on this podcast.
Check out his art https://theboschfawstinstore.blogspot.com/ and follow him on GETTR https://gettr.com/user/BoschFawstin
To sign up for our weekly email, find our social media, podcasts, video and livestreaming platforms...
https://heartsofoak.org/connect/
Please like, subscribe and share!
[0:22] Callum, it is great to have you back with us once again.
Oh hello, thank you for having me again.
Not at all. You go to these weird and wonderful places in the world, so it's always good to get a completely different viewpoint. So thanks for coming on and obviously the links to not only this trip but all the other ones are in the description. So people can just click and go to your Britannica, Politica YouTube, which actually gave me it gives me so many ads. So it's obviously popular if it's throwing up so many ads
I don't think YouTube's found out yet. I think they're just doing our travel vlog, right?
Nothing unusual there.
[1:03] I thoroughly enjoyed it but to our viewers obviously you've done, This is your third one, isn't it? because you were on talking about your Afghan trip and then you did a little sneaky week ender in Serbia.
And then this is number three.
Yeah. In the series.
Nothing unusual there.
[1:03] I thoroughly enjoyed it but to our viewers obviously you've done, This is your third one, isn't it? because you were on talking about your Afghan trip and then you did a little sneaky week ender in Serbia.
And then this is number three.
Yeah. In the series.
I'm trying to go to Chitels for fun. So we did Afghanistan, which thanks to Miles.
When we went to Serbia, I mean, the main thing there wasn't, I mean, it was Serbian culture and whatnot, but also we went to go meet the migrants.
So loads of Afghans and whatnot, they come up through Serbia.
One of the main routes because they're not in the EU to then get into the EU via Hungary or Croatia and then to the rest of where we are.
So we went and interviewed those guys and those guys are just not great. I'll be honest.
I was not filled with confidence meeting those people because they have no interest in us.
They have no interest in anything that is with the West. It's literally just gibs.
They're not in danger in the slightest. So whatever. There's that. So go check that video out.
And the most recent one was I decided I'd go to New Russia.
[2:12] So not only old Russia, as we know it, the Russian Federation, but the new provinces.
So I went down to Luhansk and saw what life was like there at the moment.
When we went to Serbia, I mean, the main thing there wasn't, I mean, it was Serbian culture and whatnot, but also we went to go meet the migrants.
So loads of Afghans and whatnot, they come up through Serbia.
One of the main routes because they're not in the EU to then get into the EU via Hungary or Croatia and then to the rest of where we are.
So we went and interviewed those guys and those guys are just not great. I'll be honest.
I was not filled with confidence meeting those people because they have no interest in us.
They have no interest in anything that is with the West. It's literally just gibs.
They're not in danger in the slightest. So whatever. There's that. So go check that video out.
And the most recent one was I decided I'd go to New Russia.
[2:12] So not only old Russia, as we know it, the Russian Federation, but the new provinces.
So I went down to Luhansk and saw what life was like there at the moment.
Well, let's get into all this. This is an Englishman in Russia and not some of your others.
Again, the links for those documentaries there in the description.
But I guess Russia is easier to get into than Afghanistan, but maybe more difficult than Serbia, so its kind of in the middle.
[2:41] I mean, what do you define by more difficult, I suppose?
Well, you did. It's probably slightly more difficult.
Maybe there aren't as big a range of flights and then you still have to go and pay for your visa.
So, I mean, you just go to Serbia. I've been to Serbia quite a few times and you can drive there.
So it's actually kind of more accessible, I guess.
[3:04] But you got there, your hotel. I love the way you... What was it? Big ass bed.
Very nice. Big ass TV. Very nice. Carpet. Very nice. I love the surprise to see carpet.
But yeah, it was a decent hotel.
Maybe there aren't as big a range of flights and then you still have to go and pay for your visa.
So, I mean, you just go to Serbia. I've been to Serbia quite a few times and you can drive there.
So it's actually kind of more accessible, I guess.
[3:04] But you got there, your hotel. I love the way you... What was it? Big ass bed.
Very nice. Big ass TV. Very nice. Carpet. Very nice. I love the surprise to see carpet.
But yeah, it was a decent hotel.
It was a very nice carpet. I'll be honest. I wouldn't have mentioned it if it was. I was like, oh, it's great. Like just to have such a high quality, who cares, carpet, right? You just leave it, you forget it for 10 years, turns into a piece of crap. No one ever replaces it. No, this has been replaced recently by the feel of it.
But the getting into part, when I went to Afghanistan, you pay for the visa, you pay for the flight, whatever it was. I think it was, what was it?
30 hours or something of flights. So that was pain.
But going through security, you turn up, fill in some form, no one reads it, no one interviews you.
What are you going to do? Make the place worse? Good luck.
But Russia right now, of course, they're taking their security extremely, extremely seriously.
For the understandable reason. So I got taken to a separate room after my passport just failed to scan.
[4:16] Okay, they take the passport off you. You're then looking around and you notice that the only people with you are a bunch of people from like Egypt and then some Ukrainians.
That's gonna be fun. They then move you to another room where you just get told to sit and wait. How long?
[4:34] Four hours later. I've been here for four hours. What's going on? Wait. Thanks. Cool. Everyone around you by that point. The Ukrainians have left. They're fine. You're still there with all the Egyptians.
And then eventually you get dragged into a third room where you just have to get, I don't know if the word is interrogated, but they want to know everything about your life.
And a mate of mine who's also British, who was only visiting Russia, not the new regions, he had the same experience.
So apparently this is for, if not EU citizens, at least all UK citizens, which is you get enhanced security, which is they check your phone, they check what you got in your bag, They ask you what you're doing, who you know, they call them up, ask them why the hell you're here, they want to know where your parents live, the whole shebang.
[5:20] So yeah, I mean, that's worse than the Taliban, but you know, it's understandable.
But the getting into part, when I went to Afghanistan, you pay for the visa, you pay for the flight, whatever it was. I think it was, what was it?
30 hours or something of flights. So that was pain.
But going through security, you turn up, fill in some form, no one reads it, no one interviews you.
What are you going to do? Make the place worse? Good luck.
But Russia right now, of course, they're taking their security extremely, extremely seriously.
For the understandable reason. So I got taken to a separate room after my passport just failed to scan.
[4:16] Okay, they take the passport off you. You're then looking around and you notice that the only people with you are a bunch of people from like Egypt and then some Ukrainians.
That's gonna be fun. They then move you to another room where you just get told to sit and wait. How long?
[4:34] Four hours later. I've been here for four hours. What's going on? Wait. Thanks. Cool. Everyone around you by that point. The Ukrainians have left. They're fine. You're still there with all the Egyptians.
And then eventually you get dragged into a third room where you just have to get, I don't know if the word is interrogated, but they want to know everything about your life.
And a mate of mine who's also British, who was only visiting Russia, not the new regions, he had the same experience.
So apparently this is for, if not EU citizens, at least all UK citizens, which is you get enhanced security, which is they check your phone, they check what you got in your bag, They ask you what you're doing, who you know, they call them up, ask them why the hell you're here, they want to know where your parents live, the whole shebang.
[5:20] So yeah, I mean, that's worse than the Taliban, but you know, it's understandable.
Taliban is up there. Hey, I'm sorry, DJ Q says Zelensky green question mark.
So is that a Zelensky t-shirt you have?
No, I got this before him.
He's stealing my look, if anything.
He's stealing my look, if anything.
Victoria Willing there says, Mcduck is tasty. We'll get on to that in a bit.
But one of the big things obviously is cash. So you were showing your hoards of cash on your desk when you got to the hotel.
Obviously cash is the only way. I mean, tell us what that was like.
[6:00] Yeah. So for the Russians, people seem to think, so I had all the cash and the people thought that everyone just uses cash there.
No. As soon as we kicked them off the payment system in the West, they've just logged onto a new one.
[6:13] British, it all works, it's fine. And everything they pay with this card, I saw very few people carrying cash. The only people that affects are us. So when we turn up as foreigners, we have to bring piles of cash now because you won't have a card that works. And if you think, oh, we'll just open a Russian bank, put money in there and then use a card. Yeah, you can, but it's not the easiest thing in the world. And also, I don't know, do you really want to go through that rigmarole. It's easy just to carry the cash. So yeah, if you're going to go, definitely take US dollars. That's the best thing. The other thing is euros. I tried some British pounds. No bank in all of Moscow would accept my British pounds. So I tried like five.
What was it like?
I remember when I was living in Bulgaria and I could open up a bank account and it had to be US dollar. So whenever you went to get money, you'd queue up, the 20 years ago at the end of ATO, you'd queue up, you'd eventually get your dollars, you'd join another queue, and then you'd get, that would give you a slip to exchange it into lever. And then you join the third queue, and that would give you lever as about 45 minutes. But how do you just go in and you had to show ID and exchange your money? You don't even need ID. You just turn up to an exchange place, as much dollars, um, they'll give you whatever. I think if you did a high enough amount.
