As someone who grew up in the USSR in an ethnically mixed family, I thought this was a very good documentary, presented in a balanced neutral voice. Covered a lot of ground in 53 min! One oversight, I feel, was to present only the Armenian side of the conflict with Azerbaijan. I've always felt very sympathetic to the Armenian people and their suffering, but know very little about the Azerbaijani point of view. Perhaps you could make more of these focusing on the different regions of the former USSR and how they're doing. I've been living in the US for the past 30 yrs and detest polarization and misinformation that exists here and everywhere else. DW Documentary is one of my favorite sources of thoughtful and entertaining content. Thank you!
Your Comment is Good. But, do you have any idea about Azerbaijan's malicious propaganda machinery? You can start with the hiring of numerous lobby firms to export Azerbaijan's lies. Then comes Azerbaijan's proven fake photographs about Khojaly, which still get peddled worldwide. Then there's Azerbaijan's Ally, Turkey, and their NATO influence. Azerbaijan's corrupting payouts to people of influence, around the world. And, besieged, poor, landlocked Armenia, doesn't fund propaganda. It's true that Armenia gets financial help from their diaspora.
Same here. Im Kyrgyz and have some other mixtures and grew up in USSR as a child. And to me Russians and Ukrainians seemed the same as a kid. 20 years living abroad in UK i held some fond memories about those times and seeing this events of late made me wander what went wrong. Very good documentary indeed. Especially that bit about Ukrainian divisions of east 'Moskal, Katsap' and west 'zapadenets, Bandera". All ex Soviets are in some form of infighting :( Russia, Belorussya vs Ukraine, Tajikstan, Uzbekistan vs Kyrgyzstan, Armenia vs Azerbaijan. Something went very wrong somewhere. Keep safe tovarish.
I traveled to Moscow and St. Petersburg in 2005 when I was only 17. My history teacher who organized it was 60 by then and had been visiting every year since 1991. He told us stories of the crazy economic situation the country was in back then.
The worst part is that they always blame us for not getting their act together. Some regions of the world have been in similar situations since the beginning of history.
Another great documentary DW! You packed so much informative and accurate knowledge in the time frame. I greatly appreciate the hard work your team put into this and your many other documentaries. I learn so much up to date insight from your work. Well done as usual.
Provided some interesting insights into developments in the region since the 90's. One thing that always hits me with these types of documentaries is how much I can relate to the people I see living in countries I knew very little about. I see people and families going to work and school, engaged in various projects, trying to improve their communities and just living their lives. It all seems so normal and familiar. Makes me feel connected to all the people on this planet. It's a powerful insight.
With Russia's vast natural resources and an educated/skilled population there was no reason why Russia could not have become an economic superpower like China. But Putin and the old men in charge simply cannot let go of the old ways and are more focused on maintaining the image of a military superpower. Keeping the wealth amongst the few rather than sharing it and using it to help develop the country. Had Russia become an economic super power, the economy would be more diversified and less dependant on income from oil and gas. In turn the stronger economy would of helped make the military stronger too. I hope one day the Russian people get the government they deserve.
Russia is culturally primitive with mysticism, sacrifice and collectivism its basic values. Its a profoundly anti-Western culture. It cannot become wealthy until it rejects religious tradition for mans independent mind. They dont value production in any modern way because that requires ending religious tradition.
Agree. Rosso have an economy the seize of Spain and three times its population. Most of the millitary budget which is enourmous, goes into corruption so no, Rosso was never a superpower. Propaganda only !
To complex still not enough for a full Documentary some willing or remembering or wishing Soviet time others doing their best to rise up their living standard… and much more on and on. One this is for certain regardless of opinion russia or the will of the people and some other states want a United country ones again just by looking at the people’s will regardless of government. Love for thier country and cultural values complex but really conflicting of a spiral fate.
@aola wili raise standards of living in USA???😅 Usa people never experienced communism. They have always lived in freedom(except the slavery era) and they are not interested on what happen in another continent 30 yers ago. thats why they dont produce documentaries about Europe. They prefer Entertainment shows and I agree with them
Why the Channel don't speak about remaining of abandoned from tuva republic who do part of own confederation ? That one people live extreme poverty,with garbage in all country and ruin buils an cuba into of great empire of Russia.
@@gustavoemannueldeangolasil243 Any huge changes in the nation's will cause these fallout for states or provinces to disconnect when the Soviet Union fell apart in 1991. The norm is making a choice to be independent thereby moving away from the newly formed Federation . Choices like these have their consequences to make progress.
@@waldensmith4796 So the president Vladimir Putin haven't control of own federation? Because like is dirty and misery is tuva republic ,like other republic of old Soviet union and atuality new stalin ops russia . See other documentary russian citezen , Inter of republics only have dirty drug drink of alcholl . Great or bluber?
Journalism at its absolute best. DW has set the standard for excellence and showing the way it should be done. Much respect to the incredible people behind these amazing documents!
Amazing documentary with soaring interest on every minute passing.Very neutral and educating.Hats off to the team of the dw creating this art of exemplary journalism.Watching from Nepal with peace and love.
Thanks for watching. We try to cover a broad spectrum of important and often difficult global issues and we really appreciate your positive feedback. We upload documentaries regularly so don’t forget to subscribe.
