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/dp/B08DJ7RNTC My site: www.sputnikoff.com/ 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/

My grandfather looked just like Comrade Lenin. 😊

Based what I have gathered from Stephen Kotkin's lectures, it seems that it might not have mattered much had Lenin lived longer. One issue with the Bolsheviks was that none of them had much regard for the peasantry. They viewed the New Economic Policy as a stopgap measure. Even less fanatical Bolshevik members like Bukharin and Rykov believed in communism, thus debate within the Bolshevik Party was not about the inevitability of communism, but when to abolish the market and when to collectivize the farms for good.

Yes, well . . . in México, we understood and understand Lenin and cohort; no false piety about realising a revolution, otherwise we'd still be the Other to the Spanish. Our Revolución Mexicana was in 1910, and featured the same complaints as in Russia. Good work and presentation, as always, especially your humanist humour. Thanks.

In highshcool we were asked if we could change something in history, what would it be? With tears in my eyes, I stood in front of the class and said I would go back in time and save Lenin, haha. Good video товарищ.

Привет Great channel, I am Canadian, but my grandparents emigrated to Canada from Russia after the revolution. I am a couple of years older than you (born 1966), but we basically grew up in the same timeframe. Your impressions of growing up, and Soviet life are very interesting, thank you for the great video!

Grandpa Lenin is our friend :) (unless you're a kulak)

Loved this video! Being a historybuff, I just can't get enough of learning about how people like Lenin can change the course of human history forever. I've got a friend in Moldova who was raised in the Soviet Union and we've spent many times online talking about his experiences as a kid in school and life in general (he was born in 1974 as was I) but the longest discussion we've had involved Lenin and Stalin. He was telling me about the badges with Lenin's portrait on them that he received and said in school they started the day singing praises to Lenin? Or maybe it was some sort of pledge to Lenin? I don't remember exactly but he detailed his days at his school somewhere way up north (his dad was in the Soviet military) and it was just fascinating to learn about all these things. I have no idea what the time difference is between St. Louis, Missouri and Chisinau, Moldova, but Anatoly and I were online really getting into that discussion for like 8 hours straight. It helped that we are both self described nerds (we met through a US/Russian space program website) and can become excited to learn about what most normal people would think was mundane. Haha. Off to watch your video on Comrade Stalin and I'm sure I'll recognize much of what he told me. Thanks for all your awesome videos and I'm looking forward to all your new ones.

Its not as extreme but still exists in the united states, for example George Washington. We have Washington DC, Washington state, Washington university, George Washington university, Washington monument etc. One example of how sinister the American myth can be was that growing up we were taught George Washington had wooden teeth to hide the fact that when he needed new teeth likely actually took many from his slaves. Like you said in the video, people who survive and lead revolutions are very rarely “Mr Nice guys” 😆😆

You mentioned that every city has a street named for Lenin. Boston Massachusetts US is made up of smaller towns which were incorporated into the City of Boston. Each area kept the original streets, giving Boston at least 5 streets, large and small named after George Washington.

Lenin managed to solve the transport problem in the Soviet Union, as in Lenin's day he was constantly trying to flag down Taxis...hmm. cough.. ..I'll get my coat.... seriously though, a very interesting post. I enjoyed listening.

Hey, Sergei. Could you make a video about Soviet Music and maybe what you listened to in your youth? I'm a fan of the big singers back then such as Эдита Пьеха, Лев лещенко, Эдуард Хиль, etc. I was curious because I had heard from a friend that actually they weren't all that popular among people because many saw that they were state sponsored, and thought that they only helped promote propaganda. But I also heard from another that they were like idols, and many people loved their music.

The Soviet Jesus

U know there was a problem when even lenin thought stalin was too brutal

Here's what's funny though, despite your videos being demonetized, I keep getting ads constantly.

The image of Lenin is so powerful. Communism could have taken different turn if he was alive a few more years.

Lenin was absolutely opposed to Stalin taking power. He saw Stalin for what he was. Such a shame.

I am happy that you told people about me but tell only good things about me. Remember I am watching you.

Great videos! Keep up the fantastic work!

It's worth noting that the cult of personality around Lenin was not a phenomenon during Lenin's life, but was later created by Stalin after Lenin's death. That being said, of course he was heroic and deserved recognition, but maybe it went a little too far.

