- 2 days ago
Why do Russian kids grow up fearing outsiders? The shocking truth behind ethnic stereotypes.
👉 What World Leaders NEED to Know about Russia: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6d9EIByxz1AdkmIOYUlrDd0rmByq5zSN
I grew up in Soviet Russia, in a city literally named "Bitter," and that's exactly how life felt beneath the glittering surface of state propaganda. On posters, we were a family of nations united by unbreakable bonds—but in reality, the cracks ran deep. From Gypsies to Caucasians, Ukrainians to Central Asian migrants, stereotypes shaped our views, fueling tensions that continue today. Join me, Elvira Bary, as I share powerful stories from my childhood, revealing the hidden prejudices that define Russia’s past and present.
Video Chapters:
00:00 What Russians Secretly Think About Other Nationalities
01:01 The Gypsies
05:19 Caucasians
11:53 Ukrainians and Belarusians
14:04 Minority Nations
17:46 Migrants from Central Asia
19:54 A Role Reversal
👉 JOIN ME ON THE JOURNEY Sign-up for news about the New Book here: https://elvirabary.com/elvira-barys-newsletter/
Y HISTORICAL FICTION BOOK SERIES
➡️ Russian Treasures (a historical novel about the Bolshevik Revolution and R
👉 What World Leaders NEED to Know about Russia: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6d9EIByxz1AdkmIOYUlrDd0rmByq5zSN
I grew up in Soviet Russia, in a city literally named "Bitter," and that's exactly how life felt beneath the glittering surface of state propaganda. On posters, we were a family of nations united by unbreakable bonds—but in reality, the cracks ran deep. From Gypsies to Caucasians, Ukrainians to Central Asian migrants, stereotypes shaped our views, fueling tensions that continue today. Join me, Elvira Bary, as I share powerful stories from my childhood, revealing the hidden prejudices that define Russia’s past and present.
Video Chapters:
00:00 What Russians Secretly Think About Other Nationalities
01:01 The Gypsies
05:19 Caucasians
11:53 Ukrainians and Belarusians
14:04 Minority Nations
17:46 Migrants from Central Asia
19:54 A Role Reversal
👉 JOIN ME ON THE JOURNEY Sign-up for news about the New Book here: https://elvirabary.com/elvira-barys-newsletter/
Y HISTORICAL FICTION BOOK SERIES
➡️ Russian Treasures (a historical novel about the Bolshevik Revolution and R
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LearningTranscript
00:00I grew up in Soviet Russia, in a close city called Gorky, which literally means bitter.
00:07And bitter is exactly how things felt beneath their shiny posters of indestructible friendship among peoples.
00:15On the surface, we were all one big happy family.
00:18But in reality, if you weren't Russian, you were treated as other.
00:25As a child, I didn't question it. None of us did.
00:28That's just how things were.
00:30But looking back now, I see the deep cracks that were always there, hidden behind the propaganda.
00:37I'm Elvira Barry, an author born in the USSR.
00:41And in this video, I'll take you back to those years.
00:44Not to talk about policy or politics, but something even more powerful.
00:50The stories and stereotypes we absorbed as children.
00:54Because understanding them helps explain not just our past, but Russia's present.
01:06The gypsies occupy a unique place in Russian culture.
01:10On one hand, they were at the very bottom of the social ladder, a position they've held for centuries.
01:16Both the state and the church regarded them as a problem, since their lifestyle was seen as unholy.
01:23Gypsy women practiced fortune-telling and begging, while the men worked as horse-thieves and blacksmiths.
01:31An occupation that in the Middle Ages was often viewed with suspicion and associated with witchcraft.
01:38Additionally, the gypsies looked quite different from the local population.
01:43They spoke Russian, but with a strong accent and distinct expressions.
01:49Their women wore bright scarves with floral patterns and colorful skirts, making them easily recognizable.
01:57Despite this, gypsy life was always viewed as something romantic.
02:01Unlike serfs who were bound to the land, the gypsies wandered from town to town, much like a traveling circus.
02:09They symbolized freedom and adventure.
02:12Their arrival in town was an event.
02:15They brought news and sometimes exotic goods, entertained with unique dances and songs,
02:21and demonstrated their ability to work with animals.
02:24They had trained bears and dogs, and were considered some of the best horse trainers.
02:30Russian folklore is full of tales about how gypsies whispered to horses, either healing or even ruining them, depending on
02:40the story.
02:41Their skills with horses made them notorious as horse-thieves.
02:46But on the other hand, the gypsies clearly did not adhere to the norms and customs of the local population.
02:52Theft and deceit were not taboo for them.
