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Jan 23 5 tweets 8 min read Read on X
How Putin made Russia Great Again or why Russians love him so much

(very long 🧵)

After the collapse of the USSR, Russia became a colony of the West and lost its sovereignty. During the 1990s and under Yeltsin’s government, the country nearly fell apart. The military and industries across all sectors were destroyed, school textbooks were rewritten, and resources were sold off to Western corporations. It’s a serious question whether Russia would even exist today if things had continued that way. However, with Putin’s arrival, everything changed - he brought Russia back to itself.

Bio

Few in the West know about Putin’s mentor, Anatoly Sobchak, who introduced him to politics. Sobchak was a strong supporter of liberal-democratic ideas and one of the founders of the “Democratic Russia” party.

In the early 1990s, Vladimir Putin worked as an assistant to the rector of Leningrad State University for international affairs.
This position served as a cover, as he was an active KGB agent. When Sobchak noticed him at the University and invited him to join his team, Putin had to admit his work in intelligence. Realizing that combining KGB work with political activity was impossible, he resigned from the KGB.

In June 1991, Sobchak became the mayor of St. Petersburg. During the tense political environment of the time, from 1993 onward, Sobchak often entrusted Putin to act as mayor during his foreign trips, showing great trust in his professionalism. However, starting in 1995, a campaign to discredit Sobchak began, organized by his political opponents in Moscow who viewed him as a potential rival for the presidency. Using accusations of misconduct, law enforcement agencies like the Prosecutor’s Office, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the FSB effectively ended his political career. His worsening health worked to his enemies’ advantage, reducing his ability to defend himself. At one point, they even tried to block him from traveling abroad for medical treatment.

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Putin’s Loyalty Over Political Ambition

At this critical moment, Putin showed complete loyalty to his mentor, Sobchak. He knew that helping Sobchak leave the country involved serious risks to his own career. First, he was going against powerful state agencies that were actively pursuing Sobchak. If the plan failed, Putin could have been accused of aiding or hiding him. Second, Sobchak was a political outsider at the time, and supporting him could have been seen as a strategic mistake, alienating influential allies in Moscow. Third, successfully getting Sobchak out of the country under the strict control of the FSB, prosecutors, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs required extreme caution. It could have been seen as breaking the law, threatening not just Putin’s career but also his personal freedom.

Despite these risks, Putin, using skills from his intelligence background, arranged for Sobchak to leave for France, where he underwent life-saving surgery. This act was a remarkable display of loyalty and courage. After the operation, Putin reported the outcome to Yeltsin, who, after a pause, approved his actions, saying, “You did the right thing.” This moment highlighted not only Putin’s loyalty to Sobchak but also his willingness to take risks for his principles and a sense of justice, which later became a defining feature of his political career.Image
The Turning Point: Russia’s New Year of Change

Since Christmas is a religious holiday in Russia, New Year’s Eve is celebrated similarly to how Christmas is in the West. A New Year’s tree is set up, and children receive gifts from Ded Moroz, the Russian Santa Claus, on the night of December 31st to January 1st. The celebration begins with a televised speech by the president, followed by the countdown to the chimes of the Kremlin clock, Russia’s main timepiece.

Back then, everyone anticipated Boris Yeltsin’s New Year address. By the 2000s, however, Yeltsin could barely speak. He was widely seen as a hopeless alcoholic, mocked by the Russian people and even by foreign leaders like Bill Clinton. Russians felt ashamed of their president, who had become a national embarrassment.

But instead of Yeltsin’s familiar face on TV, a young man appeared. Calm, polite, and well-spoken, he explained that Yeltsin had stepped down due to health reasons, and until the elections in the spring, he would take on presidential duties. He wished everyone a Happy New Year, and for the first time in a while, there was a sense of hope in the air.

When the elections came, people voted for this young man, Vladimir Putin, and he became president. Almost immediately, he introduced significant changes, particularly regarding the oligarchs who had gained immense political influence in the 1990s during the privatization of state enterprises under Yeltsin.

