Almost 30 minutes with no background music, no special effects, no fancy equipment. Just a man and his camera documenting reality - _this_ is real quality content
Totally agree! And he makes videos from the strangest places in the world, totally untouristic places. And he does it with a huge portion of humor, respect and love for the places and the pepole living there, unprententious style but still with lots of information and knowledge about the places.
And he doesn't start off by yelling 'what's happening, you guys?' Just talks normally - as though we're adults who don't need to be patronised. Love him.
I just love how Bald interacts with old people. He sees a babushka and immediately goes there, talks to her and buys her stuff. Thanks man, for always giving attention to old people. The world needs more humans like you.
Though incapable to separate Estonians from Babushkas. Saying Babushka to Estonian may imply, Hey you Russian. Estonians have: Tädike = Aunty (this way wont imply to age either), Memmeke = Granny (but sweet). Makes you see vid different after knowing
That same Babushka was selling things at that same spot in the train station when I was there in the winter two years ago. Glad to see she's still hustlin and getting those bags!
Yeah, I thought so too. :) Reminds me of when I was in the Hungarian countryside once. People are so welcoming and nice! Sure as hell would not have someone who would take a stroll and share stories with a stranger in my country. xD But one thing's for sure... When it happens, it's surely a beautiful moment. :)
Damn, wasn’t expecting my hometown Sillamäe at all. A friend of mine just sent me the video and I immediately rushed here to watch it. They were very interesting 28 minutes of my life, Ben, thank you.
@@realmart3451 actually there is a lot to do as a kid, I was attending music school for 7 years, tried practically every sport that is available in the city and was practicing them for several years each, each season there are sports tournaments between teams of every school in the city. When I was a teen, I would mostly just walk outside with my friends and play video games, also I would try to visit Tallinn almost every weekend to see some other friends. In the summer I worked at the дача of my grandparents so we could have fresh vegetables and fruits. There isn’t much to do if we talk about clubbing, going to the restaurants and so on, but I always had something interesting to do with my friends, we would just walk from one end of the city to another and it still was fun. Or go to the forest and prepare some food on an open fire. If I think about it, I actually did more crazy and exciting stuff in Sillamäe than I do in Tallinn atm :D
@@radizor when he went to visit the babushka in Belarus Chernobyl zone, he had to park his car and walk 20km to reach her house. He found someone to help him along the way. There were swamps. It’s making some of us viewers anxious how he finds his way back
If there's one thing that I can really appreciate, besides the actual content of course, it's that you *don't* beg viewers to "like and subscribe", as if we wouldn't when we like the video. You're the only big youtuber that I know that doesn't do that. Thank you!
In the UK we only get a few days a year where there's snow on the ground. It would cost more to buy the equipment to enable everything to work through the snow than shutting things down for 2-3 days.
yeah common folk just saying it like it is - Estonia was great in the Soviet Union, and then EU came and robbed it blind and now it is a deserted and dying country with no future.
This brings back memories. I met my wife-to-be in Tallinn, proposed to her in Sillamae where she lived at the time and worked as a neurologist (our pre-wedding party was at the Hotel Krunk). We took a day trip to Narva. The fortress there is fascinating and features a toilet on the upper floor that's open to the ground below; got a chuckle out of that. Bald should have taken a closer look at the fortress. It's open to tourists - or at least it was in the late Nineties.
@Italo-Celtic Brother, you are being very optimistic about the Russian Government. Yes, it pretends to be conservative, but in reality there are not that many other nations in the world that is being replaced as fast as Big Vlad replaces native Russians with new "Russianers". And just like in France, UK, Portugal, Belgium etc: if you dare to point that out - you're going to prison.
That Narva hotel brings back 2009 memories!!! Narva was the city I got into after literally walking out of Russia on a foggy morning after being detained the night before during a passport check when the bus I was in reached the border. My visa had expired for 2 hours and I was not allowed to leave Russia until I paid a fine the next morning. I remember walking straight into that very same hotel and being helped by the lovely receptionist who let me use her reception computer and internet so I could book a flight back to Vienna where I was attending last year of college (Erasmus). Great times!
Goes to Sillamae: nothing there except some old folks, everything's closed Goes to abandoned village: "how do you buy things?" "we travel to Sillamae" lmao
Sillamäe is town where Soviet Union made their first nuclear bomb. But local Estonian uranium ore is not enough good, so they brought uranium ore from Siberia. The factory still exists and it produce rare earth metals.
Same will happen to USA. Some big cities in USA looks way way worse that post Soviet areas. Like Los Angeles or Detroit. Shit holes. All ruled by democrats.
I am a guy from Lithuania and I can say that your videos are exciting and entertaining. I especially like when you are talking to the older people and they tell how it was back in the day of the places which you visit. You should also visit Lithuania and Latvia. These places have very beautiful and interesting places as well.
My last surviving friend from my decade of cancer/transplant, and recovery, died less than two weeks ago. Her name was Christine Anderson (over the years we encouraged each other, but I failed to ever ask her maiden name). Christine’s mother was from Estonia, and she visited her family there many times in these past few years until she could travel no more. Her extended family there greeted her with open arms, and it proved to be the best part of her life. What a beautiful place, indeed. Please join me in pausing to remember her in reverence - she was one of the finest human beings I ever knew. Thank you Bald for bringing us there.🌿🙏🏼🧣
Bald you're lucky to have experienced such a rare sight of seeing a Gopnik in February since the thin abibas tracksuits make them hibernate for most of the winter.
