In today's #vatnik soup I'll introduce a Russian politician, spin doctor and one of the most popular Russian bloggers, Oleg Matveychev. But just as much as this soup is about Oleg, it is also about her daughter Danila Ivanov, also known as Lidia Sloutskovski.
1/11
Matveychev has an academic background, and he has PhD in the philosophy of politics and law. He's currently a professor at Financial University in Moscow. In 2021 he was elected as a member of the Russian State Duma.
2/11
Even though he's a superstar in Russia, Matveychev is quite unknown in the West. He's mostly known for his brazen statements about the US "paying reparations" to Russia in form of Alaska and Fort Ross, California.
3/11
He's also suggested that the West is wholly totalitarian and riddled with censorship, and that families will bathe once a week and in winter sleep in their fur coats (do these still exist in Western Europe?).
4/11
In Nov, 2010 while advertising his new book, Matveychev suggested that any kind of opposition in Russia should be "crushed with tanks" and added that "like after Tiananmen in China, we would also have 10% annual economic growth after 20 or 30 years".
5/11
Three days after the invasion had started, Oleg predicted that "three days remain before the capture of Kyiv" and that "Ukraine will not be able to resist for 10 days, [...] Three days remain before the capture of Kiev, Odessa, Zaporozhye, Mykolaiv and other key cities."
6/11
In one of his interviews in 2022,he called NATO a "a cancerous tumor on the body of the planet". In Jan, 2023, he visited Soloyvov's TV show and started judging Germany according to Russia's criminal law, completely forgetting that there are also international laws in place.
7/11
Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation did some thorough digging, and found out that Matveychev's daughter recently got married in Barcelona, and Oleg was naturally there. Her Russian name is Danila Ivanov, but in the West she goes by the name Lidia Sloutskovski.
8/11
Lidia works in an international organization that deals with - believe it or not - ethical issues.Her salary is paid through the Vremya Foundation, founded by one Oleg Matveychev and led by his 74-year old mother. In 2020-2021, Oleg has funneled over 4 million USD to Vremya.
9/11
As of 3rd Feb, 2023, Lidia's profile and information has been removed from the organization's website, but several documents show that she's been involved in its activities in the past. Also, the YouTube video from the wedding has been made private.
10/11
Ironically Matveychev himself has called all Russians who leave Russia "Judases" - apparently this doesn't apply to his own daughter. Here's some travel photos from his trip to the "cancerous tumor".
In today’s Vatnik Soup, we’ll explain the context of the upcoming Budapest Blunder, and how it follows the infamous Alaska Fiasco from two months ago and Trump’s absurd delaying of serious aid to Ukraine and effective sanctions on Russia for the past nine months.
1/20
Two months ago, Trump embarrassed the United States by rolling out the red carpet for war criminal dictator Putin and overall acting like a pathetic servant eager to meet his master. Of course, the Alaska Fiasco didn’t bring peace any closer.
Worse, the main outcome of the humiliation was to delay serious sanctions, which the US Congress, in rare bipartisan unity against Russia, was on the verge of passing. Two weeks by two weeks, Trump Always Chickens Out, postponing any real pressure on Putin for 9 months now.
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce American propagandist Alexandra Jost, aka “Sasha” (@sashameetsrus). She’s best known for being paid by the Russian state to spread pro-Kremlin propaganda — and for doing it with a big smile.
1/23
Alexandra, now 26, was born in Hong Kong. Her father is from Texas, and her mother is from Siberia. According to her, she has “dreamed of living in Russia since childhood.” Sasha's mother runs a dance studio in Moscow and her younger brother is avoiding mobilization.
2/23
Since the beginning of her creator career, Sasha has been adamant about one thing: that she’s “never had to be paid” to speak of her “love” for Russia. But, as always with Russia, this turned out to be nothing but vranyo — a Russian “tactical lie.”
In today’s Vatnik Soup REBREW, I’ll reintroduce an American political commentator and pro-Kremlin propagandist, Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson). He’s best known for his promotion of crazy conspiracy theories and for his support of authoritarian regimes around the world.
1/24
Tucker’s career spans decades, but he’s also been very active in recent years, so a lot has happened since our previous soup on him, which can be found here:
Once described as “the most powerful conservative in America”, Tucker has now fully transformed into a grifting conspiracy theorist and propagandist willing to work for whoever pays him the most. It’s unclear whether Tucker truly believes his endless conspiracy theories or…
3/24
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll cover the agenda-setting and flood of disinformation that spread on X and other platforms right after Charlie Kirk’s assassination. It’s far from the first or last time a tragedy has been weaponized for political purposes.
1/18
Every major political event, especially those involving violence, attracts massive attention. In the immediate aftermath, reliable information is scarce, making it highly vulnerable to both coordinated and improvised disinformation campaigns.
2/18
As I’ve mentioned in my previous soups and lectures, in disinformation campaigns, being first with a narrative is crucial, as people often remember the first version best — psychology studies show it sets the mental schema, and later updates rarely overwrite it.
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce American social media personality David Freeman, AKA Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman). He’s best known for spreading political disinformation on X and shamelessly sucking up to Trump, Putin, and other authoritarian leaders.
1/22
David is a textbook example of someone profiting from MAGA grievance politics. He uses extreme, provocative language to farm engagement on X and never hesitates to flatter anyone who might give him more exposure — or money.
2/22
But David wasn’t always like this. At some point, in his mid-40s, he even tried a real job: he trained to become a cop. He spent three years with the Metro Transit PD, but after that he either got fired or quit, and never looked back.