[7:37] So if you did like a couple of grand or something like that in one go, maybe a grand, they'd ask you for ID and documentation, but if you do like a few hundred here and there, no one cares. So it's, it's very relaxed.
I remember when I was living in Bulgaria and I could open up a bank account and it had to be US dollar. So whenever you went to get money, you'd queue up, the 20 years ago at the end of ATO, you'd queue up, you'd eventually get your dollars, you'd join another queue, and then you'd get, that would give you a slip to exchange it into lever. And then you join the third queue, and that would give you lever as about 45 minutes. But how do you just go in and you had to show ID and exchange your money? You don't even need ID. You just turn up to an exchange place, as much dollars, um, they'll give you whatever. I think if you did a high enough amount.
[7:37] So if you did like a couple of grand or something like that in one go, maybe a grand, they'd ask you for ID and documentation, but if you do like a few hundred here and there, no one cares. So it's, it's very relaxed.
Or if only we were like that. And what, so you, yeah, you got there, you, You checked it. The hotel was an impressive hotel. I mean, the lobby was huge.
[7:58] Yeah, it's an old Stalinist building. I think Stalin used to have dignitaries stay there.
[8:03] Beautiful building from the outside as well. If people want to look it up, Hotel Hilton, Leningradskaja. Really old. They actually have a video playing in the lobby of all the different people who have stayed there and Soviet propaganda about how great it is, which is really weird.
But whatever. One way of advertising your hotel, propaganda films.
[7:58] Yeah, it's an old Stalinist building. I think Stalin used to have dignitaries stay there.
[8:03] Beautiful building from the outside as well. If people want to look it up, Hotel Hilton, Leningradskaja. Really old. They actually have a video playing in the lobby of all the different people who have stayed there and Soviet propaganda about how great it is, which is really weird.
But whatever. One way of advertising your hotel, propaganda films.
I think it was number 50 out of like 750. I guess it wasn't packed full of foreigners.
[8:30] It was. I didn't see a single Russian person staying though. There was some Brazilian journalist I met on the last day. He was really nice. What was weird there is he was also, because we're sort of set up in this mindset of the West right now, at least generally, you know, we're combating Russia and Russia's bad and the West is good and we're helping, whatever, like your thing, right?
But when you speak to someone from Brazil or the world that's just away from this dichotomy, it just didn't give a crap. I was talking to him, he was like, yeah, I just don't care. I'm just, here to cover a story about this, that or the other Russian-Brazilian trade relations. But when, it came to the conflict, he was just like, who wins, wins. Not interested. So when you met anyone in that hotel that seemed to be that position. I didn't find any Westerners.
Quite refreshing. So the first thing was going to get food. I loved it. You went to McDonald's via an off license. So I'm off to McDonald's the next thing you are looking at vodka. So you seem to be more interested in getting your vodka fitting in Russia than getting your Big Mac.
[9:42] Yeah, well the vodka is two euros. Sorry, two dollars, not two euros. A bottle. You know how you get to check out in this country and you'll see a bunch of confectionary?
They just have crates of different kinds of vodka, all for two bucks.
So if you're just popping home, why not get a bottle while you're driving? I don't know.
[9:58] It works. I mean, I don't know if it works, but it's how they live.
But they do survive on vodka. The Balkans survive on brandy and I guess Russians on vodka.
But tell us about food. Whenever you did get food, it was Subway.
That's not really Russian cuisine, is it?
[10:19] No, I get criticised in a few comments. Like in Afghanistan, people were like, why didn't you eat Afghan food?
I do.
It's just not very interesting, I didn't find, when looking through the footage.
It was me staring at a bunch of borscht or pilemi, which is like pierogis. But I don't know.
It's all nice. I don't really have anything insightful to say about it other than it's nice.
So it just seems like a bit of a waste of time because you don't know what it is.
You don't have the flavour in your mouth. Right?
But if I could tell you about their version of Subway or McDonald's, you know what that tastes like. You've got a reference point. So I just thought it was a bit more interesting.
But some people say in the chat, Freddos are a safe bet. They always are.
Still looking for that KitKat. Did you bring any?
No, I'm not. Did you bring those? It was KitKats. I think it was Cadbury buttons.
The Caramel ones and the Plain ones and some other stuff I gave away.
I only filmed the buttons.
I'm actually thinking of reaching out. I mentioned that I want to get sponsored by Cadbury.
Why not? It'll be funny as hell for them. They've got nothing going on.
You want to go to the middle of nowhere and sell Cadbury to random village people?
Sure.
On this trip, I actually saw you eating more than I've ever seen you eat in my whole life.
I think every next clip was you eating somewhere.
[11:40] Hey, boys go eat.
I think every next clip was you eating somewhere.
[11:40] Hey, boys go eat.
Another thing that struck me was the architecture, the buildings.
They look quite impressive.
When you think of England and lots of things being knocked down and built up, you kind to think Russia as well, it'll be communist, it'll be massive concrete blocks, which you kind of get over all different parts of Eastern Europe. But it seemed to have a beautiful, architecture, beautiful buildings. I think you commented on that.
[12:12] Yeah, I mean, there's a couple of aspects. So once you get into the more rural parts of Russia.
[12:18] So Moscow and St. Petersburg are the classic amazing cities, westerners go there for a couple of days and that's their experience, which is fine. And they're the most astounding places.
And the Stalinist architecture for all the bastard things that Stalin did, his Stalinist architecture is really good. The Metro is unbelievable in the sense of how beautiful it is. People big it up a lot and I always thought maybe it's overrated. I've been there before this trip, but still, every time I go back, I'm like, that's gold. I hate going to London and seeing the comparison. The Elizabeth Line opened earlier in London and people raving about it. It looks like shit. Sorry to swear, but it is awful. Just modernist nonsense that'll look terrible in 10 years. Everything in the Moscow Metro looks like that five star hotel, but underground.
It's amazing how good that stuff is. But once you do get out into... So I went to Rostov in the south, which is a fairly big city, or some of the places around there, Novoshanskoye, or.
[13:20] Kimishkish, or whatever the hell it was called, the one in the middle. And then, and then Luhanskoye, yeah, you get the commie blocks, commie blocks, or still a thing. But you, You do get the occasional building that they've just redone and it looks like something from the Romanov era.
So they seem to be having the same sort of transition that maybe you've seen in Hungary, or I saw in Serbia where they've got the old buildings, they were run down and now they're building them back up.
So the entire Slavic world seems to be experiencing that, as well as the Hungarians, which is nice.
[13:53] And we don't have it.
They look quite impressive.
When you think of England and lots of things being knocked down and built up, you kind to think Russia as well, it'll be communist, it'll be massive concrete blocks, which you kind of get over all different parts of Eastern Europe. But it seemed to have a beautiful, architecture, beautiful buildings. I think you commented on that.
[12:12] Yeah, I mean, there's a couple of aspects. So once you get into the more rural parts of Russia.
[12:18] So Moscow and St. Petersburg are the classic amazing cities, westerners go there for a couple of days and that's their experience, which is fine. And they're the most astounding places.
And the Stalinist architecture for all the bastard things that Stalin did, his Stalinist architecture is really good. The Metro is unbelievable in the sense of how beautiful it is. People big it up a lot and I always thought maybe it's overrated. I've been there before this trip, but still, every time I go back, I'm like, that's gold. I hate going to London and seeing the comparison. The Elizabeth Line opened earlier in London and people raving about it. It looks like shit. Sorry to swear, but it is awful. Just modernist nonsense that'll look terrible in 10 years. Everything in the Moscow Metro looks like that five star hotel, but underground.
It's amazing how good that stuff is. But once you do get out into... So I went to Rostov in the south, which is a fairly big city, or some of the places around there, Novoshanskoye, or.
[13:20] Kimishkish, or whatever the hell it was called, the one in the middle. And then, and then Luhanskoye, yeah, you get the commie blocks, commie blocks, or still a thing. But you, You do get the occasional building that they've just redone and it looks like something from the Romanov era.
So they seem to be having the same sort of transition that maybe you've seen in Hungary, or I saw in Serbia where they've got the old buildings, they were run down and now they're building them back up.
So the entire Slavic world seems to be experiencing that, as well as the Hungarians, which is nice.
[13:53] And we don't have it.
Yeah, same in Bulgaria. You get them all being put back together and rebuilt and remembering their history after trying to forget about the communist past or life before then. They're trying to find it again. And of course, flags. One other thing I noticed, lots of Russian flags and of course, communist paraphernalia. But the two flags that were missing, which I think are our national flags, our LGBT flag and Ukraine flag, it was quite nice. Those didn't exist there.
