In today's #vatnik soup I'll talk about windows and heart attacks. Most of you have read about the mystery deaths of Russian businessmen, but let's look at them in more detail - some of them are quite strange.
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But before we move on to the deaths, a little history lesson in ownership and wealth in Russia: at the time of the Czars there was a ruling nobility class called the boyars. They met in a group called Duma and adviced the Czar and the Princes.
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After the Time of Troubles ("smuta"), boyars lost their possessions and properties to the Czar, and were granted a "temporary right of possession". Basically, everything they owned could be taken away from them at anytime by the Czar and/or the state.
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This same tradition was continued in a similar form in Soviet Union ("nomenklatura").60% of Russia's current leadership comes from the Soviet nomenklatura.
After the collapse of the USSR, some Russian businessmen were given a chance to do business with state-owned natural ...4/10
... resources such as gas and oil. These businessmen were called oligarchs, and these deals made many of them extremely rich. It basically gave you a free pass for corruption. As long as you didn't steal too much (like Khodorkovsky did), business could go on as usual.
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Early this year, oligarchs started dying like flies. First of them was Leonid Shulman, 60, a Director of Transport at Gazprom. His death was ruled as a suicide. In Feb, CEO and former governor Igor Nosov died at the age of 43. He reportedly suffered a stroke.
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Alexander Tyulakov, another Gazprom executive died at 61 by alleged suicide. CEO Vasily Melnikov died along with his family at age 43.
Former VP of Gazprom, Vladislav Avayev, 51, was found dead along with his wife and 13-year old daughter.
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Gazprom director Sergey Protosenya, 55, was found hanged in Spain. Andrey Krukovsky, 37, allegedly "fell of a cliff".
Then there was a board member of Lukoil, Alexander Subbotin, age 31, who died from a "drug-induced heart attack during a shamanic ritual".
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Many more died of heart problems or falling from high places.All of them had connections with the Kremlin. Bill Browder (@Billbrowder) has suggested that Putin has personally ordered the executions of these people after they have questioned the Czar's authority.
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.
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.
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.
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll talk about the takeover of social media by illiberal, populist influencers. For the last ten years, social media has been dominated by these voices and it is one of the main reasons for the political rise of people like Trump and Orban.
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“Illiberal populists” like Trump reject democratic norms while claiming to speak for “the people.” They centralize power, attack institutions, and push nationalism over rights. Elections exist, but checks & balances erode. This is democracy in name, autocracy in action.
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The media landscape has changed drastically over the past two decades. The Internet and social media have changed how we interact online & how we consume media,but it has also become our main source of news. In many ways,social media companies have control over information.
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce Lithuanian far-right politician and Seimas member Remigijus Žemaitaitis. He’s best known for his extremist political views and for falling for a scam that convinced him he was flying to New York to meet Elon Musk.
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Like many vatniks before him, Remigijus worked as a lawyer before entering the world of politics. Once just another politician, he gradually embraced far-right nationalism and populism, following a trend seen across Europe over the past 15 years.
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Instead of real policies, he tapped into fear, resentment, and anger, turning 4chan talking points into a populist political strategy. His speeches became more extreme, targeting minorities, Western institutions, and Lithuania’s support for Ukraine.