North Korea's Kim Il-sung was/is adored and loved, also, having many significant achievements attributed to him, but that makes him a "hero" only in the place he controlled. When your being force fed you have little choice but to swallow (especially when there were severe penalties for not accepting what was being offered).

I recently visited Sergyev Posad monastery near Moscow.... near the entrance there was memorial plaque describing how the monastery was ransacked by the bolesheviks in 1920, monks tortured and executed. Fresh flowers around. literally 50 meters from the plaque was statue of Lenin. Fresh flowers around. .......hard to understand. I was thinking: mysterious russian soul

New episode woohoo!!! Love your channel comrade

Thank you for video of me comrade Sergei!

Proud Patreon supporter! Found your channel today and I love it!

Honestly, if there was not the brutal Industrialization by Stalin, the Soviet Union may have lost WW2. That outcome is something you do not want to imagine. And if you look at the numbers of WW2, if the Russian were out of that war early, I very strongly doubt that anybody could have stopped the Germans. WW2 was won by the Soviet Union. The UdSSR grinded down millions of German Soldiers. Yes, the UdSSR was not as efficient as it should have been and the damage to its economy was significant.

3:57 Is he a "Trololo" singer?

I actually happen to have one of those junior communist badges with lenin as a kid on it like you show in this video. I found it in my childhood home in my late father's study. He wasn't russian and has never been to russia that I am aware of… so I have no idea how he acquired it. He did used to do work cleaning out houses after the people moved out and it may have been among some of the previous tennant's belongings.

I've been to the caves in Kiev. It was kind of odd seeing the people kissing the dead. By candle light made it even more strange but to each their own. Still fascinating.

Lenin, cruel as he was, had he lived longer would at least have likely been better than Stalin.

Nice! You’ve created the viewers paradise. KZfaq viewers unite.

Privyet, tovarisch Sergei! Great video, as usual. Hadn't seen this one before. I really love your historical videos and your genuine tales of life in the USSR. There's no sensationalism nor bias, but just simple statement of facts. Lenin was a monster, possibly a psychopath, and what you described from those telegrams indeed proves that statement. Also, as you said, you don't get to orchestrate and then be the leader of a rebellion, one meant to change the entire economic-political system of a State, without being a hard person. Warm, cuddly, nice guy types are the first to face the firing squad during and after revolutions. Keep up the good work and glad to see your subs steadily climbing. Last night you reached 74K during that livestream, and now I see it's 74.6K!! Way to go comrade 👏 👍

I knew about the starvation of the kulaks under Stalin. I did not realise that it started under Lenin.

For the same reason why people loved Stalin, Hitler or Kim jong Un - ther wasn't any other options :D

I have met many Russians here in Europe, What they say that Tsarist Russia was a disgrace, people starving, horrible work conditions, no rights at all, The revolution was something necessary, like or not, life got better after 1917

Dude I am currently in the hospital because I had to get my sides sown together because they were torn apart because of your wicked soviet jokes.

здесь, чтобы поддержать вас, товарищ

Also regarding Lenin's order that the peasants could not sell their bread, this was a temporary measure during the brief phase of "war communism" designed to help the Soviets win the civil war. Essentially the Soviet equivalent of martial law, strong state order so that large private producers could not make decisions that could hinder the war effort. After the war ended, I believe in 1921, Lenin implemented the New Economic Policy and the peasants were given the land promised to them and allowed to sell their bread.

What do remember being taught about the tzars? Did you learn about them in school?

Lenin loves me, this I know?

And that song at the beginning ( if anyone is wondering ) is called " The battle is going again "

Heros can be anything you want them to be, as long as they are safely dead.

People in general love dead prophets more than the live ones.

Back like 20 years ago I had a bunch of Russian drinking buddies. Three really awesome gentlemen. They were guest workers here in this country and I clicked with them pretty well. They didn't speak my language, and I didn't speak theirs, but yeah, vodka did the talking and we always had fun together although the language barrier lol. So once they came home to my place and we were partying there and I had Lenin's portrait on my wall back then because I was of a leftist political persuasion back then. Although dead drunk, all those three big brutish gentlemen gathered like little schoolboys around Lenin's portrait to pay some kind of weird respect that I, having grown up in the Western World, had only seen in religious instances.