That town is basically perfect for filming a movie, it's like a set that has taken millions of dollars and years to create and it's just waiting for a film crew to show up and shoot something epic!!
The sock selling grandma is actually quite sad. A lady of her age having to sell socks near a train station in the cold to get by or even make some extra money is really depressing if you think about it
yes and no. my grandma didn't need the money, but after she was too weak to work the garden, she needed something to do - so she sold stuff in the next town over, even in winter.
The bit you did when on the border of Estonia and Russia was a very emotional one. I've been watching your videos for quite a while now and you opened a window to a world I never knew existed. Being from Brazil, there's so much we learn about the old Soviet Union and Russia. But your speech about Russians, contrasting them to their leaders, showed how much you truly care for them, their culture, and history. Thank you for your videos, man.
This guy's authentic, he doesn't give a $#!t if you like or subscribe. He is not in it for money. He genuinely loves what he is doing, and so do all of us.
it's like my Sundays in London. I've been buying coffee from the same person for the last 7 months and she still doesn't understand me when I order a latte.
@@mogun34 It can come just from someone who didnt experienced it or naive westerners. Comunist where the same bloody like Nazies. No difference. We had them for 40 years. What is left is disapeared people and blood.
Bald and Bankrupt is an absolute historian who seems so passionate about the Russian people.. Best vlogger on You tube by a country mile. Every vid is an absolute pleasure to watch, long may it continue 🇬🇧🇪🇪🇷🇺
Your channel is interesting as it teaches us something, you show things I would otherwise never see and you use lots of humor. I love your channel so much, it's perfect!
I really liked that you bought the socks from the grandma there, even if you did not actually need that sock, you bought because it was sold by a babushka. Those 10 Euros would be much needed for that lady. The world needs more people like you. Thanks for buying that socks!!
I think the most eerie part is how good most of that village looks despite everything being abandoned. I mean those steps are in great shape, most things are painted, nothing tipped over.
Sillamäe is actually not a village, tho. It's the No.9 biggest city / town in Estonia (by population, 2015) 😂😂 Jõhvi is No. 13/14 and Narva is No. 3 😃 So these are fairly major population centres by Estonian standards 😄😭
@@julianshepherd2038 those are all original buildings, some facades are renovated but yes. A little reminder - we Estonians got our independence in 1991.
@@Taevasilm Yeah like you can't just demolish all the soviet buildings and build new ones in 30 years. My local football stadium in Vilnius is getting planned for 15 years! Planned not even built.
Bald is the most interesting thing on TH-cam by a country mile love the way he interacts with the locals and the babushkas he loves the old soviet stuff keep it going Ben absolutely fantastic !
When growing up in Russia I used to visit my babushka who lived in Ivangorod. Very close to the border of Estonia. I used to look out the window and see Estonia and it looked liked a completely different world. The grass literally looked greener on the other side
No Way! I was born in Narva and grew up for a little in Ivangorod and still go back all the time. Ivangorod is now like a ghost town :( I agree with you about the grass being greener, immediately crossing over to Narva, everything is nicer.
It seems like you didnt eat anything on day 1. Bald, pls include where and how you find food on the cities you go too. That is one of the important and interesting things when it comes to traveling
I have to say, it is very refreshing to see a British man being appreciative of European, East-European countries. Having lived for five years plus in the UK, I have rarely met people like you. You seem to be quite friendly with the natives, too. Very well done!
Last year I went to Narva and got stranded when the train broke down, met some locals and they drove me all the way back to Tallinn. We love Estonia 🇪🇪
@@this.is.berlin well i am a Swedish speaking fin but i know finnish. And yes, Estonian sounds really similar. They seem like the same language. If a Finnish person would listen to an Estonian conversation they would probaly understand a lot and probaly have an idea of what the conversation is about. A lot of words are identical and some are very similar. Even Estonian words that are completely diferent from the Finnish ones sound like they could be finnish. I was really suprised when i first went to Estonia beacuse of how similar the language was. As a tourist who didn't speak Estonian i could just ask a question in Finnish and people would understand what i asked.
@@codrinn9999 depends on the teachers more often than not, a good teacher can take a bad student and make them a good student. A teacher like Bald would make learning fun, and you learn best when you are having fun doing it.
Usually Finnish tourists only visit Tallinn. It's interesting to see what else there is in Estonia and now I'd like to go there and explore the country further.
Cheers for sharing this video! I was born in the U.K. but my dad, and his half of the family, are Estonians and I’ve never had the chance to visit so this was an amazing watch!
Intertesting how this town was like heaven for this old man "just" because there was enough food and a variety to choose from. Guess the secret to a good life is just to be happy with the simplest things.
@@2003Aidas what do you mean non of them? Most of young population of all Baltic states scattered anywhere they could. During ussr their population doubled, now they're 100 years back.
Hey bald, I’m not sure you’ll even see this because of how popular your videos are and the sheer volume of comments on them that probably accumulate in a very short amount of time, but if you read this by chance, I have a very selfish request of you. My ancestors were German farmers in Ukraine, in a small town called Hoffnungstahl in Odessa. The town is now called Tsebrykove, and since you seem to like visiting small villages, visiting this place might be right up your alley, and it would give me a glimpse of my ancestral motherland. Cheers, and keep making great videos
This video took me back. My first ever trip to Estonia was in February 2008 in similar conditions, and I fell in love with the country (not just Tallinn), and it was also my first visit to 'Eastern' (I know it's technically Nordic) Europe, and I've gone on to discover much more since. Cheers Bald.
