Hello, comrades! My name is Sergei. I was born in the USSR in 1971. Since 1999 I have lived in the USA. Ushanka Show channel was created to share stories as well as my own memories of everyday life in the USSR. My book about arriving in America in 1995 is available on Amazon: www.amazon.com/s?k=american+diaries+1995&ref=nb_sb_noss Please contact me at sergeisputnikoff@gmail.com if you would like to purchase a signed copy of “American Diaries” You can support this project here: www.patreon.com/sputnikoff with monthly donations Support for this channel via PAYPAL: paypal.me/ushankashow Ushanka Show merchandise: teespring.com/stores/ushanka-show-shop If you are curious to try some of the Soviet-era candy and other foodstuffs, please use the link below. www.russiantable.com/imported-russian-chocolate-mishka-kosolapy__146-14.html?tracking=5a6933a9095f9 My FB: facebook.com/sergey.sputnikoff Twitter: twitter.com/ushankashow Instagram: instagram.com/ushanka_show/ Reddit: www.reddit.com/r/The_Ushanka_Show/

Members of a Soviet college debate team visiting L.A. in 1986 were amazed at all the cars and asked: "Do ALL American familes own a car?!" We said no, no, no - two.

I remmber hosting a couple of Soviet guys for a conference in the states about 1985 and when they saw the breakfast buffet they just about freaked out, ended up piling their plates about 4" high with bacon strips. They definitely enjoyed the visit.

"To recognise always that the test of police efficiency is the absence of crime and disorder, and not the visible evidence of police action in dealing with them." -Peelian principle of Policing

The Border between the Soviet Union and Finland must have had plenty of hikers going for profitable walks in the forest.

The KGB kept tabs on immoral behavior. What, were they running out of ideas?

Your presentations are VERY Interesting - Thank you

Yeah! Fascinating. I hope you find more old documents like that!

In the mid 80s at college, 2 soviets came to speak at an event. You could see that each one was closely watching the behavior of the other. Both were very nervous after the event when people wanted yo ask informal questions.

Very interesting video. Years back on Ebay was a letter that translated that the bearer being a military officer should not be charged customs fees for bringing some goods back from the West. It was signed by a high ranking military personage.

Soviets gone wild!!!

My Grandfather was a motorcycle police officer in Glen Cove, New York in the 1950s. The Soviet mission to the United Nations had a mansion there. The Soviet drivers would speed through town. My Grandfather made it his mission to pull them over and give them speeding tickets. When they claimed "Diplomatic Immunity " he told to "tell it to the judge". 😆 I often wonder what my grandfather's KGB file was like ! 😆

Speculation in other words. Find something people desire buy it at a low price and then sell it for a profit. It’s nice to see capitalism was alive and hidden but still well in side a communist country in 1969. Love your shows. Open communication between people throughout the world.

Mao's badges my guess would be gift for friends and children when you get home. I'd get a baggie of them when I went to China.

Thank you for another interesting video, Sergei. Me and my mother always look forward to your videos; we've both learned so much info from your channel.

Another educational and very enjoyable video . Thanks Sergie 👍

Making sure the citizens had no clue was a Soviet aspiration. In the West, having no clue was/is a personal choice. I wonder if U.S. self-identified Socialists watch your show. I am of 1/8 Russian ancestry, my Greaf-Grandfather, Simon Teleshuk left the Russian Empire as he did not get along with his stepfather. They were Kulaks from near Grodno. Later his family was killed off by Lenin guys, before the NEP? Simon Teleshuk joined the U.S. Army and was stationed at Schofield Barracks before WWI. Whether in the Cavalry or Artillery is unclear. He is said to have been attached to horses during his service, they followed him about, off duty. This was to facilitate citizenship. He married a first generation Polish woman from Philadelphia after he was discharged at Fort Sill. He was not inducted for WWI as he had served a hitch already? My Grandmother says he was a fierce disciplinarian, but it is said Grandma was the "Spoiled girl" in the family. He was struck by a car in 1945, saving a neighbor girl from death, according to the family story. Family stories are not 100% reliable in my family, as others?

I find it interesting that high ranking people were allowed to travel abroad. I would think that they would be considered having " compromising material or information"

Sergei, you're awesome. Thank you for teaching, sharing and interacting with your fans. You're basically 99% the reason I'm learning Russian (it's the most difficult language I've ever learned, and my native is Portuguese... already complicated). The 1% is because of my Slavic blood from my father.

I find it odd how that guy was able to obtain Maoist propaganda in Mongolia. Looks like Soviet influence over Mongolia wasn't as strong as I thought it was. I can understand why the KGB was annoyed. China and the USSR's were fighting over who was top dog in the communist world at the time.

It's kinda weird for me to think that speculation was persecuted so heavily. Watching your video and watching the Fartsa show you recommended. Listening to my families stories and other people's who lived in eastern Germany, it seemed to be a thing that almost everyone took part in. My mom brought gold rings from ussr, since you couldn't buy gold in gdr and in order to get a wedding band from gold you had to bring an equivalent of gold and pay for the work. My grandparents who worked as embassy staff in Africa managed to put aside enough Valuta to afford quite a few luxurious holidays all over the world in the 90s.

Hey Sergei, how did funerals and Wakes work in the Soviet Union? I have never heard anything about them

Awesome video man!