Really. Have you check the State departments declassified documents, treaties and agreements? Do you know who gave up their territory for peace? Do you know which super power is constantly at war with someone on this planet? Do you know Monroe Doctrine? Do you know any leader who lost his son in front line? According to Vodka Cola Circa 1970s, these conflicts are just dramas to strip worker of their wealth and their rights. Yes it is a war. A war between the elites and workers in every country. Does an American middle class worker having lost his jon and living on streets really cares for F35, MOABs and Conflicts around the world? Do not be fooled by media prostitutes.
Being a big country doesn't always good for people. They should concentrate on how to raise standards of living for people live in it whether big or small.
I am a Russian minority in one of post-Soviet republics.. It is not nice to be hated. But I really don't understand how people started to hate Russians..
@Sergei isn't most of the Siberian tribes a Republic that is basically an independent country with their own currency and stuff? Not trying to be rude just asking. Also probably because of rescouses like gas and oil.
Good video. Being 60 years old, and a life long student of history... especially geopolitical history... and having kept a close study on all the former USSR... I know this already. But you covered pretty much what matters. Good job.
Well done. Now do an unbiased documentary on Biden's crackhead son, laptop and bussiness deals and how they may have connected to biden while he was VP under Obama.
I have always hated history, simply because it has no power over the decisions we make today (unless we allow it to). Though, I love when individuals patronize the second world for its lack of ability to form a decent society where respect for the individual is mandatory. Russia has yet to get away from its pathetic authoritarian Soviet era and the majority of the people still favors communism. What a sh*thole Russia is - the whole second world is.
Don't forget brother that History is written and agreed upon the victors. A lot of time so called History is not the documantation of actual events that took place but some facts are twisted and turned to the favor of the victor of any conflict. I don't claim that all of History is false but that some facts that actually happened are not written.
I am certainly not one to watch doc's as often they're boring, and narrated badly. Probably because of the Ukrainian war I watched this right through and found it facinating to learn about Russia and former USSR. Most pleasing aspect of this doc was how well narrated and laid out it is. Brilliant!
Thank you so much for the inspirational and so informative documentary on the `USSR `and the independence of neighboring countries , it was well illustrated and covered , Deeply Appreciated the time and sincere Efforts !
It is worth noting that this documentary was written long before the current Russian invasion of Ukraine, and it should probably be watched with that in mind.
The program seems to overlook the Trillions of dollars of debt the US gained as they bribed former Soviet nations to become NATO members? The massive amounts that the Langley VA firm that seems to distribute to convince residents to create unrest that keeps Russia working to maintain peace, seem to add to US Debts. The Russians used their massive amounts of resources to pay off debts when Oil prices were high, the US has little to offer and the ability to support a Marshall Plan seem well beyond the ability of the US to fund? The fact that current US efforts appear to promote efforts to drive Russia from doing business in Europe are apparent for the last 8 years and were US Foreign Policy since the 1990's. Superpowers need economic abilities when they declare economic warfare? The US seems even more Vulnerable than Russia, when you inspect the facts of the Economies of both?
@@danielhutchinson6604 "Trillions of dollars of debt the US gained as they bribed former Soviet nations to become NATO members" ?? Yes you're right it's better to invade them and keep them against their will in the NATO. You know something like your Russian friends did. 😎 btw, show some research facts about these "trillions" you're talking about. 😋
Ukraine may be thousands of kilometres away from Malaysia but to Malaysians, it is much closer emotionally. A routine Malaysian Airline Flight 17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot down there on July 17, 2014, killing all 298 on board. That scar is still raw. The World has forgotten about the killings of civilian flight MH17
yes the flight was shot down by russian backed troups, the so-called russian separatists ; there was a trial in Netherlands that identified and condemned the 4 people responsible for shooting , but they managed to save themselves under russian protection
But what about america starting wars and all inocent women and children dead? I guess that's okay than.? Oh and america can't even win a war without nukes like blowing up Japan!?. Twice on top of it. How many inocent lives lost than. Then the Korean, Vietnam and now Afghanistan. But that's okay. Someone else does it. It's a mortal sin.
I have to say-- Kazakhstan has one of the coolest flags in my eyes. Unique colors and design. Not just boring red, white, and blue like every other boring flag..
As a former citizen of the USSR, I have an impression that the documentary was made by a Russian director because most of information is represented from the Russian perspective. For example, the statement that the former Soviet republics never tried to leave the USSR is untrue. Just any of such attempts were violently suppressed. Even Belarus, which is usually considered to be the closest to Russia culturally, made repeated attempts to claim its independence in the early years of the USSR. The last Belarusian armed resistance group was liquidated by the Soviets in 1950s. Some of the methods used by Moscow to keep people "calm" are well described by Robert Conquest in his book "The Harvest of Sorrow." The author is neither Russian nor Ukranian and his narrative is quite unbiased.
I think this is a very fair and balanced documentary. I was in communist Poland and East Germany in the 1980s and saw Russia in 1992. I have been to Russia several times but if one goes into the countryside then it certainly does not look like a 'super power' rather somewhat behind everyone else, particularly if one compares it to its former country of occupation, Poland.
well i havent been to Russia and i would like to know how exactly you felt there. like would you consider it a 1st world country at the very least? was it a good place as a visitor?