@Chidori457 it’s doing my head in mate. It makes me feel claustrophobic just thinking about the way we are going. There is only one way of thinking now, if you think like me and you we get treated like 2nd class citizens. I just hope and pray that we start to push back. We can’t give up yet. You got that prick of a priest slagging off Tom Moore who fought for their fuckin freedoms and yet I am hearing more about some racist backlash he has received. He started it by slagging off white people.
Damn bald thanks to you I’ve started to study Russian as an autodidact, I’m trying to embrace the language and the culture and you are really a big motivation keep it up man!
Seeing how you are so close by, would you go check out the regions Finland lost to the Soviets after the war? I've always wanted to see what it's like in Karjala these days.
@@thatdude123 and why are you so sensitive? Should we have to lie because it may hurts some people? He only say he pronounce it wrong. Should he must say. "No no you pronouncing it correctly?"
Can't really imagine anything more entertaining, educating, emotionally touching thing like your videos. I hope once you came to Hungary and discover all these type of little gems and "easter eggs" what the Soviet Union left in my beloved country.
11:09 the old man reminiscing about years past and expressing his discontent with how things are now contrasts with the children playing and laughing in the background
The 33B bus from Sillamäe to Narva via Viivikonna was still running four times a day pre-virus, apparently, although that may have been cut back. Looks like Ben was happy to enjoy a long walk in the scenic snow, though. : )
I giggled when he said that European democracies care about its citizens. Read up the Swedish constitution, the Swedish "bill of rights". Its pretty funny.
I know...I'm a former architect and all I see here is potential potential and more potential! I'd absolutely love to visit this place...I'm an e-citizen of Estonia....I have to go...aaarrrggghhh!!!
Watching your videos for a long time and today I was shocked, when I saw a title "Estonia".. I'm from Tallinn myself.. Very cool to see so well known places) Thank you for visiting us.. Have a nice journey!
Almost 30 minutes with no background music, no special effects, no fancy equipment. Just a man and his camera documenting reality - _this_ is real quality content
That’s the best thing about bald, just 100% content and no unnecessary frills. Makes it seem like you’re there.
Real history... Lets play this again in 100 years...
Only 10sec. with street musician
Totally agree! And he makes videos from the strangest places in the world, totally untouristic places. And he does it with a huge portion of humor, respect and love for the places and the pepole living there, unprententious style but still with lots of information and knowledge about the places.
And he doesn't start off by yelling 'what's happening, you guys?' Just talks normally - as though we're adults who don't need to be patronised. Love him.
I just love how Bald interacts with old people. He sees a babushka and immediately goes there, talks to her and buys her stuff. Thanks man, for always giving attention to old people.
The world needs more humans like you.
Though incapable to separate Estonians from Babushkas. Saying Babushka to Estonian may imply, Hey you Russian. Estonians have: Tädike = Aunty (this way wont imply to age either), Memmeke = Granny (but sweet). Makes you see vid different after knowing
Babushka are the most important
Agree wholeheartedly.
Bald might think babushka is a third gender!
That same Babushka was selling things at that same spot in the train station when I was there in the winter two years ago. Glad to see she's still hustlin and getting those bags!
Don't think she is getting bags.
are you going to let a sock-selling babushka out-hustle you!?
The conversation with that old man in Sillamae was pure gold!
The old dude talking about the food was so sweet.
Yummy
Yeah, I thought so too. :) Reminds me of when I was in the Hungarian countryside once. People are so welcoming and nice! Sure as hell would not have someone who would take a stroll and share stories with a stranger in my country. xD But one thing's for sure... When it happens, it's surely a beautiful moment. :)
Yess))
In the Soviet Union Caviar was only a few Kopeks, you could buy ot for pocket change. Now it's almost 20 Euro for even a small can. Capitalism sucks.
@@levvy3006 lol Russia is not capitalism lol its Mafia have you even watched the video and listened to Bald?????
Damn, wasn’t expecting my hometown Sillamäe at all. A friend of mine just sent me the video and I immediately rushed here to watch it. They were very interesting 28 minutes of my life, Ben, thank you.
What the fu k do you guys even do in Sillamäe
Love from Rakvere
@@realmart3451 wtf do you do in Rakvere?
love from Pärnu
@@realmart3451 actually there is a lot to do as a kid, I was attending music school for 7 years, tried practically every sport that is available in the city and was practicing them for several years each, each season there are sports tournaments between teams of every school in the city. When I was a teen, I would mostly just walk outside with my friends and play video games, also I would try to visit Tallinn almost every weekend to see some other friends. In the summer I worked at the дача of my grandparents so we could have fresh vegetables and fruits. There isn’t much to do if we talk about clubbing, going to the restaurants and so on, but I always had something interesting to do with my friends, we would just walk from one end of the city to another and it still was fun. Or go to the forest and prepare some food on an open fire. If I think about it, I actually did more crazy and exciting stuff in Sillamäe than I do in Tallinn atm :D
@@wemit. а там у вас эстонско и русскоговорящие часто между собой на английском общаются ?