Yeah, I mean, there's certainly one of the Ukrainian flags. What is funny about all that is that you see, I mean, I don't not understand the reasons as to why, but in Ukraine, you've seen endless videos of them smashing up statues or anything that was Russian or represents Soviet Union or anything like that. Some of them are understandable where it's like, you know, Lenin, screw that guy, Stalin, screw that guy, whatever, right?
But then they started smashing up like Russian authors. Some of them were even like half Ukrainian.
[14:59] It all just, I think it seems like people in Ukraine are a bit caught up in that. I don't know.
But in Moscow and Rostov, from what I saw, there's loads of Ukrainian writer statues or, you know, the Hotel Ukraina, things like this. They've not got rid of anything Ukrainian, because of course they don't really seem to think they're going to destroy Ukraine as a thing or, the Ukrainian language. But you could argue being invaded and therefore have this massive of Ukraine phobia or something.
So there's that argument for sure.
As for the LGBT flags.
[15:34] Yeah, yeah, none. Didn't see any BLM flags either. Now I think about it.
But then they started smashing up like Russian authors. Some of them were even like half Ukrainian.
[14:59] It all just, I think it seems like people in Ukraine are a bit caught up in that. I don't know.
But in Moscow and Rostov, from what I saw, there's loads of Ukrainian writer statues or, you know, the Hotel Ukraina, things like this. They've not got rid of anything Ukrainian, because of course they don't really seem to think they're going to destroy Ukraine as a thing or, the Ukrainian language. But you could argue being invaded and therefore have this massive of Ukraine phobia or something.
So there's that argument for sure.
As for the LGBT flags.
[15:34] Yeah, yeah, none. Didn't see any BLM flags either. Now I think about it.
But that's part of what I certainly like about Russia. And generally when you look at a lot of the Eastern European countries, that they have pride in their identity, they have confidence in their identity.
And in the West, we've lost that. all of kind of big bear Russia and for it can seem like an aggressor maybe to some of the smaller countries. Actually, at least it has pride in its identity.
Absolutely. I mean, that is one of the things people get confused about. There's some aspect of the right, specifically the right I'm going to talk about here, who get a bit obsessed with Russia. Many of them have never been and never going to be going there. So it's a bit strange from those folks because they kind of get caught caught up in the propaganda, I find.
[16:30] But for those who have been, everyone can appreciate it. And it's not just Russia.
You find this in Poland. You find this in probably Bulgaria and et cetera.
An acceptance of patriotism, an acceptance of, like, this is where I'm born.
It's my land. That's why it's good.
Not because I'm better than everyone else, but because it's mine, which we don't in the West.
We actively suppress that.
It's embarrassing that we do so.
And when it comes to the homosexual stuff as well, my understanding is that in Russia, it's not a crime to be gay. If you want to be gay, that's fine.
If you have a boyfriend or a girlfriend, I don't know how accepting Russian
[17:05] Culture of that being public. But I know that the most recent thing I saw in terms of legality, just if anyone's game is planning on visit, I don't think you'll have a problem as long as there's no public displays of affection, I imagine. Like, I know that's a most traditionalist place, to put it politely. But when it comes to the legal side, the only thing they have is that they banned, firstly, it was LGBT propaganda aimed at children. That was banned.
[16:30] But for those who have been, everyone can appreciate it. And it's not just Russia.
You find this in Poland. You find this in probably Bulgaria and et cetera.
An acceptance of patriotism, an acceptance of, like, this is where I'm born.
It's my land. That's why it's good.
Not because I'm better than everyone else, but because it's mine, which we don't in the West.
We actively suppress that.
It's embarrassing that we do so.
And when it comes to the homosexual stuff as well, my understanding is that in Russia, it's not a crime to be gay. If you want to be gay, that's fine.
If you have a boyfriend or a girlfriend, I don't know how accepting Russian
[17:05] Culture of that being public. But I know that the most recent thing I saw in terms of legality, just if anyone's game is planning on visit, I don't think you'll have a problem as long as there's no public displays of affection, I imagine. Like, I know that's a most traditionalist place, to put it politely. But when it comes to the legal side, the only thing they have is that they banned, firstly, it was LGBT propaganda aimed at children. That was banned.
Come on, come on.
Very Hungarian.
[17:38] You know, Ron De Santis would probably approve of that original law, which was just, look, you can't have this stuff aimed at kids. If it's a kids program, if it's aimed 18 or below, you can't do that. If you're aiming a program 18 or above the wave, you want to give a crap.
I think whilst I was there, they expanded the law now to include 18 and above, which of course is far more controversial and far less about, let's say, freedom in that regard.
But that is what it says. One of the things about this sort of traveling, I don't want to pass too much of a judgment on the places I'm going because I'm just trying to tell you what's there. I ain't living there. So I'm not going to sit around and tell you how they should change their laws because It's foreign land, we have no influence, what would be the point?
I barely have any influence in my own country.
But I guess that's similar to that stance in Russia. It's actually similar to Serbia and certainly similar to Afghanistan.
So I think that's what ties those three countries together.
[18:45] Maybe, I just know it's a bit more...
Because they don't really have any pride in being Afghan in that same way that the Serbs, the Russians do, in being Serbian and Russian.
Yeah, but I think that's something, I'm thinking of the LGBT stuff.
Oh yeah, well they're all certainly on that train. I think the Afghans win that competition though, because Allah Akbar.
Yeah Allah doesn't do the LGBT stuff very well.
No.
One of the few things they'll command him or Muhammad for, but we'll not get into that conversation.
I think they're accepting of T's. I think T is still okay.
T? Do you think so?
So in Iran, for example, tea is okay, because if you're found being homosexual in Iran, there is a Quranic solution, which is that clearly this man is not a homosexual man, because that would be a crime against nature according to the Quran.
So in fact, he is transgender. He was a woman the whole time, therefore it's not gay.
So you either accept that bargain and go through the surgery or get killed.
[19:48] So that's the tragedy of being homosexual in Iran. But it does mean that the transgender acceptance is a thing.
So I don't know if that's your world, Silver lining.
I don't know what to talk about. I'm advertising to the transgender adventure brigade out there.
Anyway, moving on. The Metro, how much of the Metro did you use?
Because as you said, the pictures I've seen, how impressive it is.
And you had that little clip of it.
But did you go on it a lot? Obviously you didn't, you got told off for filming all this.
[20:25] Yeah, I don't know if that's it's a really weird place for filming in that sense.
So I've never seen this in any Slavic country except Russia.
Russia seems to still have it was explained to me. So, for example, if you get on a train in Russia, let's avoid the metro first.
You have to present your passport. You have to go through airport style security and then you get on the train.
You can't just tap and walk in.
No, very serious about that.
[20:51] I thought this is because of counterterrorism. I was told the reason for this, and also the fact that people checking your papers all have these communist style hats with communist logos on still, is because under the Soviet Union, of course.
You mean like this?
Yeah, exactly like that.
I could have given that to you to keep warm because you kept getting cold.
Well, I would have looked like a police officer if I got arrested.
But no, they've got these railway workers.
There was no freedom of movement in Soviet Union. You have to have papers to be able to move to the next town or wherever, I was told, at least at one point.
So that system is still there for the trains. So when you go on the metro, same thing.
You walk into the metro and there's meta detectors.
And if you're holding a bag nine times out of 10, someone will shout at you in Russian.
You freak out. But then they just take your bag, shove it in a metal detector, nothing, you know, it, gets scanned, there's no bombs. They just give it back to you, bugger off.
And then there's some lady at the escalators who's just like on her phone on every escalator, I don't know why she's there. Just pointless.
But there's like security everywhere. So you don't know what you can and can't film.
But then I tried to film too close to the tracks and then three guys came over and all, started shouting at me. I was just like, sorry, not Russian.
Leave me alone.
How visible was your filming?
[22:16] I always found it's better to be, if you're ever going to travel to somewhere strange and film, do it publicly.
If you're seen trying to secretly film, that's way worse because you can explain, oh, sorry, I'm a stupid foreigner from the foreigner land.
And in any culture, they'll be like, yeah, whatever, just bugger off and it'll be over.
So always just hold up the camera, look like an American tourist pretty much.
And that's usually what I do.
The only exemptions to that is probably when I was in Taliban land and we try and maybe, not attract attention.
[22:16] I always found it's better to be, if you're ever going to travel to somewhere strange and film, do it publicly.
If you're seen trying to secretly film, that's way worse because you can explain, oh, sorry, I'm a stupid foreigner from the foreigner land.
And in any culture, they'll be like, yeah, whatever, just bugger off and it'll be over.
So always just hold up the camera, look like an American tourist pretty much.
