This episode was recorded right after the anniversary of the poisoning of Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny. I spoke with Lena, a political activist from Novosibirsk who still lives in Russia and dares to give an interview under her real name. Novosibirsk is the so-called capital of Siberia and has a population of one and a half million. The city is also ranked one of the most protested cities in Russia. But this year the city lost its right to elect the mayor. Now the Kremlin will appoint the mayor, or rather the puppet mayor.

I talked with Lena about academic freedom in Russia, political activism, and historical memory. 

For this episode, I talked with Lira. She is 23 years old. She was born and raised in Nizhnekamsk, a small town in Tatarstan which is famous for its numerous factories and issues with ecology. She finished her Bachelor's in Moscow, did an exchange year in America and did an exchange semester in Germany. She works as an English teacher and a tutor for Russians interested in getting a higher education abroad. Last summer Lira left Russia. She moved to the City of Tampa, Florida in order to get her Master's degree in Student Affairs.

We talked about the decolonisation of Tatarstan, the influence of sanctions on Russian students, and the importance of educational exchange between Russia and other countries. 

I hope this episode will bring new insights into Russia's young generation. Enjoy!

Lira's blog: https://www.instagram.com/lira.akhmetova/ 

Music by Muzaproduction from Pixabay 

For this episode, I talked with Robert De Shade. He was born and raised in Moscow. He used to work for the American centre of the US Embassy in Russia. And he is an open gay. And after Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year, he realised it was time to relocate to a better place. So he moved to Los Angeles and founded his own LLC, Widest DE, devoted to digital media production and IT consulting.

We talked about relations between Russia and the United States, homesickness and what it is like to be gay when your homeland does not accept you.

I hope this episode will bring new insights into Russia's young generation. Enjoy!

Music by Muzaproduction from Pixabay

For this episode, I talked with Kira, a young English linguistics student born and raised in Kaliningrad. Although Kira has an open position against the war, she still lives in Russia. And when I invited her for an interview, she highlighted that she would like to participate in it, not anonymously. However, due to state repressions, in this podcast, she calls the war using euphemisms simply because she does not have the luxury of calling things as they are.

We talked about the special circumstances of Kaliningrad during ongoing European sanctions, the separatism movement inside of Russia and love for the motherland.

I hope this episode will bring new insights into Russia's young generation. Enjoy!

Music by Muzaproduction from Pixabay 

I talked with a young school teacher. She is nearly my age and well-educated. She completed her Bachelor’s in political science and master's in sociology. She lives in one of the biggest cities in Russia. She grew up in a middle-class religious family, and she identifies herself as a religious person. And her position towards the war is not really negative. 

Although we have completely different positions here, I think it is necessary to have a discussion and have this episode recorded rather than just cancel each other and not talk.

I won't reveal her name in the podcast according to her desire.

We talked about Russian schools and new patriotic classes, the role of the Orthodox religion in Russia and the attitude towards the EU.

Music by Moryaksostagem from Zvukipro.com

This time I talked with Anna, a young screenwriter, and linguist. She is 25 years old. She was born and raised in Siberia, on the Yamal Peninsula. The place is mostly covered with permafrost. The locals don’t see the sun for about 5 months a year due to the polar night phenomenon. And also it is actually one of the richest regions in Russia because of gas and oil fields. After finishing her bachelor’s in Saint Petersburg, she moved to Bavaria and started her Master’s in Munich.

We talked about visa restrictions against Russians, the significance of the Ukrainian language in her life, and how sanctions hit her as a Russian migrant in Europe.

Music by Muzaproduction from Pixabay

For this episode, I talked with a young Russian journalist whose name I can’t say. She is working in one of the main business newspapers in Russia and she still lives in Russia. So, I can put her at risk by revealing her real name. She may lose her job, which is her only source of income, and she may be fined and imprisoned.

This episode was recorded at the end of August. We talked about the past and the present of Russian journalism, and about our hopes for our country.

Music by Muzaproduction from Pixabay

For this episode, I interviewed young Russian journalist Ivan Makridin. In Russia, he was working freelance and making his podcast. Due to the war, he decided to relocate to Europe. I talked to him about possible penalties for his journalistic work, the feeling of guilt, and fake patriotism.

Vanya's Instagram: www.instagram.com/i.makridin/

Vanya's podcast: podcast.ru/1372729695 (in Russian only)

Where to read Vanya: www.codastory.com (Russian and English) & https://thenewtab.io (Russian only)

Music by my Casio synth.