@@lulzyboy wtf do u do in Pärnu?
Love from Alpharetta, Ga
I don’t know why I get more concerned over Bald finding a hotel room or transport back to cities than he does!
@@ncole9299 where
My thoughts exactly.
@@radizor when he went to visit the babushka in Belarus Chernobyl zone, he had to park his car and walk 20km to reach her house. He found someone to help him along the way. There were swamps.
It’s making some of us viewers anxious how he finds his way back
I think he sees it as a challenge!
I was thinking the same thing. Man could freeze to death. Have a phone but not knowing who to call or even how to explain where you are at
If there's one thing that I can really appreciate, besides the actual content of course, it's that you *don't* beg viewers to "like and subscribe", as if we wouldn't when we like the video. You're the only big youtuber that I know that doesn't do that. Thank you!
Agreed, when I hear "SMASH THAT SUBSCRIBE BUTTON!!!" it's already not going to happen.
I know you didn't need those socks but you bought them simply out of kindness of your heart. Thank you, Benjamin ♥️
I disagree, he looked very comfy wearing them on train!))
@@olevet75 And handmade babushka socks! They've gotta be good!
They look awesome!
So jealous of those socks. It’s going to be below freezing where I live and they look so warm and lovely.
I'd buy the shit out of those socks!
If the UK had 10% of that snow.....every train would be cancelled. Beautiful country that deserves more visitors.
In the UK we only get a few days a year where there's snow on the ground. It would cost more to buy the equipment to enable everything to work through the snow than shutting things down for 2-3 days.
Its very rare to have that kind of snow in estonia tho, the last to winters here had decent snow only for like 5 days
If a snowflake falls in Texas school gets canceled 😂
Not in Scotland though. Or at least not in the highlands.
Yeah let's rephrase that if England had 10% of that snow.... We are very used to that kind of snow in Scotland.
From the comfort of my humble home and my depressed bank account I can travel the world wit mr bald thank u man
Exactly my thought. Who needs to travel nowadays? :-)
@@svenolofandersson2572 still gotta get out there ! :)
I concur sir
Protect yourself against money printing by buying uncensorable assets. Thank me later.
Babushka's Secrets:
pg.1
_I didn't really make the socks._
@@PollyDrom oh
@@PollyDrom и что это меняет? Носки то всё равно сделаны не вручную. Бабушка зарабатывает на жизь перепродавая носки.
You really can't beat content like this. Showing people the real world, teaching us and doing so brilliantly. Fantastic as usual.
yeah common folk just saying it like it is - Estonia was great in the Soviet Union, and then EU came and robbed it blind and now it is a deserted and dying country with no future.
Watch BBC and CNN - you'll see the ground reality behind every country.
@@AFA111 BBC and CNN??? Lol thanks but no
@@sergeyohotskiy6714 yeah If you Are a russian and dont want to learn estonian then sure lol..otherwise most stupid thing Ive Ever heard
5:20 BOYZ IN THE HOOD lol. didn't realise he was in Compton side of Estonia
This brings back memories. I met my wife-to-be in Tallinn, proposed to her in Sillamae where she lived at the time and worked as a neurologist (our pre-wedding party was at the Hotel Krunk). We took a day trip to Narva. The fortress there is fascinating and features a toilet on the upper floor that's open to the ground below; got a chuckle out of that. Bald should have taken a closer look at the fortress. It's open to tourists - or at least it was in the late Nineties.
*Sillamäe
Wasn't it a Swedish fortress? I remember reading something about that, and anyway Estonia used to be a Swedish possession in the 1600s.
@@andrejhofer2007 According to Wikipedia it's Danish not Swedish. They started to build a fortress there in 1200-1300s.
@@Koopa3000 Oh ok. I do remember that Denmark also had possessions in Estonia back in midieval times.
@@andrejhofer2007 Tallinn literally comes from the meaning of "Danish Castle" or "Danish Town", basically meaning "Da-town" in Estonian in that sense.
Go to Kopli for instant good friends. Bring vodka.
if you have a deathwish*
Always keep a bottle in the freezer and under the bed
collab needed - life of bankrupt
Yes collab
Wow didn't knew real life of boris also watch bald & bankrupt
Ive never heard Bald go off on the Russian government like that. On point
@Italo-Celtic defends by forced oppression
@Italo-Celtic
The Russian government also participates in widespread embezzlement and open corruption. Navalny is a hero.
@Italo-Celtic Brother, you are being very optimistic about the Russian Government. Yes, it pretends to be conservative, but in reality there are not that many other nations in the world that is being replaced as fast as Big Vlad replaces native Russians with new "Russianers". And just like in France, UK, Portugal, Belgium etc: if you dare to point that out - you're going to prison.
@@ShrivledAlienLol Navalny is paid NATO agent
@@shashankkolhe4111
Do you have proof?
That Narva hotel brings back 2009 memories!!! Narva was the city I got into after literally walking out of Russia on a foggy morning after being detained the night before during a passport check when the bus I was in reached the border.
My visa had expired for 2 hours and I was not allowed to leave Russia until I paid a fine the next morning.
I remember walking straight into that very same hotel and being helped by the lovely receptionist who let me use her reception computer and internet so I could book a flight back to Vienna where I was attending last year of college (Erasmus). Great times!
Oh my god WTF?
erasmus in rotterdam?
Cool story.
