Summary of Why I Left Russia And Can't Go Back

00:00:00 - 00:10:00

The speaker describes their experience of growing up in Russia and how they eventually decided to leave due to the country's hostile attitude toward the West. They suggest that understanding Russia requires history, and that Putin's own historical fantasies have led to Russia's current troubles.

• 00:00:00 The speaker tells the story of how, as a child in the 1980s, he felt Russia was out of step with the rest of the world. The country was undergoing a period of revolutionary collapse and life was tough. Western goods began to appear in the country, and in 1990, McDonald's opened. The speaker recounts the experience of queuing up for the restaurant's opening.
• 00:05:00 The author left Russia to pursue a better life, and the hostility toward the West has only gotten worse since. He suggests that understanding Russia requires history, and that Putin's own historical fantasies have led to Russia's current troubles.
• 00:10:00 The speaker relates their personal experiences of living in Russia and why they eventually decided to leave. They note the many changes that occurred over the centuries, from the prince Volodymyr to the tsars Catherine and Peter I, and discuss the continuity of Russian imperialism and autocracy. The video next shows how fear was a key motivator for Russian rulers, and how this has led to Russia's current status as a feared superpower.