Another thing is that in Poland everyone is rich and the villages are high-tech, it’s funny to listen to you, I was in Poland and you are not close to Europe or even Russia 😅😅
@@AbdulRahman-uw4nd It is interesting to see, but there is a huge difference between the countryside and the cities - particularly Moscow and Petersburg. The countyside looks as though it were 50 years ago!
A very intresting documentary. It is helping me with my understanding of Russia, it's culture and history as well as the people and their beliefs. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks, probably DW has the best coverage right now on the war. Your is absolutely the most objective and with the least prejudices. And this documentary is the proof. The truth stands most of times in the middle.
Thank you for presenting this important documentary. I am an American who knows next to nothing of this history. Given what we are ALL going through on the planet this offers much food for new thought. I am about half way thru this documentary and have just started sobbing at what these populations have suffered at the hands of corrupt rulers, and the consequences of hatred and prejudice of any kind. At 75 I hope to survive long enough to see the world come to new revelations and respect for each other/our fellow human beings. I pray that new leaders respectful of life on planet earth will prevail.
@@DWDocumentary I see many times this documentary ,for my interpretation not avoid desinformation of two sides.Just prouve who New complex soviet union recriere .That to be up of poppet of person president Vladimir Putin.Who earn with destroy of country from ukreine and russia ? Why don't happen with corporations banks from United states when invasion against Afheganistan and iraq?
@@karinaemelie1665 just praying won't help, instead people should work for the peace we deserve. It's always just prayers, but actually doing something? Why not that? That is what is needed!
Armenians lies and propaganda against the Turks they shud pay compensations in the billions of Dollars to The Turks. And give Nagorno Karabagh back to Azerbaijan and pay billions of Dollars to the Azerbeidzjanies they genocided in Hocali, Karabagh, in Yerevan.
Thats your propoganda. It was during time when world was divided by europe and those not colonized yet. Turkish people were killed in millions. Muslims living in crimea, caucasus balkans got removed and exterminated but its just racist to focus on death of people you like
Interesting/informative/entertaining. Good video & oration enabling viewers to better understand what/whom the orator was describing describing. Special thanks to the guest speakers sharing personal information/life’s activities & experiences. Making this documentary more authentic and possible. Disillusioned Vladimir’s invasion of the Ukraine 🇺🇦 Ended up being an embarrassment not making it a short military endeavor.
They talk about the Russian people in those ex-soviet satellites, but they don't talk about how those Russian people ended up there in the first place. It is a shame that the Russians don't talk about the deportations in Siberia of Romanians/Moldavians, Georgians, Ukrainians etc. History gave you a slap in the face, comrades!
So people, russian people should be treated like trash because half century ago soviet politicians made some choices? These families lived on these territories for few generations. These countries have become home for a lot of russian families.
@@tanchik_1523 Ha? Victimising much? No, please know your history and try to repair it. Unlike what the Russian dictatorship is doing now in Ukraine. If you don't understand what is happening now, I am very sorry for you. People can live in peace, not so much when they are manipulated by Putler. What the Soviets did and still doing now in Russia is despicable...
@Legalize Raping Russian Broads In America Your name says everything about you. You should be in jail. A disgusting entitled American warmonger who's country has invaded murdered and robbed country after country endlessly since it started 700 years ago.
My Ukranian friends told me before the end of the fall of the USSR everyone had plenty of money but there was nothing to buy. After the fall everyone's Soviet money was worthless but soon small businesses popped up meaning there was plenty of things to buy but no one had any money.
Think about it: 1. Have a lot of money but nothing to buy meaning that money is worthless, not even compare to toilet paper. 2. Eventually you or someone else will make some money to buy the things. The second is always a better choice. :-))
@@PonchoNugen I don't agree with you brother. Money wasn't wothless even from your point of view. My parents always told me that when they were on holidays in USSR citizens wanted everything to buy from them. And they were able to pay a lot. So their money weren't wothless, but they hadn't chance to travel and buy something and in their country wasn't any stuff because Soviets put everything into the army and another for normal people useless programs.
@@PonchoNugen Not true at all. You could purchase things in the collapsing Soviet Union, nobody really starved, it’s just that there was a lack of trade and a lack of luxuries. You could still make things yourself and as well as buy and sell them in secondary markets. You couldn’t find wine from France, but you could find wine at home. You couldn’t buy fancy clothes from clothing brands but you could get clothes custom tailored for you etc... There was a distinct lack of large companies colluding and holding significant market share enough to sway politics. In a sense it’s something a lot of socialist Americans now want to live in.
@@slovakia0195 later 1980s 60 Russian kapeikas(little over half a rubble) was worth $1. After USSR broke apart by 1991-1992 exchange rate in black market was 5,000 rubles for 1 US dollar. Money devalued about 10,000 times over within a couple years. So if you worked your whole life and saved up 100,000 rubles for retirement. All the sudden your retirement is worth $20. What you are saying is true pre USSR breakup. Stuff like jeans, walkmans and other electronics like tape players etc was pretty much unattainable. Few people who were allowed to travel would bring this stuff back and it would sell for a lot of money because there was virtually zero supply and those who had money would pay up. But as poster above suggests above after USSR broke apart those products became plentiful because borders opened up. But due to collapsed currency almost no one could afford to buy it. I witnessed this myself.