And you weren´t arrested? Just paid a fine? In the US you´d be shot.
A fine or 'a fine' ?
Goes to Sillamae: nothing there except some old folks, everything's closed
Goes to abandoned village: "how do you buy things?" "we travel to Sillamae" lmao
Thought the exact same thing
Only that he was in Viivikonna🤦♂️
@@ingeborgm6147 haha sant d! 😂
was it bombed by the germans no the Russians
bald was speechless🤣
I’m convinced by the amount of soviet places he has visited to that’s he is on the MI6 watchlist
@Kevin S yea lol, not on the list, on the roster.
He is from mi6
Agent B.
Benjamin
Bald
Bankrupt
Especially when he’s been to every mercenary country on the map 🤣
KGB got Agent Bald's back, no worries citizens.
Sillamäe is town where Soviet Union made their first nuclear bomb. But local Estonian uranium ore is not enough good, so they brought uranium ore from Siberia. The factory still exists and it produce rare earth metals.
Bald is literally documenting all of the old Soviet areas and people who remember that era before it all disappears.
I think you really are onto something here
yeah give him the nobel peace prize...
@@tori6506 lots of Tartarian architecture still around....🤔🙂👍🏻
It's disappearing for good. Capturing it is still good doe and def enjoyable to watch
Same will happen to USA. Some big cities in USA looks way way worse that post Soviet areas. Like Los Angeles or Detroit. Shit holes. All ruled by democrats.
I am a guy from Lithuania and I can say that your videos are exciting and entertaining. I especially like when you are talking to the older people and they tell how it was back in the day of the places which you visit. You should also visit Lithuania and Latvia. These places have very beautiful and interesting places as well.
My last surviving friend from my decade of cancer/transplant, and recovery, died less than two weeks ago. Her name was Christine Anderson (over the years we encouraged each other, but I failed to ever ask her maiden name). Christine’s mother was from Estonia, and she visited her family there many times in these past few years until she could travel no more. Her extended family there greeted her with open arms, and it proved to be the best part of her life. What a beautiful place, indeed. Please join me in pausing to remember her in reverence - she was one of the finest human beings I ever knew. Thank you Bald for bringing us there.🌿🙏🏼🧣
@ Marc ❤️💐
Very moving stuff mate.....consider that pause for reverence done!!
I really like how you get first-person history from locals. The older people telling anecdotes from their lives... Well done!
Bald you're lucky to have experienced such a rare sight of seeing a Gopnik in February since the thin abibas tracksuits make them hibernate for most of the winter.
That town is basically perfect for filming a movie, it's like a set that has taken millions of dollars and years to create and it's just waiting for a film crew to show up and shoot something epic!!
true
Tennet was filmed here.
It gives me old world vampire vibes
"Who gives you the permission to film here?" XD
@@Zitrolika The EU gives permission.
He is back boysss!!!
The sock selling grandma is actually quite sad. A lady of her age having to sell socks near a train station in the cold to get by or even make some extra money is really depressing if you think about it
yes and no. my grandma didn't need the money, but after she was too weak to work the garden, she needed something to do - so she sold stuff in the next town over, even in winter.
Perhaps she doesn't want to be idle and depend on welfare.....
Yes, she is looking very sad.
The bit you did when on the border of Estonia and Russia was a very emotional one. I've been watching your videos for quite a while now and you opened a window to a world I never knew existed. Being from Brazil, there's so much we learn about the old Soviet Union and Russia. But your speech about Russians, contrasting them to their leaders, showed how much you truly care for them, their culture, and history. Thank you for your videos, man.
that was about the soviet past not today Russia, if u didnt get it
I'm from Australia. I didn't learn much about the user at all. Bald's videos make me wish I had looked into it sooner.
@@Orlington17 i think you'll have to rewatch that ... wait i'll give you the timestamp: 18:29
@@Orlington17 pretty sure you completely misunderstood him. He's talking about the rulers since independence, which includes current ones
Ben had better stay in ground floor hotel rooms in Russia after that. Putin does not take kindly to criticism... ~
So cool the fact that he interacts with random people to find out their story and the history of the town
Mi-ar plăcea să vină și prin România dar nu știu dacă o să se întâmple
Just like you do in role playing games! xD
It's a real talent. What makes his channel better than all the other travel vlogs out there
I appreciate no annoying intros or the usual “like this video and subscribe” comment.
I was just thinking the same. One big reason for his success.
This guy's authentic, he doesn't give a $#!t if you like or subscribe. He is not in it for money. He genuinely loves what he is doing, and so do all of us.
Yup, he gets straight to the point... *pure content*
Man really had to walk 10 miles to the highway all for an abandoned soviet town.... legend.
I will never ever get tired of this man saying "Soviet" !!!
you mean "...reminiscent of the places we've been before together in the former USSR"
Brand ambesader of soviet...
"You know Sillamäe?"
"What?"
"Sillamäe."
"Aah, you mean Sillamäe"
it's like my Sundays in London. I've been buying coffee from the same person for the last 7 months and she still doesn't understand me when I order a latte.
lol I lived in Denmark for a couple of years and that exchange sums up my whole experience
he fuckin said Sallimäe
In russian it is just pronounce in other way. Like sillamjae
@@szejkox do they say it different in england?