02:55When other gypsies appeared, it was believed that they would inevitably trick or rob someone.
03:02In the 18th and 19th centuries, gypsies were frequently invited to weddings or other aristocratic events due to their exceptional
03:11singing and dancing talents.
03:13Among some nobles, it was seen as a status symbol to have a beautiful gypsy woman as a lover,
03:20though marrying one was strictly taboo.
03:23Throughout the 20th century, many gypsies gave up their nomadic lifestyle and began settling in villages outside of cities.
03:33Yet, even then, it was unimaginable for them to work in factories or offices.
03:39In Soviet cities, it was common to see groups of gypsy women standing at train stations,
03:44approaching young women and offering to tell their fortunes.
03:48They were incredibly persistent and it was difficult to shake them off.
03:53Sometimes, they were accompanied by a swarm of children in dirty clothes demanding money.
03:59Rumors circulated that gypsies lived in luxurious homes because they were involved in drug dealing and smuggling.
04:06But I don't know anyone who was actually visited a gypsy settlement to see how they live.
04:12Friends from other regions told me that some gypsies still roam but no longer in wagons.
04:18Now, they travel by trains.
04:20In cities, they have places to stop before moving on.
04:24Interacting with gypsies, even just talking to them, was considered dangerous and highly disapproved of.
04:31Especially for young women.
04:33If they approached me, I pretended to be a foreigner and act like I didn't understand what they were saying.
04:39This usually worked.
04:41My mom once became a victim of a gypsy scam.
04:44A gypsy woman offered to tell her fortune but insisted that in order for the prediction to come true,
04:50my mom needed to place money in her palm.
04:53Having just received her paycheck, my mom complied.
04:55The gypsy woman immediately grabbed the money and when my mom protested,
05:00the gypsy lifted her skirts and said,
05:02Where's the money? What money?
05:04There was nothing under her skirt.
05:06Not even underwear.
05:07The shock left my mom speechless.
05:10She was only 18 at the time and that money was her first salary.
05:15Naturally, this experience left a lasting scar.
05:23The people of Caucasus, a mountainous region in the southwest of Russia,
05:28look distinctly different from Russians and speak with a very noticeable accent.
05:33The region is home to both Muslims and Christians from various denominations,
05:39but for the average person in central Russia, there was little distinction made between them.
05:44They were all viewed as foreigners and were generally not trusted.
05:49The reasons for this are historical.
05:52Throughout the 19th century, Russia was in constant conflict with the Muslim peoples of the Caucasus.
05:58Back then, going to the Caucasus meant going to war, where you might not just be killed,
06:04but also captured and sold into slavery.
06:07It wasn't until the Soviet era that going to the Caucasus became synonymous with taking a vacation
06:14by the warm seas and beautiful mountains.
06:18Russians had no issues with Caucasus when they traveled to the region for leisure.
06:24But when Caucasus came to Russia, it was met with suspicion.
06:29Despite the official prohibition on private trade,
06:32Caucasus regularly visit large Russian cities to sell fruits and vegetables at the markets.
06:38They couldn't transport goods in freight cars, so they paid conductors on passenger trains
06:44to occupy whole cars, which they used to transport their goods.
06:49In March, for instance, they would sell mimosa branches,
06:52the main symbol of International Women's Day, which grew freely in their mountains.
06:57They also brought apricots, peaches, pomegranates and later grapes.
07:02In the late Soviet years, with state stores frequently empty,
07:06trade shifted to open-air markets.
07:09Caucasians would travel to Turkey to buy goods or even make their own clothing,
07:14such as jeans and jackets, which they sold at these markets.
07:18Typically, their families stayed at home,
07:21with only their fathers and adult sons doing business.
07:25These men often flirted with Russian women without any intention of marriage,
07:30which was something local Russian men strongly disapproved of.
07:34When I was 17, my friend Anna met an Azerbaijani man
07:38who had come to our city with his family to sell at the market.
07:42They rented an apartment on the first floor of the building where Anna lived.
07:47One day, her father saw Anna kissing this man and had a violent outburst.
07:53He physically attacked her for being involved with a black man.
07:58For us, blacks didn't mean people of African descent.
08:02It referred to Caucasians from the Caucasus region as well as people from Central Asia.
08:08Anna's father went downstairs and told the Azerbaijani family
08:11that if any of them came near his daughter again,
08:14he would take matters into his own hands.
08:18Talking to Caucasians in such a way was risky.
08:21They always traveled in groups and if they got into a fight with Russians,
08:27all their friends would come to their aid.
08:30But it was extremely difficult for Russians to gather support
08:33as our culture lacks the concept of community.