And that's usually what I do.
The only exemptions to that is probably when I was in Taliban land and we try and maybe, not attract attention.
But the black markers.
Yeah, I mean, you don't really want to attract that attention.
So the only exception.
What was it, did people look at you cynically or with suspicion?
Because obviously someone from the West must be coming to put something negative out about Russia. Was that part of it? Because you said you had to wait four hours to get in.
Is that a kind of thinking behind a lot of the maybe suspicion of the West?
[23:25] To be honest, maybe this is just me being lucky. On this entire trip, I didn't find any suspicious people being suspicious of me except security, and that's their job, so fair enough, or in Luhansk.
So the civilians there were a bit distrusting because we spoke to people and tried to ask, do you mind if we interview you, ask you these questions, we're showing the questions.
I had a guy look over them just to make sure it wouldn't spook the hell out of anyone.
He said, yeah, no, those are fine. But no one, no one would talk to us because they're just that scared.
I think for a couple of reasons, which is that if the Ukrainians come back and they're on camera saying something nice about Russia and maybe something will happen, maybe they're worried that they'll say something wrong and get in trouble or something.
I don't know. That's the only place I felt any problems. I mean, I ran into a guy in a flea market in Rostov and jabbering away in half Russian, half English with this dude and the other people around us, all friendly.
Go to an Irish pub, start talking about the situation, all friendly, all smiles.
I never had to explain and sit there and be like, oh yes, I am here to film about Great Russia or something to get someone's trust because they're incredibly isolated.
Any foreigner who comes there and is like, yeah, I want to show what life's like, they're
[24:48] immediately just like thank you for coming. You know, show people.
So.
War Museums, you did some filming, some beautiful tanks in different places, but yeah, tell, us about that. And is that a, do you have a specific tank fetish?
Oh, who doesn't like tanks? Come on. So, yeah, there's a few places I went. There's the Victory Museum in Moscow, which if anyone goes to Moscow, it's the easiest place to go on holiday.
Go for a weekend or two with a loved one. It's a very romantic place to be as well, especially even winter. Definitely take your girl to the Victory Museum, because even though it's military nonsense, you know, women don't generally like staring at, there's enough there to be fun. There's enough light shows and stuff I didn't really have time to show in the video that they have. There's some old remakes of the Reichstag you can go and see.
[25:48] Uh any kind of gun any kind of tank there's patriot park i went to that's a big thing in Russia, various uh there's sort of like theme parks throughout the country and it's just piles of every weapon you could think of every tank every plane, railway tanks or railway guns, and I don't know why they're called that it's like a railway car right but covered in artillery and, and anti-tank guns and machine guns.
The idea is you drive the train into the town and shoot it up.
I don't remember that on Thomas the Tank Engine.
No, but it should have been.
A Russian Thomas the Tank Engine is a whole other thing.
But that's, you can also shoot any gun you want there. I chose the Mosin.
I was kind of annoyed because we just didn't have the time on the way back out.
I just, I had to leave because of time.
But I'd love to go back to Patriot Park because it was 500 rubles for like 100 rounds or something on an LMG.
I had loads of money left though because I just hadn't spent it.
I wish I'd just gone back to Patriot Park and be like, chh, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada, for 30 minutes straight, because that's just fun.
So yeah, if you like shooting, that's easy too.
A Russian Thomas the Tank Engine is a whole other thing.
But that's, you can also shoot any gun you want there. I chose the Mosin.
I was kind of annoyed because we just didn't have the time on the way back out.
I just, I had to leave because of time.
But I'd love to go back to Patriot Park because it was 500 rubles for like 100 rounds or something on an LMG.
I had loads of money left though because I just hadn't spent it.
I wish I'd just gone back to Patriot Park and be like, chh, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada, for 30 minutes straight, because that's just fun.
So yeah, if you like shooting, that's easy too.
Well, did you, I can't remember, you went with someone there, or did you just turn up as a foreigner saying I'd like to shoot things?
[27:03] So the trip was a bit weird. I knew a couple of people in Russia from a previous trip.
So I met them in Moscow. I met friends of friends of friends.
Your network very quickly expands once you just ask, hey, do you know anyone who's around tomorrow?
I went to like an Indian market with a lady, for example. That was really funny actually, because we're walking around and I hear the Indian music and I see the brands and the spices.
I was instantly transported back to the UK.
[27:29] You get what I mean? Which just was so weird because she didn't get it either.
She was like, what do you mean it's like the UK? I'm like, you don't know. You just don't know.
[27:41] So that was fun. So you start meeting friends like that and then when I got a train I was going to go meet someone else. So I had someone with me at any given time. Some people seem to think, that someone was chaperoning me like it's the Soviet Union. I can't transmit enough how much things have changed since the Soviet Union. It's not like that at all. Even when I went to Luhansk, the Russian soldier guy I had with me, he was only with me like half the time. And even when he was with me, he didn't even know what he was getting in for, frankly. I decided where we wanted to go. I decided what we're going to see, who we're going to talk to, what we're doing today.
[27:03] So the trip was a bit weird. I knew a couple of people in Russia from a previous trip.
So I met them in Moscow. I met friends of friends of friends.
Your network very quickly expands once you just ask, hey, do you know anyone who's around tomorrow?
I went to like an Indian market with a lady, for example. That was really funny actually, because we're walking around and I hear the Indian music and I see the brands and the spices.
I was instantly transported back to the UK.
[27:29] You get what I mean? Which just was so weird because she didn't get it either.
She was like, what do you mean it's like the UK? I'm like, you don't know. You just don't know.
[27:41] So that was fun. So you start meeting friends like that and then when I got a train I was going to go meet someone else. So I had someone with me at any given time. Some people seem to think, that someone was chaperoning me like it's the Soviet Union. I can't transmit enough how much things have changed since the Soviet Union. It's not like that at all. Even when I went to Luhansk, the Russian soldier guy I had with me, he was only with me like half the time. And even when he was with me, he didn't even know what he was getting in for, frankly. I decided where we wanted to go. I decided what we're going to see, who we're going to talk to, what we're doing today.
[28:20] He was a quirky character.
Yeah, I mean, he was just a friend of a friend of a friend was Rostov. Great guy, made friends with him. I said, look, the guy was going to go meet has been blown up by a mortar.
I'm kind of buggered. Do you know what he could take me to the new regions? He says, you know, I have a friend introduced me to an Afghani weird character, big moustache, larger than life, goes to Ukraine a lot, has been fighting since 2014, killing people. He did mention to me at one point apparently he fought in Syria which okay because he talks a lot about Wagner.
I never really got to the question about whether or not he worked for Wagner but whatever.
[29:04] Fit as a fiddle, clearly does a lot of stuff. He's out there right now, he's upgraded his telegram, he's out fighting today I think. But he seemed to just be some guy because he agreed to take me. And then when we got to the border, it was like, don't speak about this, don't speak about that. And I'm like, brother, you don't know what you're getting in for. Because, of course we get taken to additional security and he's like, oh, it's been 10 minutes. I'm, like, no, it's not going to be 10 minutes. We're getting stuck for four hours talking to Russian border guard, then military intelligence, and then even more. We were just like, who the hell are you?
And then when we're going around Luhansk, everything's fine.
He knows everyone there. He's been fighting and he used to live in Luhansk for years.
That's the thing about all the nationalists, the people who are fighting there, they've, all got massive connections to Ukraine, like family connections.
This is a real family thing for them. It's not some group of guys who have no connection to the land.
All their family live there or their grandparents live there or something.
So that's fine. On the way back out, of course same border, checkpoint, more security.
I just remember we got off the bus in Rostov, he was just so pissed at me.
So he was just like, oh for god's sake.
Like it was just some guy, he didn't know what he was getting in for.
I was just like, yeah sorry man, it's gonna be a lot of stops.
My passport's cancer in this place.
[30:28] Yeah, it's free to travel around. If you meet friends of friends, you'll be able to meet someone in any given town. And if they're a friend of a friend, they'll be nice to you.
I'm kind of buggered. Do you know what he could take me to the new regions? He says, you know, I have a friend introduced me to an Afghani weird character, big moustache, larger than life, goes to Ukraine a lot, has been fighting since 2014, killing people. He did mention to me at one point apparently he fought in Syria which okay because he talks a lot about Wagner.
I never really got to the question about whether or not he worked for Wagner but whatever.
[29:04] Fit as a fiddle, clearly does a lot of stuff. He's out there right now, he's upgraded his telegram, he's out fighting today I think. But he seemed to just be some guy because he agreed to take me. And then when we got to the border, it was like, don't speak about this, don't speak about that. And I'm like, brother, you don't know what you're getting in for. Because, of course we get taken to additional security and he's like, oh, it's been 10 minutes. I'm, like, no, it's not going to be 10 minutes. We're getting stuck for four hours talking to Russian border guard, then military intelligence, and then even more. We were just like, who the hell are you?