I am a simple Lithuanian, I see Baltics, I click like 🇪🇪🇱🇻🇱🇹
Labas
Hello from Estonia & Finland
Lots of love from Italy! Love the baltics 😁
I am a simple Latvian and I love Baltic countries :)
Lithuanian. The older I get more Į fall in love with my homecountry
Wow the trains look super modern, even more than ours in Germany
as an estonian fan and a bald fan, i have never clicked on anything faster
Kiitos
Jussi Pekkonen i am
When we needed him the most, he returned.
"Train to Narva" sound's like a movie title
Who would direct? Hitchcock, Kubrik, or Ron Howard?
@@carlosbaja678 Maby Pusjkin? Or Dostojevskij?
My aunt and uncle had a horse named Narva. Never knew it was also a town. 😃
haha like a rip-off of train to Busan?
document movie title: train from narva to siberia
Damn it, as a Yovi citizen, I'm impressed how good you are at Russian, I'm not talking about accent, I'm talking about emotions and pauses in words
Yovi, lol. The butchering of the name kills me :D
He's a spy
When bald's life comes to an end, he won't go to heaven or hell - he will go back in time to the soviet union.
He will go to GULAG where he can forever admire soviet sink
So Hell then
Soviet Union is Communist Paradise and Heaven!
So basically heaven! Long live USSR! big love from Turkey's Communists
@@mogun34 It can come just from someone who didnt experienced it or naive westerners. Comunist where the same bloody like Nazies. No difference. We had them for 40 years. What is left is disapeared people and blood.
Bald and Bankrupt is an absolute historian who seems so passionate about the Russian people.. Best vlogger on You tube by a country mile. Every vid is an absolute pleasure to watch, long may it continue 🇬🇧🇪🇪🇷🇺
Well, but going to Estonia and praising the Russians is like going to Poland and praising the Germans. 😃
@@eily_b I dont think he praised the russians here
Your channel is interesting as it teaches us something, you show things I would otherwise never see and you use lots of humor. I love your channel so much, it's perfect!
Tallinn is a beautiful city to see in the Winter! My first time in 5 years not visiting this month
Привет, Билли!=)
Why you not come brother? Virus?
I've been there once on a trip a few years ago. Very beautiful city and friendly people
100% agree. I went there in January 2 years ago, I was really impressed by how modern and at the same time medieval the city is.
@@Coldbreezed Unfortunately Europe's travel restrictions for US citizens will not allow it
I'm a simple Latvian. I see our brothers Estonians, I click like
You people speak same language right?
@@ThePhoenix109 they have very different language
both are finno-ugric languages but very different
@@Kallogee Latvian is indoeuropean in the balto-slavic branch, not finn-ugric.
@@zhalt123 my bad, livonian is the latvian branch of finno-ugrics
Welcome to the Baltics, Bald! Greetings from Lithuania
Baltics unite!
I really liked that you bought the socks from the grandma there, even if you did not actually need that sock, you bought because it was sold by a babushka. Those 10 Euros would be much needed for that lady. The world needs more people like you. Thanks for buying that socks!!
I think the most eerie part is how good most of that village looks despite everything being abandoned. I mean those steps are in great shape, most things are painted, nothing tipped over.
A testament to the Estonians.
It appears that the last person did indeed shut the door on the way out
Sillamäe is actually not a village, tho. It's the No.9 biggest city / town in Estonia (by population, 2015) 😂😂
Jõhvi is No. 13/14 and Narva is No. 3 😃
So these are fairly major population centres by Estonian standards 😄😭
I love it when U talk to locals. Especially when they r old and have alot to tell about. Especially about how it was in the Soviet times.
Holy shit my hometown. Damn would have never thought
Is it all original are some of those buildings rebuilds from the USSR days?
haha same, lets find him xD
@@julianshepherd2038 those are all original buildings, some facades are renovated but yes. A little reminder - we Estonians got our independence in 1991.
@@Taevasilm Yeah like you can't just demolish all the soviet buildings and build new ones in 30 years. My local football stadium in Vilnius is getting planned for 15 years! Planned not even built.
@@SERBIAZ true
Bald is the most interesting thing on TH-cam by a country mile love the way he interacts with the locals and the babushkas he loves the old soviet stuff keep it going Ben absolutely fantastic !
lmfao how everyone lights up a cig soon as they get off the train
A breath of "fresh" air after submerssion 😂
When growing up in Russia I used to visit my babushka who lived in Ivangorod. Very close to the border of Estonia. I used to look out the window and see Estonia and it looked liked a completely different world. The grass literally looked greener on the other side
No Way! I was born in Narva and grew up for a little in Ivangorod and still go back all the time. Ivangorod is now like a ghost town :( I agree with you about the grass being greener, immediately crossing over to Narva, everything is nicer.
I really appreciate that you talk to the locals. This what travelling is about.
Exactly my thoughts, locals can tell you history you wouldn't find in books and describe the feels.
Hope he will continue to do so :3
@@feldmuis There's doubting that he will continue to do it!
If they’re to be found !
It seems like you didnt eat anything on day 1. Bald, pls include where and how you find food on the cities you go too. That is one of the important and interesting things when it comes to traveling
I have to say, it is very refreshing to see a British man being appreciative of European, East-European countries. Having lived for five years plus in the UK, I have rarely met people like you. You seem to be quite friendly with the natives, too. Very well done!
when will you learn geography? it is north country
@@songrada1 I honestly had no idea. I'm from Romania. I've only traveled to Bulgaria, Greece and UK. :)
we are European as well... just because we don't really like the EU doesn't mean we don't like Europe.