08:37Everyone was on their own, with exceptions made only for criminal gangs.
08:42However, that time it passed without further incident.
08:46The Azerbaijani family simply left.
08:49When the wars in Chechnya started in the 1990s,
08:53Caucasians, particularly Muslims, became even more suspicious.
08:57Ordinary Russians couldn't make distinctions between Chechans,
09:01Ingush or Dagestanis.
09:02To them, Caucasians were all seen as dangerous criminals
09:06or, at the very least, associated with crime.
09:09The exception to this was highly educated Caucasians
09:13who clearly belonged to the intellectual elite.
09:15Caucasians who practiced Christianity,
09:18like Armenians and Georgians, were more accepted.
09:22They had long been integrated into Russian politics and culture,
09:26though many of them changed their surnames to sound more Russian.
09:30For instance, one of Russia's most famous artists,
09:33Ivan Ivozovsky, was actually Armenian,
09:36born Havanes Ivozian.
09:38Similarly, one of Russia's most famous contemporary writers,
09:41Boris Sakunin, is Georgian.
09:43And his real name is Grigorich Hartishvili.
09:47Many of Putin's propagandists and supporters come from the Caucasus today,
09:51which only adds fuel to the fire.
09:54These individuals demand the continuation of the war with Ukraine,
09:57and many see this as a war to the last Russian or the last Ukrainian.
10:02While two Slavic nations destroy each other,
10:05those people enrich themselves and enjoy the spectacle.
10:09The Putin regime's constant interactions with the Caucasian elite
10:14have led to the perception that they are very wealthy.
10:18On one hand, this is intriguing.
10:21But on the other, it raises concerns.
10:25There is a dual attitude here.
10:27On one side, Russians believe they are inherently superior.
10:31On the other side, strength and wealth are clearly on their side,
10:36which causes frustration.
10:38Additionally, some Caucasians disregard local customs.
10:42For example, they speed through the streets in expensive cars,
10:46harass Russian women,
10:47or engage in celebratory gunfire at weddings.
10:51Chechens stand apart,
10:52mainly due to the war in Chechnya,
10:54the series of terrorist attacks,
10:56and the fact that under Ramzan Kadyrov's leadership,
10:59Chechnya has effectively achieved a form of independence,
11:03while still receiving funds from the federal budget.
11:06Additionally, Kadyrov frequently humiliates Russians,
11:10forcing them to apologize on camera.
11:13Chechens have also created their own mini-army,
11:16which has made them a dangerous force.
11:19However, during the war with Ukraine,
11:21their reputation has faded,
11:22as many Chechens prefer to avoid their front lines
11:26and instead focus on making TikToks about their supposed feats.
11:30While they once had no opponents,
11:33now there are Russians with military experience
11:36who are more than willing to challenge them.
11:39Life teaches us that problems often start where tensions run deep.
11:43The Caucasus has always been a region of endless wars,
11:47and when and if the Putin's regime begins to falter,
11:50this region will likely ignite first.
11:58Modern Ukrainians and Belarusians are deeply offended
12:01by the belief that many Russians still consider them one people
12:06and think of the war in Ukraine not as an invasion,
12:09but as a reclaiming of Russian territory.
12:12This perspective stems from the Soviet era,
12:15when there was no clear distinction
12:17between Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians.
12:19The existence of national identities in Ukraine and Belarus
12:23was largely overlooked.
12:25Ukrainian culture was seen as colorful dances,
12:29heartfelt songs, and folktales,
12:31images drawn from Russian classical literature
12:34that everyone studied in school.
12:36Ukraine was often perceived as a warm,
12:39welcoming, and cheerful place
12:41with a touch of mischief.
12:43Most Russians could understand Ukrainian and Belarusian,
12:46but could not speak them
12:47and often didn't see the point.
12:49After all, everything significant
12:51was either originally created in Russian
12:53or translated into it.
12:56Externally, Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians
12:59appeared nearly identical,
13:01with the only noticeable difference
13:03being a slight accent,
13:05which many didn't even have.
13:07Additionally, constant wars and migration
13:10throughout the 20th century
13:12meant that many Russians
13:13moved to Ukraine and Belarus,
13:16and many Ukrainians and Belarusians
13:18ended up in Russia.
13:19Over generations, people intermarried,
13:22making the war Putin started
13:24even more absurd.
13:26It was literally a war
13:27against one's own brothers and sisters.
13:30However, over Putin's years in power,
13:33propaganda has fueled hatred
13:34towards Ukrainians,
13:36and now the sense of brotherhood
13:38and kinship
13:39has been replaced by animosity.