Thank you for this informative documentary. It is a complimentary source for me. As I watched almost 10 h of videos about USSR, Russia and Ukraine's history.
Loved every minute of this. I actually watched it thrice. It was balanced, informative and very easy to follow. For people not living in Europe or who have lukewarm knowledge of history like myself, this was absorbing and made me curious to do more research on my own. Well done to the writers, producers.
You truly have a 'lukewarm' knowledge if you think DW is going to give you a balanced view on Russia :D It's like Aljazeer making a documentary on the 'fall of US' and telling you it's a balanced view of the US.
I'm only 10 min in but it's already very interesting. Didn't even know about the Armenia and Azerbaijan war and the Russian peace keepers. It's such a difficult region. I hope it all turns out well and that it isn't wishful thinking.
Its must be the only example, if true.. Generations sent to Syberia throughout history would be of different opinion and not call russians liberators at all. Just an example of the methods.
@@hamzak6437 ok i will be not discussing with it, if i may. But rest assured that out of these two, russia is by far worse. at least for Poles. Pls check how it looked throughout history. Check femine on Ukraine by Stalin, check Soviet Gulag, Siberia exile sites or Katyn massacre or Ribbentrop Molotov Pact, Communism. Great neighbor, dont you think? They simply have nothing to offer to civilized world, just war, troops, cheap display of so called power...and i only asked to let's say, take informed guess, if you may know these terms...
@@hamzak6437 do you really think it is world's illusion what is happening now or russia is just bandits attacking unprovoked, shelling cities and people there? 500k people fled already.
This documentary is a masterplan,I learnt so much about The Collapse of the Soviet Union and the Narrator is amazing,plz do the Collapse of Yugoslavia documentary
I'm an English woman who has lived in Bulgaria for the past 17 years , the balkan people are so lovely, if the bloody politicians left our small villages alone and treated the rest of the world with the ideology of live and let live the whole world would be a better place.just be happy with what you have in the small amount of time that we have granted to us on this our earth, the only one we have !! Life and earth!, JUST STOP THE WAR AGAINST UKRAINE AND THE WORLD.🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦
Well said, we are all the same, all human, why the need for borders. We need a central "government" to collect taxes for infrastructure in each area, but there is no reason to fight the people next door, they pay for the roads in their area, we pay for the roads in ours. We are still little tribes fighting the tribe just down the road because their god totem is different to our god totem. The only difference is that the god totem now is money.
Yes, it would be nice to learn the history of all the diverse ethnicities. Hopefully, DW Documentary will continue providing more educational series. Thank you 😊
Vixe... eu achei bem legal também, mas se uma brasileira, educada por Paulo Freire e pelo MEC marxista, tá dizendo que é “accurate”, agora tô na dúvida…
Interesting to learn about this part of the world. Thanks DW for highlighting the beauty and complexity of humanity. Much appreciated from South Africa
According to Le Bon, each nation has its own unique ethnic character which favors one ideology over other. Egalitarian mongols and related culture always favor absolute equality which make them easily fall for socialism or communism. In society with long history hierarchy, absolute equality is actually terrible idea since ancient time.
Interesting and balanced documentary. One can only wonder if Russia put more of its GDP into improving infrastructure and less into expanding its military, conditions for ordinary Russians might be much better.
RaydTassie It's not that easy . Just ask China . The west not forgiveany country they see as a competition. Ask Japan, Germany it's not about Human Right the goal is destruction of the competition and take the resources
Looks like some one (behind this video) learnt some lessons. This is what we viewers want: balanced reporting! Afterall its a global world, we've been everywhere, we have enough knowledge about different countries. Good job!
Indeed, not all are well knowledge such as the young generation however thanks to the internet and public libraries around the world digital or physical may increase in education only those worthy of understanding then seen the light of a bright future, some would fall shortly with no understanding weak. Hopes for a better future are lay to the young but to green to handle the weight of a entire nation or country challenges and needs. Peace :3
@@Koloviv48i you know this video is from a public broadcast in Germany ? so basically a "western channel", I don't know where you live but here in Canada, our TV is not "propaganda", it says basically the same thing as in this video and the many others I can view on TH-cam and elsewhere on Internet. Not like the people living under authoritarian regimes where they block many western sources of information.
A great documentary. But - it is not about the collapse of the Soviet Union. It is about the aftermath of the collapse. A misleading title of the documentary in my opinion.
Damn DW you guys put together a great documentary. Very surprised at the truth on both sides... you guys didn't just slam Russia and say how bad Russia is, you really broke things down. Germany after WWII has always intrigued me because it seems like Russia and America basically just split the spoils of war.
@@gustavmukki3165 My bias? But of course. Talking about Karabakh. Why don't mention it initially was annexed from Azerbaijan by Armenia 30 years ago? About Crimea. What elections they are talking about? There was so called "referendum", hastily organized in two weeks after occupation and against Ukrainian laws. And so on... There is lot of misinformation in this "documentary".