@@lewistaylor2858 Let's see what will happen with United Kingdom after Scotland and N.Ireland will follow EU 🇪🇺
@@mihaimihai4925 errr no they won’t they are part of the U.K. lol
Last year I went to Narva and got stranded when the train broke down, met some locals and they drove me all the way back to Tallinn. We love Estonia 🇪🇪
2 minutes in and we find the source of Bernies gloves.
Underrated comment
Bernie in cahoots with the russians
Yes, I thought about Bernie’s mittens as well.
please stop
Bernie is really a Russian babushka spy
I really want to see him playing geoguessr someday
We love Estonia! Greetings from Finland!
How similar are the languages? Do you understand each other?
@@this.is.berlin well i am a Swedish speaking fin but i know finnish. And yes, Estonian sounds really similar.
They seem like the same language.
If a Finnish person would listen to an Estonian conversation they would probaly understand a lot and probaly have an idea of what the conversation is about.
A lot of words are identical and some are very similar.
Even Estonian words that are completely diferent from the Finnish ones sound like they could be finnish.
I was really suprised when i first went to Estonia beacuse of how similar the language was.
As a tourist who didn't speak Estonian i could just ask a question in Finnish and people would understand what i asked.
@@williamsmeds1368 Its same with the Norwegians and Swedish, especially in the north.
I'm a simple Latvian. I see Estonia, I like.
I had the great privilege to live in your country for a few years, was absolutely lovely!
What are the relations between the baltic countries?
I'm a simple Lithuanian. I see Baltic's, I like.
@@dababy9442 pretty good
Oh you latvian?
Name every potato
I really need to travel more.
didnt expect to see u here
@@stepanpoljakov7221 lol I love this channel
@@THEKITPLUG I live in Estonia lol
@@stepanpoljakov7221 It looks like a beautiful place.
@@THEKITPLUG in certain places, in certain time )
I never thought there'd be a man wearing a neon green hat, walking around Eastern Estonia.
"Let's see if they've got a room"
...
"Fuck"
Lmao
Best part of this video
5:20 BOYZ IN THE HOOD lol. didn't realise he was in Compton side of Estonia
"Krunk" )))
I’ve learned more about history watching this dude then I ever learned in school
Well, you did a mediocre job at learning at school then
Distorted Russian and procommunist propaganda
imagine thinking school provides learning
@@codrinn9999 depends on the teachers more often than not, a good teacher can take a bad student and make them a good student. A teacher like Bald would make learning fun, and you learn best when you are having fun doing it.
Never fails to crack me up, how the English speaking foreigners pronounce Estonian or Finnish places, cities etc.
Lol, Jovi was a nice replacement of Jõhvi.
Didn't quite handle the Ä 😄 but I mean how could he without any prior knowledge of the language.
You don't want to visit Joevee?
@@eksiarvamus Jovi, the birth place of Bon Jovi.
@@ilarious5729 Yep, not blaming them, since these languages are so unique. But still, I find it funny every time.
18:55 I believe this is the reason why Bald was banned from Russia
As a finnish guy this was really interesting to hear these things about our neighbour country
Usually Finnish tourists only visit Tallinn. It's interesting to see what else there is in Estonia and now I'd like to go there and explore the country further.
Petition for Bald to go to the north of Norway near the Russian border
A location that’s always interested me when looking at maps. Good shout
This is too cold spot for English man
Finland Russia border! The people are basically the same, just a different language (and government)
Finally something about my country
came to the comments specifically looking for you! Love both your channels man!
Was expecting you
ARTHURRRRRRRRRRRRRR
make a reaction Artur! :)
Good to see ya here, my man.
I really like the Eesti flag , blue black white !!!!! 🇪🇪
The old man told the most captivating story ever lol
Yes! I too enjoy salami, butter and caviar.
Greeting from Lithuania 🇱🇹 ❄️-23 today
Nice weather
Greetings from Colorado, USA
-25 near Moletai, finally some real winter in LT. :)
UK here l believe we're experience your cold wind right now ❄️🤣
65F in the Southwest of the USA today. Warmer than normal.
Cheers for sharing this video! I was born in the U.K. but my dad, and his half of the family, are Estonians and I’ve never had the chance to visit so this was an amazing watch!
Old chair: *exists*
Bald: LOOK AT THIS SOVIET CHAIR
😁😁😁👍
Intertesting how this town was like heaven for this old man "just" because there was enough food and a variety to choose from. Guess the secret to a good life is just to be happy with the simplest things.
are you american? if you aren't happy with life it's probably because your media and government doesn't want you to be.
Interestinc, that those russians living in Estonia, they say life is bad now...bot none of them wants to go back home
@@2003Aidas what do you mean non of them? Most of young population of all Baltic states scattered anywhere they could. During ussr their population doubled, now they're 100 years back.
@@forgottenmusic1 how you gonna move to another country if you're retired with small pension?
@@ytcensorship1401 Fuck off you Kremlin shill!
I love it how all day he didn’t wear sunglasses but in his hotel bed he is
I came to the comments to see if somebody mentioned this. I didn't have to go very far!
@@johncoolberg Sure. But he was only wearing them while inside his hotel room, while in bed about to read.