Lenin and Stalin in South America are still very famous. Lenin achieved the impossible!

if lenin was soviet jesus, then that means stalin was soviet judas

the joke about spending time in jail for not turning in some one who spoke bad about the government is so funny

Good stuff.

Yet he has been forgotten & Putin is desperately trying to rehabilitate Stalin.

I met krupskaya's grand nephew in the shelter in Brooklyn in 2013

HERE IS A JOKE ITS 9PM IN RUSSIA AND THE NEWS COMES ON AND THIS GUY SAID I AM NOT HAVING THIS SO HE TRIED CHANNEL 2 SAME THING HE TRIED CHANNEL 3 SAME THING THEN HE TRIED CHANNEL 4 AND HE SAW A KGB OFFICER LOOKING AT HIM IF TO SAY STOP CHANGING CHANNELS AND WATCH THE NEWS

Make one video how USSR in short time with good GDP and make super power.

Thanks!

Is Sputnikoff a real surname? I'm curious mainly because when I was a small kid I remember seeing a pass of Sputnik-1. I was four years old and perched on my dad's shoulders. He had read in the paper what time and where to look for it and he walked down the block to a dark area to look for it. He pointed almost straight up and asked if I saw it. I did. I recall it looking rather like a pale star, except it was moving.

One thing is clear as much as Tsarism sucks it is quite difficult to change a nations character very quickly which is incidentally the downfall of all revolutionary theory.

My fifth grade teacher refrained from the three Rs to have a lengthy discussion about the USSR. He was friendly toward communism; he told us about full employment and the classless society. He told us that the USSR was far bigger, better and more sophisticated than us and that we’d better get ready for a big change... How could I have known to tell him that the total economy of the USSR was about the equivalent of the state of California? How could I have known to tell him that it would all fall down in twenty some years?

“I Lenin Takoi Molodoi” was my favorite song of Lenin.

5:32: *_THAT_* is my kind of humour! Absurdissimo! 🤣🤣🤣

I want to hear about life in Russia before the revolution. How bad was it? I know you grew up listening to Soviet propaganda but we grew up listening to western propaganda. What were you taught about pre-Communist Russia? What did your parents and grandparents think of the Tsar?

Thank you for making these interesting videos. I am about the same age as you and as an American who grew up during the Cold War I appreciate learning the perspective of an ordinary Soviet citizen. I also appreciate that you discuss both the positive and negative aspects of Soviet history and culture, in contrast to the Cold War propaganda I remember growing up. However, from reading the comment section, I am somewhat mystified that so many people today seem to view Soviet history through rose colored glasses.

Those telegrams of Lenin were "recovered" from the Soviet archives by Boris Yeltsin and his friends in the fascist Pamyat organization after the capitalist restoration. Some of the letters and telegrams of Lenin had already been removed because they contradicted what Stalin said about Lenin and about Lenin's comrade-in-arms Trotsky, of whom Lenin said (paraphrasing), "After Trotsky abandoned trying to win over the Old Menshevik luminaries [such as Plekhanov] and joined the Bolsheviks, there was no better communist." Trotsky had up until then played an independent role outside both the Menshevik parties and the Bolshevik Party. It's amazing to me that Lenin's "The Tasks of the Proletariat in the Present Revolution" [1] wasn't purged from the archives and libraries, because it contains Lenin's April Theses, which repudiate the political basis of Stalin's Theory of Socialism in One Country and especially Stalin's Thesis of The Two-Stage Revolution (which is not surprising since Lenin based his geopolitical views at that time on the insights of his work «Imperialism: Capitalism's Highest Stage», which he wrote in 1916). And, besides that, the "Tasks" calls for "All Power to the Soviets!", whereas Stalin's Constitution of 1936 removed all effective independent power from the Soviets of Workers' and Peasants' Deputies. Leon Trotsky was the first, even before Hannah Arendt, to characterize Stalin's USSR as a totalitarian society. [2] This latter work also contains Trotsky's repudiation of the Theory of Bureaucratic Collectivism (a "third way" between capitalism and socialism), which was fictionalized by George Orwell in his novel «1984» as "The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism". [1] www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1917/apr/04.htm [2] www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1939/09/ussr-war.htm

In pictures Lenin was a mincy looking dude in a funny cap. Gotta hand it to the artists at the propaganda ministry. They made mincy look strong.

If Lenin hadn't been shot we would be living in a better world today. RIP VL

LENIN legacy for next millinium.