@@Squee.1366 Absolutely! Thank you for reminding me! ‘Elections in Crimea’ … are you from the planet Earth? There was fake election, conducted in few days, with limited questions, against Ukrainian law, under the guns of the terrorists. This is so bizarre mistake for real journalism.. Im shocked, Deutsche Welle…
@alexvlasny9755 If Russia is invaded, you wont have a head and arms to write this, The nuclear war that will be caused by that will lead to nothing but complete destruction, and that will never happen
@alexvlasny9755along with USA, Europe. It'll show how nuclear war due to western provocation towards Russian borders destroyed whole world and a new organisation will be formed like UN which will prevent any country from becoming super power like today's USA.
Would love to see Mr. Belov @14:45 show the same level of empathy for non-Russians who woke up one day in the Soviet Union after Stalin redrew the map.
Struggle is what you get when the first thing you do as an independent country to invade your newly independent neighbor. Armenia deserved what she got.
Thanks for watching. We try to cover a broad spectrum of important and often difficult global issues and we really appreciate your positive feedback. We upload documentaries regularly so don’t forget to subscribe.
@@turkoman859 nobody told the azeris to bomb major cities in populated areas of artsakh after voting to be part of armenia no one said put the armenians trough the pogromms of baku and sumgait where armenians being ethnic cleansed in that area. And also artsakh was a autonomic armenian oblast in the soviet union. So get your facts together or learn some history. Not turkish brainwashed history.
Let’s not forget the “Armenian genocide” and other atrocities and crimes that were committed against Armenian people. 1 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman Empire (nowTurkey) during WW1.
@@jojoperez2610 I know they done alot of stupid stuff, expecially the US. The European union has not been so involded. But did the West ever conqour any land? US has won and has done alot of stuff. But they never take land. . . This is a very important fact. . . . Ofcourse they done it earlier, but not in the modern era.
@@mikethk the EU has never engaged in military adventures but European countries like Spain, France, England, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium and to a lesser extent Italy and Germany all engaged in building empires based on colonies in other continents. The US has engaged in military adventures with interventions in Latin and South America, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq.
Same here. I hate Putin but I’m just fascinated by Russia’s history. I was in St. Petersburg and Moscow in 2013 and it’s like 2 different countries (St. Petersburg is more liberal). Moscow is very scary (or perhaps just my imagination)!
Chomsky would be proud of your very tactical choice of words when translating from Russian. I caught two instances of mistranslation to the point of getting it backwards: "the Yeltsin coup" was translated as "the Yeltsin era", and "they have no heart" was translated as "they have no head". Needless to say, I totally trust you now. Bravo!
Don't be surprised, it's not like DW is not biased. It also spread some negative propaganda in some of it's videos/documentaries when speaking of anything Russian.
@@guruoflove3083 I take it your either a properganda troll contractor or a person who is going to join the military 😆 🤣 😂 Senators , elites stock market investments in the military industrial complexes must be on it's way up .
@@roybatty6857 I'm neither a Deep State Satanic Marxist like your group of friends NOR their controlled opposition which you've aptly named in your last post... besides the main gist expressed, which is you take it.
I have been watching DW bias reports and documentaries on China but is very surprised by this well balanced documentary on Russia. It has allowed the Russians side to present their views and seems sympathetic to Russians sufferings like the millions of Russians who found they are at the wrong side of the borders overnight after the break up of the USSR.
If Russians living in non-Russian former Soviet republics felt badly when the USSR dissolved, imagine how badly the people in those republics felt when the Russian imperialists Sovietized them.
No one cares, everyone cares about strong, aggressive and cruel. You may experienced this at your school, job and some experiences even in their own families. Much like DW cited at the beginning current mass murderer not any leader of those republics.
Yes the day when nations will not fight each other and peace reign will only come from a Supernatural Power;the creator of the universe, and we are not very far from achieving. Holy Scripture don't lie, will come through. Have faith 🙏 it will happen.
And you have mistaken about Hungary, Czechia and Poland. They joined NATO in 1999 (for some sources 1998) not in 2004 when Lithuania joined. But in 2004 HU, CZ and PO joined the EU.
Please on please share a link to RT. I want to watch some objective and calmly presented news again :( I cant stand mainstream media more then 1 minute
well, a war is going on which almost everyone sees Russia as the wrong side. So, coincidence might be. However, let's say it is not a coincidence. Are the things they say lies?
@olive oyl Well - they executed a 200,000 soldier sized attack on Ukraine - are they Nazis? - or are they best friends and family? Hard to define by the actions of Kreml and the propaganda. Yes this time Kreml is the baddy. Do you know how hard hard your leader has lied in the last few weeks? Probably
20:28: "My generation are told that we don't know what freedom is because we never lived in a country without freedom.... we can't appreciate what freedom means." This is a problem in America, as well.
In the mid-70s when I first joined the military, everything was about the USSR. Our tactics were based on the attack by the Soviet Union into Europe. In the mid-eighties it got hotter and hotter and the USSR was blatant in every regard. But on December 26th 1991, a huge relief came. The fall of the USSR, by this time I was ready to retire. I remember mentioning to the new recruits, the russians will never let the countries that separated from them ever go. Someday they will attack those countries. I remember making those comments in September of 1993.
I grew up next to the ConocoPhillips refinery in Ponca City,OK... We were #3 on their cold war hitlist in country because we supplied lots of petro to the military and everyone around the middle America region....I remember the sigh of relief when we all knew the bomb drills were over....We still dodge twisters by the half dozen a year here,but at least we weren't looking over shoulder like we are now,again....