After the collapse of the USSR, several waves of privatization swept through Russia, leaving the nation’s wealth in the hands of a few. While ordinary Russians suffered from a sharp decline in living standards, barely scraping by, the business clans born in the chaos of perestroika solidified their control over the most valuable assets of what was once a great country.
The End of the Oligarch Era: Putin’s Economic Revolution

Putin made it clear that the era of oligarchs dictating terms to the state was over. He demanded they pay taxes and end tax evasion practices, including the widespread use of offshore schemes popular in the 1990s. One symbolic example of this crackdown was the case of Mikhail Khodorkovsky and his oil company, Yukos, which became a landmark in the fight against tax evasion. Following this, many companies began significantly increasing their tax contributions to the state budget.

Putin also expected major businesses to invest in infrastructure, social services, and regional development. For instance, after Putin took office, Roman Abramovich invested heavily in developing the Chukotka region, where he served as governor. Other businessmen were also required to fund the construction of schools, hospitals, roads, and other public facilities.

Oligarchs were instructed not only to avoid political involvement but to publicly support Kremlin policies, including major state initiatives and foreign policy. Funding opposition movements was strictly forbidden, and compliance was seen as essential for maintaining their businesses.

The state also involved oligarchs in national priorities, such as the 2014 Sochi Olympics and the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Companies owned by oligarchs often became contractors for these large-scale projects, investing significant resources.

Putin demanded the return of assets and capital taken abroad in the 1990s. This included repatriating funds from offshore accounts and relocating companies under Russian jurisdiction. Under pressure from the Kremlin, some oligarchs moved their assets to Russian banks or registered them in Russia.

Strategic industries like oil, gas, and metallurgy were brought under state control or placed in the hands of Kremlin-loyal structures. Oligarchs managing major resources were required to align their activities with state interests.

Not all oligarchs agreed with these new rules. Mikhail Khodorkovsky, head of Yukos, refused to pay taxes on his company’s profits. Under Khodorkovsky, the Rothschilds gained influence over Russian oil. Putin not only jailed him but also nationalized Yukos, redirecting its revenues to the Russian budget instead of foreign hands. After serving his sentence, Khodorkovsky moved to Britain, where he launched campaigns to discredit Putin and funded Russian newspapers critical of the government. Many of these outlets were labeled foreign agents in 2022. Btw, Khodorkovsky was invited and he also attended Trump’s inauguration 2 days ago.

Boris Berezovsky, another prominent oligarch, made billions through ventures like “Logovaz” (car sales) and co-ownership of “Sibneft” with Abramovich. His activities caused significant harm to the Russian economy. Understanding the power of media, he owned newspapers and held shares in the ORT television channel. Berezovsky was suspected of involvement in the murders of journalist Paul Klebnikov, who wrote the book “Godfather of the Kremlin”, and TV host Vladislav Listyev. His commercial ties allegedly extended to organized crime groups and Chechen militants, with claims that he profited from the release of hostages held in Chechnya.

When Berezovsky refused to accept the new rules in Russia, he fled to London, where he called for a “violent overthrow of power” in Russia.

Other oligarchs, including Vladimir Gusinsky, Evgeny Chichvarkin, Sergey Pugachev, Alexander Lebedev, Roman Abramovich, Leonard Blavatnik, Leonid Nevzlin, Mikhail Fridman, Pyotr Aven, and Alexander Smolensky, faced similar outcomes.

In the end, Putin returned control of strategic industries—oil, gas, and metallurgy—to the state. Many assets held by oligarchs were nationalized or transferred to companies that prioritized Russia’s interests. These changes redirected investments into the country’s development rather than draining wealth into offshore accounts, strengthening the nation’s economy.
Now, let’s look at the achievements of Putin’s presidency in numbers.

🔷 GDP (Gross Domestic Product) increased by 930%.

🔷 The national external debt was reduced by 75.2%.

🔷 In 2024, Russia ranked first in Europe and fourth in the world for GDP (PPP). According to the IMF, Russia’s share of global GDP (PPP) reached 3.55%, surpassing Japan’s 3.38%.

🔷 Between 1999 and 2024, Russia’s gold reserves experienced significant growth by approx 580%, reaching 2332 tonnes.

🔷 International reserves increased over 5,000%, reaching $609 billion.

🔷 Federal budget revenue increased 45 times to 36.72 trillion rubles.

🔷 Major international events were held: the Sochi Olympics (2014) and the FIFA World Cup (2018).

🔷 Increased funding for culture, cinema, and scientific research.

Education and Science

🔷 National education projects contributed to the modernization of schools and universities.

