Most of these people don't even know what a cinematic experience it was, because if they did, there would be way more burning cars. The movie begins with a Santa...
It's New year in Moscow and a Ukrainian from Donetsk arrives to work as a Santa Klaus to make kids happy. Oh, by the way he came for a vacation to see his family. He came from Ukraine, where he fought on the side of a Russian army.
I am not tripping, that's the beginning.
We learn that Ilya is coming back to the war and film director randomly decides to come with him. She highlights that it was not approved by Russian officials. But of course, Russia loves independent journalism so much. Great start
We cut to LNR, 180 km from the frontline, Ilya is getting prepared for the next operation, and we have a glimpse of our boyz. Nobody likes the war. Some came for money, others "to protect their kids".
- From what?
- From joining the war.
Deep...
Of course, that's a medical brigade they just want to help. As they peacefully travel to bring peace to Lyman, they find a poor, helpless old lady. Of course, they decide to deliver her humanitarian aid. Cut! They are on the frontline. Cut! 3 of the boys die.
Sad...
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Due to recent Durov-related events, I had way more communication with fellow Russians online than usual. It was not pleasant and I've noticed a mindset shift, that was pretty much expected. It can be described as:
- I am tired of acting like I care.
Only the most disgusting "patriots" used slurs and wished death to Ukrainians during the first year of the war. It wasn't acceptable. Until now.
The new mindset of the liberal-ish Russian emigration opinion leaders looks pretty much like Trump's "America first".
It starts as "we need to focus on ourselves" but nobody wants to focus on the void, so it turns into "everything behind the wall is bad and dangerous". And in the very same Trump fashion, it blooms and thrives as "we are the victims of the global conspiracy".
Durov's arrest:
Elon's crowd - Attack against free speech.
Ru Opposition - Biggest gift given to Putin
Weirdos - Europe falling into socialistic authoritarian delusion.
None of these takes look even remotely true or make sense.
Durov made an extremely ergonomic and cozy platform for all sorts of criminals. Drugs, children pornography, people trafficking - everybody enjoys the privacy and versatility of Telegram. Choice to leave it that way, and ignore authorities is neither heroism nor principles.
"Tech entrepreneurs fighting for us" tale is only good for white, easily impressed men, who vocally call for freedom but really don't like abortion rights. Their anti-establishment shtick is not a position, it's a power fantasy. "Look how he shows a finger to shady governments."
The comment by @BeRuzzia is a bit inaccurate and the truth is way more infuriating. The video is from 91-92 when Sobchak was a major, while Putin was his International Affairs deputy. Sobchak truly needed a special IA guy at the time...
Leningrad (later Saint Petersburg) was in a very tough spot. A huge megapolis heavily relied on imports of food. However, after the Union collapse, there was no regional funding or government subsidies, as Moscow didn't have enough budget. What could be done was legislation.
International trade was controlled by Moscow but in the extreme situation of famine, they chose to cut corners and gave "export quotas" - local SPB officials could arrange trade deals on their terms WHICH WORKED FUCKING AMAZING.
Sometimes it seems there was so much cruelty, that we begin to forget how much.
2022
February 24 - Russia attacks Ukraine but if it's not enough from the very first day they raise radioactive clouds above Chernobyl.
February 25 - Russia shells a kindergarten
March 1 - at least 40 civilians die after 8 blocks are shelled in Borodianka
March 4 - Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is being attacked
March 6 - Vinnytsia airport is destroyed completely
March 9 - Mariupol hospital airstrike - it's a children's hospital and maternity ward
March 12 - First claims of Russians using phosphorus
March 13 - First foreign journalist dies
March 16 - Mariupol Theater is bombed with up to 600 civilians hiding inside.
March 18 - About the quarter of the entire population had to leave homes
1967. Ukrainian filmmakers create amazing movies. Dubravka - a kind and gentle coming-of-age story by Radomir Vasilevsky. Kira Muratova's "Brief Encounters" is completed and banned by censors. But that's not how we will remember Ukraine's representation that year. And I am sorry.
"Wedding in Malinovka" drops and takes the Soviet Union by storm. It instantly becomes a classic and the fifth highest-grossing movie in USSR history. Everybody (in Russia) loves it, people quote it even these days. And it's disgusting outrageous propaganda garbage.
"Come on, Denis, don't be dramatic - people in Crimea live just OK, without any torture or whatever else you try to imply".
"There are even more Crimean Tatars than there were before occupation"
"It's fine, we are fine, everything is fine".
Well, no.
My thesis: "Soft annexation" is a propaganda construct. Every territory occupied by Russia is in danger and requires liberation. It faces:
- Direct violence;
- Forced deportation;
- Cultural erasure.
Crimean Tatars experience exactly that.
Russian officials keep speaking about traditional values, but one of the most consistent traditions is trying to erase Crimean Tatars. In the late XVIII century nearly one-third of the population had to leave. XIX century? But of course! Soviet times? Forced deportations.