And then when we're going around Luhansk, everything's fine.
He knows everyone there. He's been fighting and he used to live in Luhansk for years.
That's the thing about all the nationalists, the people who are fighting there, they've, all got massive connections to Ukraine, like family connections.
This is a real family thing for them. It's not some group of guys who have no connection to the land.
All their family live there or their grandparents live there or something.
So that's fine. On the way back out, of course same border, checkpoint, more security.
I just remember we got off the bus in Rostov, he was just so pissed at me.
So he was just like, oh for god's sake.
Like it was just some guy, he didn't know what he was getting in for.
I was just like, yeah sorry man, it's gonna be a lot of stops.
My passport's cancer in this place.
[30:28] Yeah, it's free to travel around. If you meet friends of friends, you'll be able to meet someone in any given town. And if they're a friend of a friend, they'll be nice to you.
So what was the part that's kind of partially Russian, partially Ukrainian? Is that Luhansk or the other one, Rostov?
Yeah, so to explain for people who might not know the situation Ukraine became a country after the Soviet Union collapsed. It used to basically just be a Soviet Republic of USSR, I don't think a Ukrainian nation really existed before in peacetime. You could argue maybe like the kingdoms of the root of, Kevin Rusev's me, but yeah, I did I mean in modern times probably, then stuff happens, politics Russia ended up annexing Crimea and then there was an uprising in these two places called Donetsk and Luhansk, large Russian populations, Stalin's fault as most things are as to why there's so many Russians.
[31:34] If I think that the next used to be called Stalino, because of course These people rose up. They've been fighting an insurgency for years with help from Moscow, And then when the Russian army moved in properly, not just, you know, unofficially, they have now annexed Luhansk province, Donetsk province, Zaporizhian and Kherson.
So we went to the Luhansk province, which that place has been a battlefield for, what has it been, eight years, something like that.
They've now got all of that province under control. We didn't feel any active threat. There was no, like, range for artillery to kill us.
To kill us, there was range for missiles to kill us or airstrikes.
You can see bullet holes in all the buildings, much for the buildings been blown up.
[32:22] But as for what it is, it's according to the Ukrainians, their lands, all of it.
According to the Russians, they've annexed it, it belongs to them now.
And according to the people who live there, from what I saw, I didn't see anyone Ukrainian.
I didn't see anything that made me think Ukraine, everything that made me think of Russia.
The flags, the people, the food, the apartments.
The place used to be a large Russian area, even when it was part of Ukraine.
And since the uprising eight years ago, and then ever since.
Anyone who is pro-Ukraine has probably left.
I've read multiple stories online of people used to live in these places, more than the stories I've read, but same thing will be happening in Luhansk.
If you were pro-Ukrainian or a young person who's Ukrainian or any of that sort, you've probably gone.
Why would you have stayed?
In which case the result, I imagine if they did do a census, even if it's done by the UN, run by Canadians or Bangladeshis, there's no interest.
The demographics of that place have probably hugely changed.
So that's an argument for claiming the land, obviously. I did hear a story from a Russian lady who works for a Western organization in Moscow.
So she's got access to both sides. One of the things the Ukrainian government's doing, is near the front line, if there's Ukrainians living there, they desperately want the Ukrainians to continue living there.
[33:51] Because if the Ukrainians leave, that's yet more territory that has a huge deficit of Ukrainians versus Russians.
So whenever some kind of peace deal ends up coming, you've got less of an argument and the Russians are playing the same game.
Don't get me wrong, but it's just funny to me how when it comes down to what everyone understands, the claim of a land is just having your people there.
And from what I saw in Luhansk, I didn't see anything Ukrainian.
[34:20] I know they're going to be Ukrainians that are like that, but that's how it is, man.
I hadn't worked out actually before watching your video because in the middle you kind of look at the geopolitics of the area, but I actually didn't realize that Ukraine was, only a province of Russia because other countries like Bulgaria have got a thousand year history, and other countries had to fight and there was, I should think Slovenia had like a three-week, battle with the USSR to actually gain their freedom as a country. But Ukraine existed as a part, as a province, as opposed to a separate country. So it is quite different, Ukraine, when you look at the other kind of satellite states, the USSR.
[35:02] Yeah, I mean, it's really interesting, actually, because so Ukraine was basically a province of the Russian Empire, nothing special. And then when that collapse and you get Soviet Union, most of it was in the Soviet Union. Sure, it was made into a Soviet republic.
This is mostly just PR. Anyone looking at the history can tell that, but it's an integral part of the Soviet Union.
It's not flourishing in that way or independent in that way that Bulgaria or any of the satellites are.
Since independence in the 90s, that's when you really start to get this, it's seemingly and someone could correct me if I'm wrong, this actual solidifying of what are we?
And seeing because I mean that's where you get the changes of okay no we should be focusing on the Ukrainian language not this bilingual state this hyper focus and celebration specifically of Ukrainian culture to make it aware in people's minds. One of the great conversations I had was with a guy in a bar in Rostov his half of his family Ukrainian living around that region.
[36:06] Again everyone you goddamn meet in this area there's cross-border families no one's some kind of rabid nationalist just for their side. It's not like I'm Bosnian, I'm Croatian or something. There's no crossover. No, there's massive crossover in ethnic times.
But he mentioned that he used to go on holiday to Ukraine all the time. And he had gone to the 2000s, everything was cool, meet anywhere you want, no problem. And then around about 2014 and there throughout he started just getting random hostility from people he's on holiday with as if you know He'd like murdered 14 Ukrainian babies or something like we talking to them in Russian. They're talking
[36:48] Russian to him because they think he's from Ukrainian Russian province and then if I don't hear some the Russian Federation They just stopped talking to him and they start talking Ukrainian and refused to use the Russian language, So what the hell was that about and then ever since this guy was mentioning
he's been on so many more holidays, even before the special operation.
And it just got worse and worse and worse.
I still haven't been to Ukraine. I'd love to go if it's safe.
I don't know how badly some people might take the video I made there, but I'm happy to show the Ukrainian side as well.
I'm not got problem with that.
But my best guess from what I can see and what I heard is that the Ukrainian identity and Ukrainian culture really is something new in historical terms in the way it is now.
And that proper split of when nothing to do with Russia is very new.
What was it like when you were getting the bus down to Luhansk?
You're kind of thinking, well, I'm going to somewhere which is on the edge of a war zone that's disputed territory. Were you slightly apprehensive going down there?
[37:54] So when we got on the bus from Rostov, you then get to the old border, and that's what the border checkpoint is, about hour three and a half into that checkpoint
I did honestly sit there and think, what am I doing with my life?
Why don't I just stay home? Why don't I just play video games? Who cares?
Oh God. Cause you don't know. Maybe the phone call gets made and the guy at the top just goes, arrest him.
Fuck him. Like, who is this?
Thankfully it got to someone and they just said, yes. Um, don't know who,
[38:21] Thanks bro. And then when you get on the bus to the war zone and I honestly, I felt great.
Um, don't know if there's something wrong with me, but
[38:32] there's something about, I was the same with Afghanistan. I don't know how to put this into words, probably.
Maybe you've had this in Eastern Europe when it was less lawful as well.
There's something about those kind of places where everything's a bit serious in the regard of only serious things matter, life or death matters.
Whether or not you've got a vaccine passport, it's like the stupidest question you could ever ask, that kind of environment.
I love it. Because it doesn't feel like you're being controlled anymore, even though everything around you is men with guns, army soldiers, people who could probably kill you if they had no reason to but just felt like it.
[39:14] It still feels freer in that way. Am I making any kind of sense?
Well, I think the seriousness comes from that life can be harder in those places.
And I think in the West we have entertained ourselves to death where there actually life is, you're right, more serious.
Here life is what you want to watch on YouTube that evening or that day.
It's, or how many likes you have for something that's life is reduced down to that trivialness where there it is life and death. It is more serious.
It's way more real.
And you actually care about like what you're going to eat tonight, for example, such a, mundane thing. But like I genuinely was thinking about, Oh God, what we're going to have dinner.
And so the kind of stress you get from that is almost rewarding in a way.
I was trying to have this conversation today about like the acceptance of corruption and why it makes life better.
I don't mean bribery, but I was thinking about some more. So when I got on the plane from Afghanistan on the way back.
[40:13] I get to this front of the queue, blah, blah, blah, blah, sorry, man, I don't speak Pashtun English. Oh, no problem, sir.
And then they take my bag, they wrap it up, And then the guy says, vaccine passport, sir.
[40:26] I ain't got a vaccine. He didn't need a vaccine to get into Afghanistan. So I look at him and just go, I ain't got one.