🔷 Only from 2019 to 2023, 900 new schools were built. Overall number for the last 25 years is much higher. Additionally, every year more than 1,000 schools undergo major renovations. By the end of the five-year period, more than 7,300 educational institutions, including those in rural and small towns, will have been updated.

🔷 Russia remains a leader in space exploration, continuing missions with Soyuz spacecraft and developing new technologies.

Industry and Economy

🔷 Industrial production grew by 60%.

🔷 Manufacturing increased by 70% by 2019; in 2024, it grew an additional 7.2%.

🔷 Agricultural product exports grew 19 times to $25 billion.

🔷 Grain exports grew 40 times, reaching 50 million tons.

🔷 Over the past 17 years, Russia has opened 200 to 500 new factories, workshops, and enterprises annually.

Social Progress

🔷 Real wages increased 3.5 times. This reflects real growth for the entire population, accounting for inflation and other factors, not just for select groups.

🔷 The average monthly pension increased by 30 times.

🔷 Unemployment decreased by 65%, dropping to 4.6%.

🔷 Average life expectancy rose to 73 years (for men, from 59 to 68.5 years; for women, from 72 to 78.4 years).

🔷 Free Healthcare and Education

Family support

🔷 Financial support to families upon the birth or adoption of their second and subsequent children

🔷 Employed parents can take up to 3 years of parental leave

🔷Housing Support: Special programs provide discounts on mortgage interest rates for families with children

🔷 Families with children are entitled to tax deductions, including reduced income tax for working parents

🔷 Families raising children with disabilities receive additional financial assistance, including monthly care payments

Military and Security

🔷 Russia’s military is considered one of the strongest globally, ranked either first (U.S. News & World Report) or second (Global Firepower Index).

🔷 Crime rates, including murders, assaults, and robberies, decreased by 53% during Putin’s presidency. The homicide rate dropped by 74%.Image

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More from @rinalu_

Aug 30
The Kremlin wasn’t always the red-brick giant we know today. First, it was just a wooden fortress on the hill, guarding Moscow between the rivers. After the wooden walls, the Moscow Kremlin was rebuilt in white limestone (sometimes called “white stone”), which gave Moscow its old name “Belokamennsya”- “the White-Stone city.” That’s why in medieval chronicles Moscow was often called Moscow the White-Stone.

Already back then, there was a “Red Square.” But it wasn’t about the color. In Old Russian, krasna didn’t mean “red, it meant “beautiful.” Only later did the word shift to its modern sense. So the famous square is actually the Beautiful Square.Image
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Ivan III didn’t just hire Italians to design pretty facades, but also to bring in their engineering. And they gave Moscow something almost no other fortress in Europe had back then: a water supply system.Image
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If you’ve never heard of Sakhalin, you’re not alone. It’s a long island way out in Russia’s Far East, just above Japan. Most people think it’s only about oil and gas but honestly, it’s one of the most beautiful, underrated places you can visit.Image
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Aug 29
When most people in the West think of divided Germany, they immediately picture the Berlin Wall – a symbol of Cold War brutality. The common narrative says: Stalin divided Germany, and the West defended freedom. But what if the reality was almost the opposite?

🧵👇 Image
in 1952, Stalin offered the Western powers a plan to reunite Germany. His famous “Stalin Note” of March 10th proposed free elections under international supervision, withdrawal of occupation forces, and the creation of a neutral, united Germany – not aligned with either NATO or the Soviet bloc. It was not a vague propaganda trick, but a concrete diplomatic offer. Germany could have avoided decades of division, occupation, and the Wall.
in 1952, Stalin offered the Western powers a plan to reunite Germany. His famous “Stalin Note” of March 10th proposed free elections under international supervision, withdrawal of occupation forces, and the creation of a neutral, united Germany – not aligned with either NATO or the Soviet bloc. It was not a vague propaganda trick, but a concrete diplomatic offer. Germany could have avoided decades of division, occupation, and the Wall.
Read 7 tweets
Aug 27
The Holodomor is a very popular myth among Ukrainian propagandists. But like all propaganda, it’s aimed at the masses who are incapable of thinking on their own and in this case unfamiliar with history. There is plenty of evidence available in open sources to prove that Holdohoax is a silly lie. For example, photos used to “prove” the Holodomor actually come from World War I or the famine of the 1920s (the Holodomor was in 1932–33).

