Pekka Kallioniemi Profile picture
Nov 17, 2022 9 tweets 4 min read Read on X
In today's #vatnik soup, I'll introduce a man who has worked mostly behind the scenes - Vladislav Surkov. Some of you might not even recognize the name, but he's the main architect of both the polarizing disinformation program and the annexation system of 🇷🇺. 1/9 Image
Many perceive Surkov as a key figure behind Putin's power and P. Pomerantsev gave him the nickname "Putin's Rasputin". Vladislav was the key figure in putting Kadyrov to his current position (Kadyrov calls him his "sworn brother" and even has a picture of
him on the wall). 2/9
Surkov's approach to geopolitics comes through theatre - he studied theatre direction for 3 years and he's an excellent dramaturg. He is also closely related to a movement called "political technology", which is often referred as "a industry of political manipulation".

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All those fake elections with 99% approval rate originate from this movement and especially Surkov.

For a fantastic summary on political technology, check out this Wilson's article from 2011:
opendemocracy.net/en/odr/politic…

4/9
Surkov's idea was to make the world of politics into an avantgardist theatre.He suggested that Russia would finance fringe, extreme groups both from the far-left and from the far-right, thus provoking polarization and conflicts. He was also behind Putin's youth movement Nashi.5/9
The goal with this was to destabilize the West so that they'd be stuck on their internal conflicts (BLM is a great example). And then he did something nobody expected - he admitted to all this. Surkov's goal was to confuse people and make them doubt EVERYTHING. 6/9
Former FSB officer Igor Girkin (the guy who was responsible for the shotdown of MH17, killing 298 people and was the de facto military commander of separatist troops in Donbas) has stated that Surkov played a decisive role in the creation of the fake country of Donbas. 7/9
In Donbas, he acted like any theatre director would: he cast actors, wrote scripts, reviewed people's "performances" and ran promotions, thus creating false credibility for the Donbas "separatists", who were actually just Putin's sock puppets voicing Moscow's goals. 8/9
We know all this from Vladislav's e-mails that were leaked back in 2016:
nbcnews.com/storyline/ukra…
At some point Surkov became a liability, and in 2020 he was removed from his position of advisor. In April 2022 he was put under house arrest for embezzlement. 9/9

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More from @P_Kallioniemi

Apr 24
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce an Estonian lawyer, social activist, politician, and useful idiot for the Kremlin, Varro Vooglaid (@varrovooglaid). He’s best-known for promoting pro-Kremlin viewpoints under the guise of “traditional family values.”

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Vooglaid has an academic background, which usually gives people plenty of credibility in the eyes of the Kremlin. Most of his academic career was spent at the University of Tartu, but he was also a researcher between 2007 and 2011 at the University of Helsinki.

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Varro is likely the most influential vatnik in Estonia. His academic credentials provide him credibility, while his religious image appeals to “traditionalists” - many of whom oddly admire Russia and its imperialistic nature.

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Read 21 tweets
Apr 4
In today’s Vatnik Soup REBREW, I’ll introduce a Russian ultra-nationalist propagandist and “philosopher”, Aleksandr Dugin. He’s best-known for his blueprint on Russia’s geopolitical strategy and for his genocidal rhetoric towards Ukrainians.

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In my first Dugin Soup, I covered the man’s 1997 book Foundations of Geopolitics — a manual for dismantling the West, breaking up NATO, and building a Russian-led empire. In it, he makes eerie “predictions” that seem to be playing out today.

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Dugin called for destabilizing the US by exacerbating internal divisions. Fast forward to today: culture wars, conspiracy theories, far-right lunatics, and social media algorithms doing half the work for him.

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Read 18 tweets
Apr 3
Tariffs memes are the hottest thing right now, so post your favorites👇🏻 Image
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Read 5 tweets
Apr 1
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce Russian propagandist Sergei Tsaulin. He’s best-known for spreading pro-Kremlin narratives in Estonia, fleeing to Russia after breaking several laws in Estonia, and almost getting blown up by a bomb in St. Petersburg.

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For years, Tsaulin was known for organizing marches and events glorifying the Soviet Union. Under the excuse of “remembering history,” these events were nothing more than Kremlin propaganda, wrapped in a red flag with a hammer and sickle.

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One of his most infamous events was the “Immortal Regiment” march, held every 9th of May, where people carried portraits of Soviet soldiers. These marches are used by Russia to push the idea that the Baltics owe their existence to the Soviets.

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Read 18 tweets
Mar 28
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce a podcaster and conspiracy theorist, Joe Rogan (@joerogan). He’s best-known for launching the biggest podcast in the world, promoting various conspiracy theories, his support for Donald Trump and his anti-Ukraine rhetoric.

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Joe Rogan started as a stand-up comedian in the 1980s, found fame on NewsRadio, and became a household name with Fear Factor. But his biggest impact came in 2009 when he launched The Joe Rogan Experience (JRE), one of the first major podcasts.

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JRE started as casual but deep conversations, often covering countercultural topics like psychedelics, MMA & hunting. Joe’s podcasting style is largely non-confrontational, often allowing his guests to share their views without significant pushback or critical questioning.

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Read 23 tweets
Mar 27
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce KOOS party leader and Estonian crypto businessman Oleg Ivanov. He’s best known for running shady businesses, spreading Russian false narratives in Estonia, and participating in the pro-Kremlin political party KOOS.

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As a talented youngster, Oleg learned Estonian almost flawlessly, was a promising karate athlete, and landed a job at a law firm at just 20. He caught the eye of Estonian fuel entrepreneur Endel Siff, who quickly took him under his wing.

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Oleg’s father, Vladimir Ivanov, was a longtime politician from the Russian-funded United People’s Party of Estonia. His career at the town hall ended abruptly when he was caught drunk at work. After that, he went into business with his son, Oleg.

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Read 19 tweets

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