13:42That being said,
13:44when Ukrainians and Russians
13:45meet in other countries,
13:47in most cases,
13:48they get along just fine,
13:50especially if Russians
13:51clearly express their opposition to the war.
13:53But there are also groups
13:55on Facebook and churches
13:57where Ukrainians gather
13:58and communicate exclusively
14:00in their language,
14:01and these spaces remain just for them.
14:08In Central Russia,
14:10where the vast majority of residents
14:12were ethnic Russians,
14:14few ever thought about
14:15the many smaller nations
14:17living nearby.
14:18If someone mentioned
14:19their nationality
14:20and didn't stand out physically,
14:23it often went unnoticed.
14:25In cities, everyone spoke Russian,
14:27but in rural areas,
14:29people still spoke local languages.
14:31My friend Tanya once told me
14:32about her mother,
14:33who was Chuvash.
14:34The Chuvash are a small,
14:36Turkic-speaking people
14:37who live along the Volga River.
14:40They suffered greatly
14:41during the Mongol invasion,
14:43then came under the rule
14:44of Russian source.
14:46Urban Chuvash people,
14:47of course,
14:47had assimilated into Russian culture,
14:50but in the villages,
14:51the Chuvash language
14:52was still spoken.
14:53Tanya's mother
14:54came to a big Russian city
14:55to work in construction.
14:57She was from a village
14:58and barely spoke Russian.
15:00She could understand it,
15:01as everyone listened
15:02to the radio
15:03and watched TV,
15:05but speaking
15:05was a different matter.
15:07This cost her
15:08a great deal of shame.
15:09It was considered
15:11humiliating
15:12to speak Russian
15:12incorrectly
15:13or with an accent.
15:14If you spoke
15:16with an accent,
15:16you were considered
15:17a country bumpkin.
15:19It's also interesting
15:20to observe
15:21how different ethnic groups
15:22interacted in areas
15:24with mixed populations.
15:26I have friends
15:27who are Tatars,
15:28a sizable Turkic group
15:29that was conquered
15:31by Russia
15:31in the 16th century.
15:33They have a rich culture,
15:35a strong national identity
15:36and a predominantly
15:38Muslim faith.
15:39My friends grew up
15:40in Bashkortostan,
15:41where only about a third
15:42of the population
15:43was ethnically Bashkir.
15:45During the Soviet era,
15:46it was important
15:47to show
15:47that national republics
15:49were governed
15:49by indigenous populations.
15:51However,
15:53due to a shortage
15:54of qualified staff,
15:56ethnic Tatars
15:56were often
15:57officially listed
15:58as Bashkirs
15:59to improve
16:00the appearance
16:01of their documentation.
16:03As a result,
16:04my 100%
16:05Tatar friend
16:06was officially
16:07registered as Bashkir
16:09simply to have
16:10better career opportunities.
16:12My Tatar friends
16:13say they never
16:14experienced oppression
16:15from either Russians
16:16or Bashkirs.
16:17In school,
16:18they had lessons
16:19on local history
16:20and Bashkir language,
16:21but they don't remember
16:22much of it.
16:23As with the Chuvash,
16:25speaking Russian fluently
16:27was essential
16:27for any career.
16:29It was also crucial
16:30to speak without an accent.
16:32Accents were a constant
16:33subject of mockery
16:35in the USSR
16:35and still are today.
16:37Interestingly,
16:38within the Tatar community
16:40in Bashkartostan,
16:41there was their own
16:42hierarchy of nationalities.
16:43Like Russians,
16:44they treated
16:45Gypsies and Jews
16:46with great suspicion,
16:47considered Bashkirs
16:48and Russians equals,
16:50and so Mari people,
16:51a Finno-Ugri group
16:53from a neighboring republic,
16:54as inferior.
16:55In central Russia,
16:57we had no idea
16:58who the Mari were
16:59or what they looked like.
17:02But everyone knew
17:03who the Chukchi were.
17:05The Chukchi are
17:06one of the many
17:07northern peoples
17:08who live above
17:09the Arctic Circle
17:10and are known
17:11for reindeer herding
17:13and hunting walruses,
17:14seals, and whales.
17:15Of course,
17:16most of us
17:17never met a Chukchi.
17:18But the whole country
17:20watched the movie
17:21Chief of Chukotka,
17:22where the Chukchi
17:23were depicted
17:24as simpletons.
17:25Reindeer herders
17:26who took everything
17:28literally,
17:28treated any technical device
17:30as a miracle
17:31and constantly said,
17:32however,
17:33adnaka.