Soviet documents, available in large numbers, confirm that food was imported into Ukraine as aid, not exported out, which doesn’t fit the narrative of deliberately starving poor Ukrainians. Moreover, there was a state-level policy of Ukrainization, meaning the government invested huge resources in developing Ukrainian culture, opening Ukrainian-language schools, and even forcing people to speak Ukrainian instead of Russian (look up korenizacia). That too doesn’t align with the myth of exterminating Ukrainians.

It's also worth mentioning that the famine happened not only in Ukraine, but in Kazakhstan and the Volga region, which was RSFSR (Russia), meaning it affected not only Ukrainians.

But today, I want to tell you about other facts, things that almost nobody else will tell you. 🧵👇Image
Keep in mind we're discussing the years 1931 to 1933. During this period, when Western companies were expelled from the USSR, the U.S. and Britain imposed restrictions on Soviet gold imports, raised tariffs on Soviet timber and grain, and gradually transitioned toward trade bans. In today's terms, the West essentially imposed sanctions. Consequently, the USSR was forced to purchase industrial equipment necessary for its industrialization by trading grain, directly contributing to the 1930s famine. The USSR needed to buy equipment, but the West wouldn't accept gold or money, they demanded grain.

Without Monsanto, DuPont, or GMOs capable of growing food in challenging conditions (though these aren't particularly good for us anyway), back then any climate issues spelled trouble for harvests. And trouble certainly occurred.

Americans will recognize this as the Dust Bowl, spanning from 1930 to 1936, a period marked by unusually dry years in the region. Many people died from malnutrition. I place "malnutrition" in quotesfor you to notice how the same events described differently: malnutrition - hunger. It's noteworthy that no one in the U.S. actually counted how many people died during that time.
Now only in the US, but Western Ukraine suffered famine and many deaths. The problem is that during that time, that part of Ukraine was a part of independent Poland. So, Stalin had nothing to do with it even if he wanted.

No Stalin, no Bolsheviks, and yet people still died from hunger. But none of this is brought to your attention for obvious reasons.Image
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Read 9 tweets
Aug 24
Why Did Britain Abandon Poland?

Picture this: London, August 25, 1939. Britain and Poland finally sign a mutual assistance pact. On paper it’s beautiful: if Germany attacks Poland, Britain promises to step in. To the Poles, it felt as if the British lion was now on their side.

Now here’s the cinematic twist. That very morning, Hitler had already signed the order to invade Poland on August 26. By evening, he hears about the treaty and cancels everything. A full-scale invasion literally scrapped hours before it was supposed to kick off. But… just one week later, on September 1, the Wehrmacht rolled in anyway.

And here’s the detective question: why did he still go for it?
The Road to War

Then came Munich, 1938. Chamberlain came home waving that piece of paper: “Peace in our time!” In reality, Hitler with Poland’s complicity carved up Czechoslovakia, the arms-production hub of Central Europe at the time. And more importantly, he learned something: London and Paris talk big, but they won’t shoot.

By March 1939, he seized Prague. Even London realized that Hitler wasn’t just uniting Germans he wanted to dominate Europe. That’s when Britain began giving guarantees to Poland.

Since 1933, Hitler had been dismantling the Versailles system step by step: rebuilding the army, marching into the Rhineland, walking out of the League of Nations. The West just kept looking the other way.
Why Britain Didn’t Save Poland

Yes, on September 3 Britain and France declared war on Germany. Sounds epic. But in reality?

1. Tiny army. Britain’s ground forces were small, barely ready to set foot on the continent. France had numbers, but clung to its defensive Maginot Line strategy.

2. The “Phoney War.” When Britain and France declared war on Germany on 3 September 1939, they didn’t send troops to fight for Poland. Instead, their main strategy was an economic blockade, the same tool Britain had used against Germany in World War I. But Hitler wasn’t planning a long, slow war. He launched blitzkrieg - fast, overwhelming invasions that gave him quick victories before a blockade could bite.

3. Mindset. British society had just been through years of appeasement. They weren’t psychologically ready for an all-out fight. Or maybe…they just did not want to.

The Anglo-Polish pact gave London a legal reason to declare war, but not the teeth to protect Warsaw. Hitler knew that the West would bark but not bite.
Read 4 tweets
Aug 23
Ah yes, Finland – the ‘neutral bystander’ of WWII. Just standing there, totally uninvolved, while Leningrad starved. Cute story. Too bad it’s pure fiction.