What you prescribed it is happened in common life everywhere not only USSR people's are involved also happens in US and Europe.

This was a gem!

The word you're looking for in English for when you really break the rules badly is "Flagrant".

It must have been some pen! By the way, your Department of Corrections is quite a bit different from ours 🤣

Ushanka Show - I am Bulgarian and regarding the Bulgarian prostitutes in the 70s - the KGB probably found out about that guy through them!!! :D

Those Capitalists!

Comrades Gone Wild!

"Maybe you're just looking for some, you know, midnight adventures" 😂😂😂

If being drunk and chasing ‘hors is a bad thing they can keep their damn vacation as far as I’m concerned!

I bet there are some interesting stories about the KGB holidays abroad.

About 5 years ago there were Russian soldiers that came to visit an American military base my friend said they kept going to Walmart and clothing stores and would buy up a lot of denim and other clothing and sent them back by the hundreds of lbs probably to sell it. We always wondered how much money they made off of that

Well there are/were 2 very good fountain pen factories in Belgium (at least1 still in Germany) where they make pens to order, custom nibs, whatever you want, you got it. Soem of these can be really pricey, and by that I mean I paid €550 for a proper nib alone (oblique left foot, broad, gold). Best pen I ever held, and I bet that if she stole a pen that this kind of pen would be worth it, to correct those papers in style.

No change there then. The top brass of any organisation in any country under any type of rule is usually the most bent.

Thank you like my comment below this is exactly what I’m talking about extremely interesting I enjoy it

It's interesting to me that when you released this video 2 years ago, you had to explain what the Ukrainian cities and regions were in the report (like Donetsk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia etc), and now they are household names in much of the world, and everyone pays very close attention to them. Although, I wish it were for a better reason...

Interesting video, maybe these Issues from the Sovjet days, was still present in 2010-2020 , russian tourists from the Russisn middleclass was hated everywhere these years, i have experienced myself in Spain, in Thailand i have seen bars with signs saying, Russian tourists not welcome. I have heard about hotel owners complaining about how towels and even lamps disappeared from rooms. I was disgusted from watching their behaviour at hotel buffets (all-inclussive) . I guess it was due to recently improvements in wealth that these middleclass citizens where able to travel. Certainly they disappeared from the holiday resorts, its like they certainly lost their financial freedom . Now only the decadent oligarks to experience.

I LIKE AND SOMEHOW BELIEVE YOUR ANECDOTES . THE ARE NO PRETENSIONS. YOU SAY IT LIKE IT IS. IT MAKES IT AUTHENTIC BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT CONCERNED WITH POLITICS.

I am the most anti-communist person that you would meet and I get really aggravated when I see remarks on your channel saying that you’re pushing Soviet propaganda and you’re not your when your whole story to be honest is there were some things that you thought were good and a a lot of things not so good you’re not doing this on a political basis you’re doing this based on your own life experience and I wish people that watch your channel they need to understand that I’ve seen some of the nasty remarks and they don’t know your channel they watch maybe one video and maybe halfway through and then make their decision but that being said please keep up the great work it’s very interesting I’m 42 and I was raised in Alaska and during through the end of the Cold War in the state of Alaska was a hotspot in a nutshell thank you and just ignore those people that won’t do the research of what you’re doing it’s not based on politics it’s based on your life experience!! 👍

Very cool

how was the paranormal talked about in the soviet union I mean if someone claimed they saw a ghostly apparition were they ridiculed or did the state label them crazy and sen them to a mental health clinic or was it just ignored

"Surprised there were prostitutes available ...." Maybe the KGB was supplying the prostitutes ;)

13:36 decided he was too cool for their old man party I guess. Dude getting his chops wet and his shadows were salty, wrote it down, and so old dudes kicked him out. Nerds.

Funny enough my uncle Phil used to do the opposite from the UK. Jeans and records in, caviar out.

I recomend watching the film "Moscow in the Hudson" starring Robin Williams, they all go to Bloomingdale's and say "Vat dekadense!"

Regarding the lady stealing a pen, she couldn't legally trade for it, or buy it, or get it in any way right? Seems silly but as you have said, people were trying to survive any way they could, whether it was smuggling or trading or making pirate garages or whatever. Sounds pretty awful but the US is pretty awful in a lot of ways when you're a kid as well.

Does "other countries" only mean "western countries", any place outside the USSR, or even the other republics within the USSR?

re the badges, probably Mao was considered no longer acceptable in Russia as this was in the midst of the Sino-Russian split

What was it about those old Soviet cameras that made them such a commodity in countries outside the USSR? How were these cameras different from ones made in the US, Western Europe or Japan?

😂 these cracked me up

Think it would be nice if you were to add translations on the soviet posters

The USA now has Facebook and phone tapping by the FBI cia

Ever sense a man got some item a woman would trade him for it history in motion

It sounds like Soviet citizens were never allowed to have fun, even outside their country.

Brussels is in Belgium. You know, NATO headquarters.

I just thank little baby Jesus that Americans have never misbehaved in foreign nations.

KZfaq worker: "boss this commie's latest video is about his people getting into trouble traveling abroad" Boss: "ok don't flag it"

Selling vodka is pretty cool 😎

Wish everyone I'm the USA would watch your videos and get off the Burner Sanders show.

Being amazed by the bourgeois lifestyle is indeed the worst thing :) :) No, seriously. All shit starts there.