"But when you look at it from a rational perspective it's not at all clear why Russia would attack Poland or Baltic countries." Meanwhile March 2022: Federal russian TV channels broadcast discussions about getting Warsaw. Yep, journalism as it is.
Yeah....at the end, this one commentator said Russians have learned to deal with, and tell government what government wants to hear....so the Russians people can go back and live their normal life. That was what I felt that commentator was doing, saying it's not rational to think Russia would attack other countries. He was just saying publicly what Russia would want to hear. It seemed other commentators did the same thing.
@@ik7584 Yeah, right!! Sure they did...🤣😂!! I have friends in Lugansk!!! They didn't attack Russian citizens. Lugansk was getting hit my Russian artillery. My friend was bringing in medical supplies. As we're others. And got stopped by Russian separatists. Some of those bringing in medical supplies. Were killed by Russian separatists/soldiers at road blocks. So no....what you're saying is absolutely not true. And even know....there are Russian speaking people in theceastern regions. But even they don't want the Russians there, invading Ukraine. And it was also, Russian separatists, who turned out to be 3 Russian soldiers; and a Ukranian....Russian Separatist. Who took a Russian Missile launcher from a Russian military base, into Ukraine. And used it, to shoot down the Malyasian Airliner, flying from Holland. Killing 298 people. The perpetrators were identified....and prosecuted in Holland.
As someone who grew up in the USSR in an ethnically mixed family, I thought this was a very good documentary, presented in a balanced neutral voice. Covered a lot of ground in 53 min! One oversight, I feel, was to present only the Armenian side of the conflict with Azerbaijan. I've always felt very sympathetic to the Armenian people and their suffering, but know very little about the Azerbaijani point of view. Perhaps you could make more of these focusing on the different regions of the former USSR and how they're doing. I've been living in the US for the past 30 yrs and detest polarization and misinformation that exists here and everywhere else. DW Documentary is one of my favorite sources of thoughtful and entertaining content. Thank you!
I'm very appreciative of DW, as well.
Your Comment is Good. But, do you have any idea about Azerbaijan's malicious propaganda machinery? You can start with the hiring of numerous lobby firms to export Azerbaijan's lies. Then comes Azerbaijan's proven fake photographs about Khojaly, which still get peddled worldwide. Then there's Azerbaijan's Ally, Turkey, and their NATO influence. Azerbaijan's corrupting payouts to people of influence, around the world. And, besieged, poor, landlocked Armenia, doesn't fund propaganda. It's true that Armenia gets financial help from their diaspora.
DW has already focused upon Azerbaijan's sinister viewpoint, in other videos. They did that a lot, during the 2020 genocidal war against Armenia.
Same here. Im Kyrgyz and have some other mixtures and grew up in USSR as a child.
And to me Russians and Ukrainians seemed the same as a kid.
20 years living abroad in UK i held some fond memories about those times and seeing this events of late made me wander what went wrong.
Very good documentary indeed.
Especially that bit about Ukrainian divisions of east 'Moskal, Katsap' and west 'zapadenets, Bandera".
All ex Soviets are in some form of infighting :( Russia, Belorussya vs Ukraine, Tajikstan, Uzbekistan vs Kyrgyzstan, Armenia vs Azerbaijan.
Something went very wrong somewhere.
Keep safe tovarish.
You mean you wanted to them to inject your own biases into the documentary. I’m glad they didn’t indulge you.
I traveled to Moscow and St. Petersburg in 2005 when I was only 17. My history teacher who organized it was 60 by then and had been visiting every year since 1991. He told us stories of the crazy economic situation the country was in back then.
The worst part is that they always blame us for not getting their act together. Some regions of the world have been in similar situations since the beginning of history.
@@richardacevedo280 thats mostly jealousy
в России до сих пор многие верят в коммунизм и социализм.
экономика не удивляет, удивляет тупость людей
Were You with The Machine ! ?
@@richardacevedo280 What???
The money didn't "disappear"; it has become oligarch yachts.
3
Special vanishing operation
Quite.
How much is putin worth now .
Felt like that was implied.
Another great documentary DW! You packed so much informative and accurate knowledge in the time frame. I greatly appreciate the hard work your team put into this and your many other documentaries. I learn so much up to date insight from your work. Well done as usual.
You think that because you are not able to use your own brain. Zero critical thinking. Way to go! 😂
Russia isnt crippled tho'
Provided some interesting insights into developments in the region since the 90's. One thing that always hits me with these types of documentaries is how much I can relate to the people I see living in countries I knew very little about. I see people and families going to work and school, engaged in various projects, trying to improve their communities and just living their lives. It all seems so normal and familiar. Makes me feel connected to all the people on this planet. It's a powerful insight.
As the 1% suck the money from the society, who are ruled by fear and lied to, how else can it but in disaster.
What development.? Their has been none.
They are just people. Differences within the society are probably bigger than differences between the societies
@@paulread4886 nothing has changed, humans have been enslaving and using other humans since we came into existence.