He looks at me like utter confusion, like he's never had this before. Gets his supervisor up, the supervisor just looks at him just annoyed and just goes.
[40:42] Walks off and the guy just goes, oh bugger off. Just lets me through.
[40:47] When like someone who's getting paid minimum wage turns down the stupid pointless laws that we all know are stupid and pointless.
It's just a much better life. If he was checking the bag and said, did you put a bomb there?
And I said, well, yeah, but you know, I want to blow up the plane.
He obviously would have arrested me on the spot. He doesn't not care about serious things.
But when it comes to stupid stuff like your vaccine pass, no one gives a crap.
And they shouldn't give a crap in that country. But you do that in the West.
It's still illegal for me to go to the United States because of the vaccine stuff.
If I get that some TSA agent is going to be like, we haven't got it, you've got to go back.
[41:24] Bro, what the hell do you care? You're getting paid minimum wage to work in the TSA.
You give a crap about the vaccine?
No, like you shouldn't for Christ's sake. And it's, we had that in the UK as well.
It's not even that rare to us. Remember when Boris was caught with his pants down, he was having parties and the day after, none of those rules applied anymore.
Security guys didn't bother trying to stop people for not wearing masks. Nobody gave a crap.
We had that culture for a day there. That's what I mean. The fact that those petty laws mean nothing.
And when I was in Luhansk and you're back in a zone it's, you know, state of war.
[41:59] None of that petty crap means anything. I don't know, it's something spiritually that just makes you happier in a really messed up way because you're in a really messed up place. It's liberating.
[42:14] When I last time was flying from Bulgaria and you had to wear masks, it must have been last summer, and everyone had to wear a mask. You wear a mask, they all get on the plane and as soon as they're sitting down, they all just drop it down to their chin. Literally, all the Bulgarians.
[42:34] Here, people would have it up over their nose. Here, of course, you've got the, Air Stewardesses checking people. I know I've got friends, Air Stewardesses, and they said they spent all their time checking masks. Where in Bulgaria, they realized it just was a load of crap. Therefore, they didn't, they kind of would pay lip service, but really they knew it was nonsense where in the UK they paid not only did they pay lip service, but they believed, everything they were told. And it's that ability to think for yourselves. And it's quite weird when you come from the West. And so that's what I noticed. I guess you noticed that as well, that they just don't fit in and don't accept things just because you're told them.
Yeah, I mean, like a chap in the chat is mentioning anarchism. It's not anarchism.
Like in it was the same thing with Afghanistan and Luhansk there is utter security in your position, no one's gonna kill you for no reason, you know if you blaspheme or something in Afghanistan you're buggered but don't do that if uh there's an ISIS terrorist in Afghanistan, there's Taliban every hundred meters with guns that dude's dead before he gets to you in Luhansk there are tanks and army soldiers everywhere, someone tries to start something they're getting arrested or shot immediately you couldn't feel safer in terms of like no one's gonna stab me it's not, It's not like you're in Birmingham.
There's none of that, personal threat.
[43:51] But the actual rules of life matter again, the things the state are doing, is actually something you can respect, security.
That's the number one concern. That's what's actually going on.
But none of this, oh, nonsense.
Mentality exists. Andrew Tate actually described this in a really interesting way.
And maybe you'll get it as well. He was in Romania.
He walks into the gas station. And the Romanian guy goes, you need a mask and he just, I don't know, sorry, I thought the story wrong. He's in the UK, goes to a gas station, the guy says, you need a mask. He's like, bro, I filled up the car, here's the money. He says, no, you need to wear a mask before I can make you pay. He's like.
[44:31] If you take the money or I'm leaving with the gas for free, I don't.
[44:35] I'm not putting on a mask. What are you talking about? The dude starts losing it and he's like, no, you have to wear a mask or I can't take your money. Bro, you're getting paid minimum wage to, to work in a gas station?
What the hell do you care? Like if Shell have this policy of you worst man, you think the CEO of Shell gives a crap if the new customer walking in is wearing a mask when he pays.
No, nobody cares. This rule is meaningless. Everyone in the room knows it.
And yeah, I don't know if it's our Protestant work ethic or something, but the Anglosphere worker who's getting paid minimum wage just goes, the rules are the rules, like a German.
And he's just like, yeah, must implement the rules. No one's going to make him implement those rules.
He does it to himself.
[45:15] And then Tate mentions, you do that in Romania. Same situation.
You walk in, the Iranian guy will say, sir, you must wear a mask.
And you say, I'm not doing it.
And the Romanian worker will go, eh. Not because he wouldn't do that if you were like, I'm not going to pay.
[45:31] You've got to pay. That's important. But on stupid nonsensical rules, I don't waste my time with this.
And we don't have that in the West.
It annoys the crap out of me.
I remember some Bulgarians telling me you have to wear a mask because they were wearing one on their chin.
It's just like, it's so weird. Do you realize it's just like a piss take?
It's like, we don't give a shit. You kind of pretend. It's like, yeah, so weird.
It's just like, it's so weird. Do you realize it's just like a piss take?
It's like, we don't give a shit. You kind of pretend. It's like, yeah, so weird.
But it's that part of the outside. Once you get outside the Western world, that's really the metric.
It's not like corruption and bribery or the law doesn't apply.
It's the, I'm not listening to nonsense mindset.
And you have that in spades in Russia of the people? So I can appreciate that of the people.
Sure, there's other problems.
Sure, no, I don't agree with those things. But when I talk about this thing, and you'll recognize it as well in Bulgaria, Tate recognized in Romania, really the ex-Soviet nations really know how to go.
I don't care what the dear leader's saying. For a good reason.
One thing I want to ask you that actually didn't really talk about, I don't think, but I live in London and sometimes it's difficult to find English people living in London.
I assume over there in Russia it's still fairly Russian. I guess it hasn't been hit by the multicultural nonsense.
[46:59] So this is a big criticism of Putin from the Russian nationalists I found on both the trips I've done there.
And it's true, it's a valid criticism, which is that if you go to Moscow, for example, yep, there's a lot of Russians, but they have some of the same problems we have.
The reason for this is because not only is the Russian Federation a huge country, huge amount of ethnic diversity just because it's so big, and there are loads of ethnic republics inside that are made up of ethnic minorities that travel all over the place.
They also have the Kazakhstan border, which is ridiculously huge. They don't really man it.
They don't really have the ability to man it. So that's not happening. In which case, they have loads of illegals, not to mention the legal immigration from those countries, because the quality of life working in Moscow as a taxi driver is way better, blah, blah, blah.
One of the funny stories I got told, so there's a huge amount of those people in Moscow, which is visible, especially in the taxi drivers. One of the stories I got told is that the mayor of Moscow was talking about the fact that they're putting up Uzbek language signs below the Russian signs in this district in Moscow because the Uzbeks are taking too long in the metro. They'll get out, they'll stare at the signs, they don't really know where, they're going. So he's putting up the Uzbek language. And this lady's telling me the story and I'm looking at her like, lady, I've been here three days, I can read Cyrillic. You're
[48:18] telling me these people live in Moscow and they can't read a Russian metro sign about, which street they live on. It was just kind of strange that kind of cuck-oldery in that sense of having no standards for your ethnic minorities. You treat them like children. You should just give up all of your culture and language and everything else because, oh, well, they can't read the signs.
Learn to read then. I mean, it's not a big ask, learning to read. So they do have those problems as well. It's just nowhere near what we have in the UK. And for them, it's really only in these, big hubs like Moscow where all the money is. So, you know, I don't, this is why I mean by like some sections of the right who have never been to Russia, don't know anything about it, will fetishize, Putin and be like, yeah, he's tough on immigration and whatnot. Yeah, it compared to us, sure. But it doesn't mean there's no problems.
And it's
[49:14] again, same solution, which is just say no. We're not putting up Uzbek language signs.
Learn to read, you goddamn losers.
That's the correct response. What do you mean you can't read?
Education's free.
Exactly. Let's finish off on food. Looking for food you got McDuck.
I'm kind of thinking, did you order a big duck and that just doesn't sound right.
Tell us about it because these places, obviously, Western companies have pulled out and then you get McDuck.
What was that like?
I'm kind of thinking, did you order a big duck and that just doesn't sound right.
Tell us about it because these places, obviously, Western companies have pulled out and then you get McDuck.
What was that like?
It probably takes a little bit slower.
In the Russian Federation, the old Russia, the Western companies pulled out.
You've got mainly the ones you'll find in day-to-day life. Ikea isn't there.
Very few Russians went to Ikea. It's very much a rich person thing.
So it means nothing. You've got McDonald's, which has been changed to its tasty full stop.
It's now run by some Russian guy, all the profits stay in Russia.