What is the name of the song in the "we need your support" bit at the start?

at about 13:34 or so, the face on the police man at the far left of the screen, he is one blocky S.O.A.B! I LOVE IT!

There is a statue of Lenin in Seattle, and another statue of Lenin in a casino in Las Vegas. It still has the bird sh*t on it.

There is a Lenin park in Helsinki, and a plaque on the building where he used to live there

8:58 nice.

Those leaders we're gods to their people.

The Tsar had already abdicated before the revolution. The reds were fighting against the white army of the Russian Provisional Government as Russia was already a republic.

Did Soviets dislike Germans? You should do a video about German relations with USSR

LMAO Lenin was Soviet Jesus. I love it. I find the USSR absolutely fascinating and cannot stop taking in information from great channels...one of those few being YOURS!

Hey Ushanka, can you post a link to that Lenin opera song? That was the catchiest propaganda song about a mass murdering revolutionary I’ve ever heard, haha.

Сергей - I bet some fanatics are complaining about your videos, and they are doing what they can to make sure you can’t make any money from them. The irony is hilarious because what you are doing is honest capitalism, which SHOULD please the fanatics. As you know, I studied Russian in college, and my teachers told me EXACTLY the same things you are saying now, so, you are telling the truth. I’m VERY impressed by how fair and truthful you are (fanatics don’t like fairness and truth).

Is there one of these about Beria?

nice

In Bulgaria there was a mavsuleum for Georgy Dimitriv but was denmoled in n 1999 :(

Because the origin myth was established, and based on Lenin. People were not loving him just because he was so cool, they were brainwashed by decades to do so.

...because he's cute and he's cuddly and ready to collectivize!

There is consensus: An expatriate Russian told me that after the Revolution, the communists sought to destroy the Orthodox church and Lenin became Christ. That is why they preserved Lenin's corpse in a glass sarcophagus, in the hope that he might be resurrected one day.

Long live Lenin! greetings from so-cal!

19:30 were those checkmarks blue by any chance?

Could you do a video about chess and its impact on Soviet culture?

It was said that Kim Il Sun had great admiration for the seemingly mindless level of devotion that Christians had with JC. I myself am a Christian and I am very aware of the seeming hypocrisy.

Excellent story telling!! Lenin died early and he did not want Stalin in the party as a successor. Sadly Lenin's notes before his death remained hidden and Stalin took over. We hope KZfaq enables monetisation of your videos!

I thought he died of venereal disease and it was kept secret because he had went a little mad at the end! I know I’ve heard that in many documentaries and I wondered if it was ever told to the people,i guess the poison bullet is a better story than he died from syphilis!

What is the first song called again. The one about lenin

"What would of it been like if Lenin lived longer?" Stalin would of made sure that didn't happen... if he wasn't behind Lenin's assassination attempt already.

Little history lesson. Lennon was exiled from Russia by the tsarist imperialist government around the turn of the century. I can't remember the exact date. Then after the death of the tsar the Germans sent him back and gave him a huge amount of money 'millions in today's economy' to start Pravda I think it was called. A newspaper that glorified a soviet socialist revolution against the 'white Russians'. Wich were a mix of imperialist and fascist. The Germans did this to create strife in Russia to keep them out of any wars. Wich did work after a few years. But boy did that backfire on the Germans lol.

Notice the paintings of Lenin with all of the children. All paintings, not photographs. Why? It is because the situations in the paintings never happened. Don't you think they would want photographs instead of paintings? Same thing in North Korea and China. Paintings up the ying yang of Mao, Kim Il Sung and Kim Jung Il. All paintings, no photos.

Sergei, the phrase you wanted was 'nom de guerre' - - - name for the war. Like Sputnikov, I'm guessing.

👏🙂

Lenin Lived and Lenin live and Lenin will Live

Now i understand why leonid brezhnev is not famous

Before watching the video, they loved Lenin because the media didn't report to the people what he actually did. I'll leave half the population in the West to be in denial that the media in modern times is doing the same thing with certain modern leaders.

Не зря памятники великому вождю в каждом городе стоят

20:50 "Rrrrr Must destroy capitalism! Rrrrrr rrrrrr."

4:00 TROLL GUY SPOTTED!!!!!

the singer at 4:05 looks like eduard khill ( aka mr trololo).. am i right?