17:34As a result,
17:36the Chukchi
17:36became the subject
17:37of countless jokes
17:38that are still popular today,
17:40even though
17:41the film was made
17:42nearly 60 years ago
17:43and many have forgotten
17:45about it.
17:50Russia's declining birth rate
17:52means a sharp shortage
17:54of labor,
17:54particularly for tough,
17:56low-paying
17:57and unprestigious jobs
17:58such as construction,
17:59agriculture,
18:00warehousing,
18:02junior medical professionals
18:03and cleaning.
18:04Russia cannot function
18:06without migrants,
18:07but their large presence
18:09immediately causes
18:10significant social tension.
18:12This is mainly because
18:13the migrants coming to Russia
18:15are from Central Asia,
18:16young men
18:17who often speak poor Russian
18:19and look different
18:20from the local population.
18:21They live in extremely
18:23cramped conditions,
18:24often without their families
18:26who remain back home
18:27in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan
18:29and Kyrgyzstan.
18:30A significant portion
18:31of this country's income
18:32come from money
18:33sent back from Russia.
18:35Migrants annoy the residents
18:36of Russian cities,
18:37but there's not much
18:39that can be done about it,
18:40especially now,
18:41with many young men
18:43either killed in the war
18:44or unable to work heavy labor
18:46due to injuries.
18:47The Russian government
18:48doesn't treat migrants gently.
18:50They are often harassed,
18:52extorted for bribes
18:53and given no social protection.
18:55The only way
18:56they can protect
18:57their interests
18:57is through collective action
18:59from their communities.
19:01And the Russian locals
19:02view this as a threat.
19:04Central Asian migrants
19:05are often seen as hostile.
19:07If they don't bring
19:08their families,
19:09they can't become aggressive
19:10as is typical for young men.
19:12If they do bring
19:13their families,
19:14more and more children
19:15in the low-income neighborhood
19:17speak poor Russian,
19:18making their education
19:19very difficult.
19:20And of course,
19:21local mothers
19:22don't like this.
19:23Even more alarming
19:24to city dwellers
19:25is the fact that
19:27these migrants
19:27from Central Asia
19:28are deeply religious Muslims
19:30who structure their lives
19:32around their faith.
19:33When they gather
19:35in large crowds
19:36during religious holidays
19:37to pray in the streets,
19:39videos are quickly shared
19:40on social media,
19:41sparkling fears
19:42that this is
19:43some kind of invasion.
19:45Mutual distrust
19:47grew even more
19:48following a recent
19:49terrorist attack
19:50at Krakos City Hall
19:51carried out
19:52by terrorists
19:52from Tajikistan.
19:59For many centuries,
20:01Russians saw themselves
20:02as representatives
20:03of the superior
20:04white race.
20:05But history contains
20:07moments
20:07when the situation
20:09was quite the opposite.
20:10In 1922,
20:12tens of thousands
20:13of Russian immigrants
20:14fleeing the Bolsheviks
20:16found themselves
20:17in a semi-colonial China
20:18in a very strange predicament.
20:21At that time,
20:22China was effectively
20:23a semi-colony
20:25of the great powers
20:26Britain,
20:27France,
20:27the United States,
20:28Italy and others.
20:30Being white
20:31was supposed to mean
20:32belonging to the superior race.
20:35But these Russian immigrants
20:37were impoverished
20:38and most of them
20:39didn't know
20:39any foreign languages,
20:41meaning they were
20:42at the very bottom
20:43of society.
20:44They had to rebuild
20:45their lives
20:46from scratch
20:46in a country
20:47where neither
20:48Europeans,
20:49Americans,
20:49nor the Chinese
20:50accepted them.
20:51viewing them
20:52as some kind
20:53of misfit.
20:54The appearance
20:55of these odd whites
20:56in China
20:57acted as a catalyst
20:58for major changes.
21:00Suddenly,
21:01it became clear
21:02that white people
21:03weren't invincible.
21:05They could be
21:06intelligent or foolish,
21:07rich or poor,
21:08strong or weak.
21:09It became apparent
21:10that they could be defeated.
21:12What was even more surprising
21:13was that they could
21:15also form military alliances
21:17with the Chinese
21:17on equal terms.
21:19This had profound
21:20implications
21:21for the Chinese
21:22anti-colonial movement
21:23which later on
21:25underwent
21:25a complete transformation
21:27under Soviet influence,
21:28ultimately leading China
21:30to become
21:30a communist state.
21:32I tell the story
21:33about how it all happened
21:35in my novel
21:36The White Ghost Empire.
21:38You can find the link
21:39to the novel
21:40in the description
21:41below this video.
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