Supply chains are all the same. All the food comes from Russia. Nothing's changed.
So great. That's actually a net win for them. They're no longer sending money to the McDonald's USA company.
Starbucks, same deal.
There were a couple of others you'll find in day to day life.
[50:35] Again, all the products don't come from the West. So, I mean, remember the West is basically a service economy for a place like Russia, and in which case they can do the services. It's not hard.
In fact, they could pay Russians to do it, save money.
[50:49] And then in Luhansk, because that used to be Ukraine and has been for eight years in a state, of conflicts, they care even less about copyright laws.
So they opened McDuck, which I still have the wrappers for.
[51:02] And that's the McDonald's there. Yeah, it literally has the Disney font, which is illegal.
And they have the Disney characters that they put out, which I guess is illegal.
What was weird there is that the interior design of McDonald's, remember when it used to be black and white squares or whatever, and then they changed it so it was those wavy patterns, and they had these wooden things behind the benches that would have gaps missing.
In the Russian Federation, the old Russia, the Western companies pulled out.
You've got mainly the ones you'll find in day-to-day life. Ikea isn't there.
Very few Russians went to Ikea. It's very much a rich person thing.
So it means nothing. You've got McDonald's, which has been changed to its tasty full stop.
It's now run by some Russian guy, all the profits stay in Russia.
Supply chains are all the same. All the food comes from Russia. Nothing's changed.
So great. That's actually a net win for them. They're no longer sending money to the McDonald's USA company.
Starbucks, same deal.
There were a couple of others you'll find in day to day life.
[50:35] Again, all the products don't come from the West. So, I mean, remember the West is basically a service economy for a place like Russia, and in which case they can do the services. It's not hard.
In fact, they could pay Russians to do it, save money.
[50:49] And then in Luhansk, because that used to be Ukraine and has been for eight years in a state, of conflicts, they care even less about copyright laws.
So they opened McDuck, which I still have the wrappers for.
[51:02] And that's the McDonald's there. Yeah, it literally has the Disney font, which is illegal.
And they have the Disney characters that they put out, which I guess is illegal.
What was weird there is that the interior design of McDonald's, remember when it used to be black and white squares or whatever, and then they changed it so it was those wavy patterns, and they had these wooden things behind the benches that would have gaps missing.
Yeah, like slats.
Yeah, you know the kind of design I'm thinking of?
That's what they have in Ukraine, Luhansk, the Russian territory, because it's just not been touched in like eight years, it's still clean.
All the fryers make the same beeping noises.
[51:40] You could buy a black bread Big Mac, which I didn't do because I don't like a black bread.
But in Russia, they've got the modern ones because it's only a year ago that changed.
When I asked people about all of that, no one could have given a crap.
This is something I really, I'm kind of annoyed about that the delusion so many people have in the West about Russia, they think it's just like the West, and it's just as effective as if we lost McDonald's tomorrow, people would be freaking out.
[52:12] McDonald's was even only in quite good places in Russia. The people who went there, Russian people don't like McDonald's all that much.
They've got their own fast foods, which are frankly better.
Smoked salmon is so easy to get there for some reason, so cheap compared to your crappy Big Mac.
And even then
[52:31] If you're a Russian and some company does that, not only do you not care. If they ever came back, you're not going to go back and shop with them because they betrayed your country.
So it's a lose-lose on that front. Places like Burger King hasn't left. They're making bank.
McDonald's left, but they're open. So our biggest competitor decided to leave the country. What a retard. Make loads of money. And for the companies doing that, the argument is made that, oh, maybe they did it for moral reasons.
[53:01] You think any of these companies do anything for moral? Are you high? No.
They're not doing it for Ukrainian nationalism reasons either.
None of these companies are Ukrainian. None of them have big markets in Ukraine.
They've done this because some letter was sent from the White House.
All their CEOs are actually that dumb and have just been taken on with the current thing and jumped in on it.
I don't think any of these CEOs actually care about the morality question in any of this. And I cannot stress enough things in Russia are not collapsing as a result of the sanctions. I was re-watching the YouTube channel called LaserPig.
I quite like the guy. I've got nothing against him. I love his content. Tank stuff. Love that.
Anyway, so he did some videos about when the war started and I was going back and just checking out, what people were saying when it first kicked off. And one of the predictions he makes, for example, is like, oh, the conditions in Russia are perfect for being about the same as the Russian Revolution in 1918.
You know, it was sort of a weird thing to say then after being there, food's cheaper than ever. Gas is cheaper than ever.
I don't know if you saw it's 19 pence for unlimited gas in the Luhansk.
That's what they have in Ukraine, Luhansk, the Russian territory, because it's just not been touched in like eight years, it's still clean.
All the fryers make the same beeping noises.
[51:40] You could buy a black bread Big Mac, which I didn't do because I don't like a black bread.
But in Russia, they've got the modern ones because it's only a year ago that changed.
When I asked people about all of that, no one could have given a crap.
This is something I really, I'm kind of annoyed about that the delusion so many people have in the West about Russia, they think it's just like the West, and it's just as effective as if we lost McDonald's tomorrow, people would be freaking out.
[52:12] McDonald's was even only in quite good places in Russia. The people who went there, Russian people don't like McDonald's all that much.
They've got their own fast foods, which are frankly better.
Smoked salmon is so easy to get there for some reason, so cheap compared to your crappy Big Mac.
And even then
[52:31] If you're a Russian and some company does that, not only do you not care. If they ever came back, you're not going to go back and shop with them because they betrayed your country.
So it's a lose-lose on that front. Places like Burger King hasn't left. They're making bank.
McDonald's left, but they're open. So our biggest competitor decided to leave the country. What a retard. Make loads of money. And for the companies doing that, the argument is made that, oh, maybe they did it for moral reasons.
[53:01] You think any of these companies do anything for moral? Are you high? No.
They're not doing it for Ukrainian nationalism reasons either.
None of these companies are Ukrainian. None of them have big markets in Ukraine.
They've done this because some letter was sent from the White House.
All their CEOs are actually that dumb and have just been taken on with the current thing and jumped in on it.
I don't think any of these CEOs actually care about the morality question in any of this. And I cannot stress enough things in Russia are not collapsing as a result of the sanctions. I was re-watching the YouTube channel called LaserPig.
I quite like the guy. I've got nothing against him. I love his content. Tank stuff. Love that.
Anyway, so he did some videos about when the war started and I was going back and just checking out, what people were saying when it first kicked off. And one of the predictions he makes, for example, is like, oh, the conditions in Russia are perfect for being about the same as the Russian Revolution in 1918.
You know, it was sort of a weird thing to say then after being there, food's cheaper than ever. Gas is cheaper than ever.
I don't know if you saw it's 19 pence for unlimited gas in the Luhansk.
I saw you enjoying just watching gas burn.
Oh, it was great.
[54:21] Life could not be more normal. I met people who were anti-Putin as well.
I met people who were anti-special operation, anti-war, all of that.
And I asked them, what's changed then for you? Because I mean, you're not gonna tell me everything's fine because you're some Russian nationalist who just is sitting there writing Zeds on everything you find.
And they just, all of them without thought were just like, well, not really anything.
The only lady I could find who told me anything changed was she worked in selling high-tech equipment.
So like high tech cameras or high tech computer systems, right?
And she said, so I asked her, well, OK, that must have been blocked off now, because those companies aren't doing it in Russia.
And she says, no.
I said, what do you mean? Is it where they fly to Kazakhstan and then the plane flies to Moscow?
So the worst thing that's happened to them on a human level is like really high tech stuff is up 20% in cost.
And only rich people were buying that anyway, so they don't give a crap.
And like when I went to the GUM, the GYM, the richest place, the Harrods of Russia and all the Western stores have a little sign that's saying down due to technical issues. They're all still paying rent. They all still have equipment. They also have the lights on in those stores. They are just waiting for the right time to reopen those stores. They do not want to give up those spots. They make mad money on those things in normal circumstances. And those companies, again, if you're rich and you want to buy Louis Vuitton and you're Putin's mistress, easily done. Kazakhstan exists. We'll fly it in darling.
[55:50] It really kind of hurts me that it seems to have done so little, not because I necessarily want Russians to suffer or something, but just because I am being endlessly propagandized in the West, but trust me, something's being, nothing is being done.
The average life of an average Russian has not been affected at all.
The rich Russians, not affected at all.
If someone wants to make an argument about like their banking industry has taken a hit, and maybe there's some long-term effects there, you can argue.
Sure, I don't know anything about that, so I'm not going to speak on it.
But if someone wants to think that the average life is about to make the Russian population rise up and overthrow, and you're not living in reality, come back down. Okay.
For them, life is more normal than it's ever been. Something weird is happening in our country to do with war.
Okay. I'm Russian. That happens every 20 years. It's not new.