Reality check: Finnish troops sat on Leningrad’s doorstep for three years. Not sipping coffee, not staying “neutral”. They were holding one-third of the blockade line. Without Finland’s part, the Germans couldn’t have fully strangled the city. Together, they closed the ring that starved a 1.5 million people to death, inclidin 400,000 children.

And Mannerheim the “savior”? Please. His orders were to bomb the Road of Life (which was not really a road but a frozen lake), the only route bringing food across Lake Ladoga.

On June 25, 1941, Mannerheim ordered the Finnish Army to begin hostilities against the USSR:

“I call you to a holy war against the enemy of our nation. Together with the mighty armed forces of Germany, as brothers-in-arms, we resolutely set out on a crusade against the enemy to secure a reliable future for Finland.”

Finland dreamed of expansion and had concrete plans. On the ‘Greater Finland’ dream map, you’ll find Russian cities like Murmansk, Leningrad, and Kandalaksha marked as theirs👇

Let's unpack the common myths and educate our fellow Finns about their own history. 🧵Image
Meet Mannerheim.

Before we move on to Finland’s well-known war against the USSR on Hitler’s side, we need to roll the clock back a bit and look at the context. Finland as a state was born inside Russia. Before the Russo-Swedish War, these lands were simply the eastern part of Sweden. After the war, Russia took them and created the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland. It remained part of the Russian Empire until the revolution of 1917.

Now, meet Mannerheim – a military and political figure who came from poor Swedish-Finnish nobility, yet rose to become a general in the Russian army and an officer of the Imperial Guard, close to Nicholas II himself, part of the very top of the empire’s military elite. He received special assignments and was even dispatched on reconnaissance expeditions across Central Asia and China. But this is where his true colors began to show: he mingled freely with foreign officers, shared information with the British during his 1906–08 “expedition” in Asia, and later was even suspected of having ties to Masonic circles. These are hints that his loyalties were never fully aligned with Russia.

After the collapse of the empire, he wasted no time. In May 1919, he offered to co-operate with the British intervention army against Soviet Russia on the condition that the industrial town of Petrozavodsk be handed over to Finland. The offer was rejected, since the Russian Whites then backed by Britain opposed an independent Finland. Nevertheless, Mannerheim launched an attack on Petrozavodsk, though unsuccessfully. In October 1919 he made a similar proposal to General Yudenich, another “White” leader supported by the British fleet in the assault on Petrograd. Again his offer was declined, but he still lent his support indirectly: on October 12, when the British and French fleets proclaimed a blockade of the Baltic republics for making peace with Soviet Russia, Finland under Mannerheim followed suit and proclaimed its own blockade as well.Image
Finland's Ties with Hitler in the 1930s

In 1934, Mannerheim went to London to push for fortifying the Aland Islands, despite Finland’s 1921 pledge to leave them unfortified. The next year he turned to Germany, joining a secret conference with Hermann Göring, Hungarian Prime Minister Gyula Gömbös, and Tytus Komarnicki, head of the Polish Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, to discuss joint action against the USSR (Times, Oct 15, 1935). By 1939 he was still entertaining German generals, personally showing Chief of Staff Franz Halder around Finland’s northern airfields and depots.

Meanwhile, the Finnish government tried to fortify the Aland Islands anyway. Everyone knew Finland couldn’t defend them alone, fortification meant handing them to Germany, which was already preparing for war with the USSR. So Helsinki asked Britain and Germany for permission, and both despite being at odds elsewhere eagerly agreed. The only country Finland didn’t consult was the USSR, the one most directly threatened.

After World War I, Germany was banned from building its own navy. But Helsinki stepped in to help. Already in the 1920s, Finland was secretly assisting Germany in rebuilding the Kriegsmarine in open violation of the Versailles Treaty. The so-called Vesikko class, launched in the mid-1930s, was nothing less than the prototype for Germany’s Type II U-boats, the backbone of the Reich’s submarine arm once rearmament began in earnest. Finland pretended it was merely expanding its tiny fleet, but in reality it was a cover operation: a testing ground for Nazi Germany’s return to naval power. These same Finnish submarines later fought against the USSR. One of them, Vesikko, still survives today as a museum ship in Helsinki, not a monument to “brave neutrality,” but to Finland’s complicity in Germany’s secret rearmament long before 1941.Image
Read 12 tweets

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