YES AND MY GRANDPARENTS WERE BOTH BORN IN POLAND 🇵🇱❤ FLED TO UNITED STATES 🇺🇸
With Russia's vast natural resources and an educated/skilled population there was no reason why Russia could not have become an economic superpower like China. But Putin and the old men in charge simply cannot let go of the old ways and are more focused on maintaining the image of a military superpower. Keeping the wealth amongst the few rather than sharing it and using it to help develop the country. Had Russia become an economic super power, the economy would be more diversified and less dependant on income from oil and gas. In turn the stronger economy would of helped make the military stronger too. I hope one day the Russian people get the government they deserve.
Russia is culturally primitive with mysticism, sacrifice and collectivism its basic values. Its a profoundly anti-Western culture. It cannot become wealthy until it rejects religious tradition for mans independent mind. They dont value production in any modern way because that requires ending religious tradition.
For the ppl to prosper, there can only be one Super Power on the Planet,
Agree. Rosso have an economy the seize of Spain and three times its population. Most of the millitary budget which is enourmous, goes into corruption so no, Rosso was never a superpower. Propaganda only !
its the same everywhere, not just in Russia, the wealth of a country is always distributed to a few families, Its called corruption and nepotism.
showing zero understanding of Russian or Chinese geopolitics
Great documentary. Thanks for making and posting it. The US TV networks used to make similar docs, but not today.
To complex still not enough for a full Documentary some willing or remembering or wishing Soviet time others doing their best to rise up their living standard… and much more on and on. One this is for certain regardless of opinion russia or the will of the people and some other states want a United country ones again just by looking at the people’s will regardless of government. Love for thier country and cultural values complex but really conflicting of a spiral fate.
@aola wili raise standards of living in USA???😅 Usa people never experienced communism. They have always lived in freedom(except the slavery era) and they are not interested on what happen in another continent 30 yers ago. thats why they dont produce documentaries about Europe. They prefer Entertainment shows and I agree with them
@@vortolex ever heard of something called punctuation? Try it some day! Thx in advance 😁
This is another amazing DW Documentary with great content on the fall of the Soviet Union. Keep up the good work at DW.
We are glad to hear that you liked the documentary! Thank you
Why the Channel don't speak about remaining of abandoned from tuva republic who do part of own confederation ? That one people live extreme poverty,with garbage in all country and ruin buils an cuba into of great empire of Russia.
@@gustavoemannueldeangolasil243 Any huge changes in the nation's will cause these fallout for states or provinces to disconnect when the Soviet Union fell apart in 1991. The norm is making a choice to be independent thereby moving away from the newly formed Federation . Choices like these have their consequences to make progress.
@@waldensmith4796 So the president Vladimir Putin haven't control of own federation? Because like is dirty and misery is tuva republic ,like other republic of old Soviet union and atuality new stalin ops russia . See other documentary russian citezen , Inter of republics only have dirty drug drink of alcholl . Great or bluber?
@@waldensmith4796 Don't he do part of country New Soviet union.
Journalism at its absolute best. DW has set the standard for excellence and showing the way it should be done. Much respect to the incredible people behind these amazing documents!
Thanks for watching. We try to cover a broad spectrum of important and often difficult global issues and we really appreciate your positive feedback.
@@DWDocumentary Much better than BBC
are you serious? your kids wearing masks, suffocating, thanks to them
Amazing documentary with soaring interest on every minute passing.Very neutral and educating.Hats off to the team of the dw creating this art of exemplary journalism.Watching from Nepal with peace and love.
you didn't sniff the bias or see the colored lenses?
Awesome and brilliant documentary 👌 Gives me a much better understanding of what is going on. Well done DW.
Thanks for watching. We try to cover a broad spectrum of important and often difficult global issues and we really appreciate your positive feedback. We upload documentaries regularly so don’t forget to subscribe.
Really. Have you check the State departments declassified documents, treaties and agreements? Do you know who gave up their territory for peace? Do you know which super power is constantly at war with someone on this planet? Do you know Monroe Doctrine? Do you know any leader who lost his son in front line? According to Vodka Cola Circa 1970s, these conflicts are just dramas to strip worker of their wealth and their rights.
Yes it is a war. A war between the elites and workers in every country. Does an American middle class worker having lost his jon and living on streets really cares for F35, MOABs and Conflicts around the world? Do not be fooled by media prostitutes.
24:18 lmfao cool story bruh how did it work out for you?
@@traleyton8057 lol according to who? As if you have a clue what's up :p
Being a big country doesn't always good for people. They should concentrate on how to raise standards of living for people live in it whether big or small.
You dont think living standards increased for the average person in places like USSR or post revolution China.... it objectively did.
For hundreds of years china faced catastrophic famines.... revolution ended that
I am a Russian minority in one of post-Soviet republics.. It is not nice to be hated. But I really don't understand how people started to hate Russians..
@Sergei isn't most of the Siberian tribes a Republic that is basically an independent country with their own currency and stuff? Not trying to be rude just asking. Also probably because of rescouses like gas and oil.
How can you do that when the U.S holds financial hegemony and inequality built into the capitalist system? The U.S and west has created this delusion
Good video.
Being 60 years old, and a life long student of history... especially geopolitical history... and having kept a close study on all the former USSR... I know this already.
But you covered pretty much what matters.
Good job.
GOOD
Very informative and deep quality doc as DW usually do. Thanks for posting! Gonna share with my studentes and friends.