[56:39] So here, while our fuel bills have quadrupled, actually we're still winning.
Even though family finances are decimated. It's a weird winning.
Very weird.
[54:21] Life could not be more normal. I met people who were anti-Putin as well.
I met people who were anti-special operation, anti-war, all of that.
And I asked them, what's changed then for you? Because I mean, you're not gonna tell me everything's fine because you're some Russian nationalist who just is sitting there writing Zeds on everything you find.
And they just, all of them without thought were just like, well, not really anything.
The only lady I could find who told me anything changed was she worked in selling high-tech equipment.
So like high tech cameras or high tech computer systems, right?
And she said, so I asked her, well, OK, that must have been blocked off now, because those companies aren't doing it in Russia.
And she says, no.
I said, what do you mean? Is it where they fly to Kazakhstan and then the plane flies to Moscow?
So the worst thing that's happened to them on a human level is like really high tech stuff is up 20% in cost.
And only rich people were buying that anyway, so they don't give a crap.
And like when I went to the GUM, the GYM, the richest place, the Harrods of Russia and all the Western stores have a little sign that's saying down due to technical issues. They're all still paying rent. They all still have equipment. They also have the lights on in those stores. They are just waiting for the right time to reopen those stores. They do not want to give up those spots. They make mad money on those things in normal circumstances. And those companies, again, if you're rich and you want to buy Louis Vuitton and you're Putin's mistress, easily done. Kazakhstan exists. We'll fly it in darling.
[55:50] It really kind of hurts me that it seems to have done so little, not because I necessarily want Russians to suffer or something, but just because I am being endlessly propagandized in the West, but trust me, something's being, nothing is being done.
The average life of an average Russian has not been affected at all.
The rich Russians, not affected at all.
If someone wants to make an argument about like their banking industry has taken a hit, and maybe there's some long-term effects there, you can argue.
Sure, I don't know anything about that, so I'm not going to speak on it.
But if someone wants to think that the average life is about to make the Russian population rise up and overthrow, and you're not living in reality, come back down. Okay.
For them, life is more normal than it's ever been. Something weird is happening in our country to do with war.
Okay. I'm Russian. That happens every 20 years. It's not new.
[56:39] So here, while our fuel bills have quadrupled, actually we're still winning.
Even though family finances are decimated. It's a weird winning.
Very weird.
I actually played a game with everyone I met, even the border guards.
So I messaged a mate of mine, I was like, so what's the average gas bill?
Because I only have electricity in my apartment here.
And he's a landlord, so he's got a few apartments and friends.
So he told me, okay, so there's this lady who pays this much.
That's about average right now.
And so I converted it into roubles and show everyone. Same reaction every single time.
[57:12] Serious not that serious. Yes. Yes true. Oh.
[57:20] Then they'd ask me how much does the average English person make convert it back into roubles, It's not enough for them to think that's normal because they were like you this much of your salary goes on just gas.
[57:33] Yeah, there are so many people in this part of the civilization, who I found are still deluded into thinking that they're living some cold, miserable hell, and we're the ones who are doing just a little bit rough around the winter.
No, man, we're really suffering and they're not noticing it.
[57:54] That's the truth of the matter. You can be mad about that, you can wish it was the opposite, it's not.
Just final thought is that what you talked about, they don't survive on McDonald's, not a big thing if they lose these brands. I think a sign that the West has collapsed is people sitting at home being able to order a McDonald's to come to your home. It's just literally bonkers that actually our populations in the West are living on McDonald's. Just, a sad state of affairs. You can get it with a bike directly to your front door. What am I? And you said salmon maybe? No, no, no. Let's go for a Big Mac and fries. Okay.
I'm imagining you looking out the window, seeing Deliveroo and just be like, this is the end of the West. Because I eat a lot of McDonald's. I happen to have a McDonald's right next to my apartment.
So pro tip, double cheeseburger, small fries, three quid.
[58:52] Best cost for money you can get. And I quite like the concept.
It's a very capitalistic mindset, maximize calories, lowest cost, all that stuff gets the rightest part of my capitalist brain.
Excited.
I know a friend who used to work at McDonald's and he loved the calculation of how quickly you could wrap stuff, would save this many pennies and all that nonsense.
[59:15] But if you're really deluded enough to think without McDonald's, Russia is finished or Saudi Arabia is finished or China is finished or some other country you don't like.
[59:24] Number one, you're high. Number two, what happens when Burger King stays?
That's right, nothing. Nothing happens.
And we really seem to have a lot less power than we think we do.
The idea that Western sanctions will really cripple the enemy in North Korea, yeah.
In Iran, apparently it had some large effect. In a place like Russia that has all the damn resources, it couldn't mean less.
Like, we've got all this stuff, it's just the services we don't have.
High-level things but if you've already set them up for them.
Okay, copy paste. Copyright, what's that?
Yeah, and of course they still have access to the Chinese markets. So what Britain says, we're not buying or whatever, that's okay, we'll just go to China.
You guys don't make anything anymore. Like the world really has changed about who makes things, who's important in that dynamic, and we mentally haven't caught up to that. We aren't, leveraging what we have and instead thinking, oh, we can make them suffer with this, and it doesn't work.
[1:00:26] Callum, thank you for coming on and sharing your thoughts. I don't know whether an African shithole country is going to be next on your list.
[1:00:26] Callum, thank you for coming on and sharing your thoughts. I don't know whether an African shithole country is going to be next on your list.
I mean, if you have any recommendations.
I think I recommended Zimbabwe. I was thinking about turning up in a Rhodesian light infantry uniform. I just go and see what's left of Rhodesia. But I called a mate who used to be there, he's like, yeah, they'll probably kill you. I was like, maybe not.
I think I recommended Zimbabwe. I was thinking about turning up in a Rhodesian light infantry uniform. I just go and see what's left of Rhodesia. But I called a mate who used to be there, he's like, yeah, they'll probably kill you. I was like, maybe not.
Well, the guy you met, the weird guy, the dancing guy, the moustache guy, some undercover terrorist guy.
Evgeny. No, no, no. He's like a soldier slash, you know, soldier of fortune. I don't know.
I was just thinking whether Lotus Eaters would have paid your ransom.
I could see this going horribly wrong.
Originally, he didn't ask for any money either. He was just like, yeah, I'll do it for free.
By the time I'd ruined his week, I was just like, yeah, here's 100 quid.
Thanks for joining us. And our viewers and listeners, obviously Britannica Politica, you can find the videos there in the description. And however you're watching, the links should be in there. Or if you're listening on podcasting apps, the links are also there. So, Callum, Thank you once again for joining us.
[1:01:47] Thanks so much for having me. I'll come around next time I go to some hellhole.
No, no, you didn't bring any AK-47s back or t-shirts, no?
[1:01:57] I got some Hello Kitty t-shirts actually. Maybe I should sell stuff.
Have you still got Hello Kitty?
Yeah, yeah. Well, I don't know how much of that I could say. So I've got all the Russian stuff, still I've got some merch. Got on my Twitter page. There's a full list there of the things, Afghan, Serbian and Russian stuff. If it has a quote teat selling sold out, it's sold out.
If it don't, I probably got it. Message me on Twitter or SubscribeStar.
If you want to support me, subscribe to SubscribeStar. But the Hello Kitty shirts.
So guy I knew in Afghan, I said to him, like, bring them to the UK.
I'll come pick them up. He did that.
[1:02:33] Bad news. He's gone bye-bye now. So the shirts I have are the last shirts I'm ever getting.
So limited supply.
Like all your friends keep dying in these places. It's weird.
Well, I mean, it's not Miami.
That is true. That is true. Give us your handle again on Twitter.
I think it's @akkadsecretary. It's called Callum. There's a picture of me with Luhansk sign behind me and a couple of Russian soldiers off to kill people. Who knows?
And people can click on the subscribe star there and they can actually support your extensive travels.
Yeah. Again, if you go to the YouTube channel, you'll find these things fairly easily around there somewhere.
Okay. Perfect. Well, on that, I'll say goodbye to our viewers and we'll see you on Saturday with David Vance and his week's review of the news.
So thank you very much for tuning in, for watching. Have a good rest of your Thursday.
We'll see you back on Saturday. Thank you very much and good night to you all.
More Episodes
The Week According To . . . David Vance
2024-04-20
2024-04-20
The Week According To . . . David Kurten
2024-04-06
2024-04-06
The Week According To . . . Ben Harnwell
2024-03-31
2024-03-31
The Week According To . . . Matt Le Tissier
2024-03-23
2024-03-23
The Week According To . . . Elizabeth Barker
2024-03-16
2024-03-16
The Week According To . . . Charlie Sansom
2024-03-10
2024-03-10
Get this podcast on your
phone, FREE