Went to bed early like a child instead of finding a bar and ladies
@@tommykarate5126 like there is a bar with young ladies where he was
he had just took an acid haha thats why
Hey bald, I’m not sure you’ll even see this because of how popular your videos are and the sheer volume of comments on them that probably accumulate in a very short amount of time, but if you read this by chance, I have a very selfish request of you. My ancestors were German farmers in Ukraine, in a small town called Hoffnungstahl in Odessa. The town is now called Tsebrykove, and since you seem to like visiting small villages, visiting this place might be right up your alley, and it would give me a glimpse of my ancestral motherland. Cheers, and keep making great videos
This video took me back. My first ever trip to Estonia was in February 2008 in similar conditions, and I fell in love with the country (not just Tallinn), and it was also my first visit to 'Eastern' (I know it's technically Nordic) Europe, and I've gone on to discover much more since. Cheers Bald.
What a joy it was to see my favourite vlogger in my own hood. Hes probably the only brit, whos been to Sillamäe in 50 years.
I was there 20 years ago ;)
I moved there in 2024 to get away from all the snowflakes that are in charge of my country telling me what to think and do.
@@nathanmoore7120 2024?
@Chidori457 it’s doing my head in mate. It makes me feel claustrophobic just thinking about the way we are going. There is only one way of thinking now, if you think like me and you we get treated like 2nd class citizens.
I just hope and pray that we start to push back. We can’t give up yet.
You got that prick of a priest slagging off Tom Moore who fought for their fuckin freedoms and yet I am hearing more about some racist backlash he has received. He started it by slagging off white people.
@@JohnCena-kn9tv I was messing around mate! I was making the point - Living in the UK is becoming a nanny state!
It's year 2025. The host has still not gotten to the end of Babushka's Secrets.
Its Year 2025 and Most of The World Is Like SILAMAE
I really enjoyed my visit to Tallinn.The Estonians are such industrious people. I wish them well.
Damn bald thanks to you I’ve started to study Russian as an autodidact, I’m trying to embrace the language and the culture and you are really a big motivation keep it up man!
Удачи
Seeing how you are so close by, would you go check out the regions Finland lost to the Soviets after the war? I've always wanted to see what it's like in Karjala these days.
Would be so nice ❤️ from 🇫🇮
The lady who could understand where you wanted to get a ticket to is amazing : D
He pronounced the names so wrong.
@@marguskiis7711 At least he's trying. Damn what happened to people's humanity?
Would have been better if he'd got a 🍻 Instead
@@thatdude123 and why are you so sensitive? Should we have to lie because it may hurts some people? He only say he pronounce it wrong. Should he must say. "No no you pronouncing it correctly?"
@@popeofdope6468 I'm not trying to be sensitive but sheesh people, at least he's trying to have a better pronunciation and shit.
Loving the fact that you read bubuska's secrets with a babushka's homemade socks on. Very soviet 10/10
Soviet bad
@@littlerussianmax5831 cringe
Wow, if I'm being honest Estonia looks a lot nicer than I might've imagined. Hope I can visit some day.
I'm a simple Latvian. I see Estonia, I upvote
im a simple lithuanian. i see estonia i upvote too.
@@1001-g4d im a simple4 estonian. i see lithuanians and i befriend.
Hahaha! Don't remain simple - eat more fish, keep developing, guys..))
Greetings from Saaremaa.
Can't really imagine anything more entertaining, educating, emotionally touching thing like your videos. I hope once you came to Hungary and discover all these type of little gems and "easter eggs" what the Soviet Union left in my beloved country.
Don't let the european union destroy your country too.
estonia has one of the best looking flags imo
Agreed
11:09
the old man reminiscing about years past and expressing his discontent with how things are now contrasts with the children playing and laughing in the background
Just watched this in the morning and then, during lunchtime, caught you crossing the street near Tondi station :)
Bald is such a good story teller, like a f***ing funny history teacher!
people say he is still on his walk back to this day.
The 33B bus from Sillamäe to Narva via Viivikonna was still running four times a day pre-virus, apparently, although that may have been cut back. Looks like Ben was happy to enjoy a long walk in the scenic snow, though. : )
Why does Babushka's Secrets makes me think of Victoria's Secret. 😂
Bald: censors “prick”
Also bald: “Fuck, a little snow just went down my neck”
I giggled when he said that European democracies care about its citizens.
Read up the Swedish constitution, the Swedish "bill of rights". Its pretty funny.
Beast mode
@@nr1NPC never been to sweden but the average citizen there must live quite better than in many other countries
I think he said cunts
@@nr1NPC swedish laws are fucked up in many aspects
I'm getting nostalgia for places I've never visited, in a time that I didn't even exist.
@@karlilisson5449 DEAD
I know...I'm a former architect and all I see here is potential potential and more potential!
I'd absolutely love to visit this place...I'm an e-citizen of Estonia....I have to go...aaarrrggghhh!!!
There’s a Welsh word for that, can’t remember what it’s called but it starts with H.
Sending love to Estonia from Georgia(Caucasus). Tallinn is so pretty! Would love to visit!
Same back at ya! Georgia and the other Caucasian countries have been on my “to visit” list for such a long time ❤️
Watching your videos for a long time and today I was shocked, when I saw a title "Estonia".. I'm from Tallinn myself.. Very cool to see so well known places) Thank you for visiting us.. Have a nice journey!