Thanks for the positive feedback. We appreciate it!
Well done. Now do an unbiased documentary on Biden's crackhead son, laptop and bussiness deals and how they may have connected to biden while he was VP under Obama.
The Channel dw have told of holocaust did by Stalin against other people .
My admiration for the people behind this. It has renewed my love for history. This is great stuff. Thank you.
I have always hated history, simply because it has no power over the decisions we make today (unless we allow it to). Though, I love when individuals patronize the second world for its lack of ability to form a decent society where respect for the individual is mandatory. Russia has yet to get away from its pathetic authoritarian Soviet era and the majority of the people still favors communism. What a sh*thole Russia is - the whole second world is.
24:18 KEKW cool story bruh
Don't forget brother that History is written and agreed upon the victors.
A lot of time so called History is not the documantation of actual events that took place but some facts are twisted and turned to the favor of the victor of any conflict. I don't claim that all of History is false but that some facts that actually happened are not written.
New series the fall of NATO in world war3
I am certainly not one to watch doc's as often they're boring, and narrated badly. Probably because of the Ukrainian war I watched this right through and found it facinating to learn about Russia and former USSR. Most pleasing aspect of this doc was how well narrated and laid out it is. Brilliant!
makes you realize that the history that brought us to this situation is alot more nuanced than what the American government portrays
Makes you realise that the Russian trolls are as successful as their logistics
I agree, the Ukrainian War has me interested in learning why all the fighting
@@tonym6193the US government are flat out liars, that has been proved many times.
Reason i was interested to watch now as well
Thank you so much for the inspirational and so informative documentary on the `USSR `and the independence of neighboring countries , it was well illustrated and covered , Deeply Appreciated the time and sincere Efforts !
It is worth noting that this documentary was written long before the current Russian invasion of Ukraine, and it should probably be watched with that in mind.
The program seems to overlook the Trillions of dollars of debt the US gained as they bribed former Soviet nations to become NATO members?
The massive amounts that the Langley VA firm that seems to distribute to convince residents to create unrest that keeps Russia working to maintain peace, seem to add to US Debts.
The Russians used their massive amounts of resources to pay off debts when Oil prices were high, the US has little to offer and the ability to support a Marshall Plan seem well beyond the ability of the US to fund?
The fact that current US efforts appear to promote efforts to drive Russia from doing business in Europe are apparent for the last 8 years and were US Foreign Policy since the 1990's.
Superpowers need economic abilities when they declare economic warfare?
The US seems even more Vulnerable than Russia, when you inspect the facts of the Economies of both?
@@danielhutchinson6604 "Trillions of dollars of debt the US gained as they bribed former Soviet nations to become NATO members" ?? Yes you're right it's better to invade them and keep them against their will in the NATO. You know something like your Russian friends did. 😎 btw, show some research facts about these "trillions" you're talking about. 😋
No one believes your name is "Daniel Hutchinson," comrade. This site really needs to get a handle on the current putinbot problem...
But how it changes anything that was said in the documentary?
@@iscander_s If your Brain is incapable of digesting complex ideas, you may need to return to school and learn how to play well with others?
DW has been my favorite news channel lately, you guys are amazing keep up the good work.
Ukraine may be thousands of kilometres away from Malaysia but to Malaysians, it is much closer emotionally. A routine Malaysian Airline Flight 17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot down there on July 17, 2014, killing all 298 on board. That scar is still raw. The World has forgotten about the killings of civilian flight MH17
We must not forget
Media barat..itu dilakukan oleh Rusia
yes the flight was shot down by russian backed troups, the so-called russian separatists ; there was a trial in Netherlands that identified and condemned the 4 people responsible for shooting , but they managed to save themselves under russian protection
Hard to forget!
But what about america starting wars and all inocent women and children dead? I guess that's okay than.? Oh and america can't even win a war without nukes like blowing up Japan!?. Twice on top of it. How many inocent lives lost than. Then the Korean, Vietnam and now Afghanistan. But that's okay. Someone else does it. It's a mortal sin.
I have to say-- Kazakhstan has one of the coolest flags in my eyes. Unique colors and design. Not just boring red, white, and blue like every other boring flag..
Kazakhstan, greatest country in the world
Not as cool as Bhutan’s flag
As a former citizen of the USSR, I have an impression that the documentary was made by a Russian director because most of information is represented from the Russian perspective. For example, the statement that the former Soviet republics never tried to leave the USSR is untrue. Just any of such attempts were violently suppressed. Even Belarus, which is usually considered to be the closest to Russia culturally, made repeated attempts to claim its independence in the early years of the USSR. The last Belarusian armed resistance group was liquidated by the Soviets in 1950s. Some of the methods used by Moscow to keep people "calm" are well described by Robert Conquest in his book "The Harvest of Sorrow." The author is neither Russian nor Ukranian and his narrative is quite unbiased.
they were a tiny minority. as well as Russian nationalists who supported and still support for the creation of ethno-national Russia
I highly doubt you being a former citizen of USSR
@Willow Brooklet At 53:01 it literally tells you on screen "a film by Michael Schmidt and Martin Striegel"; do these sound to you like Russian names?
@@crose7412 They're German. The are about 3 million Russian descendants in Germany. Next question?
@@ArtisZ @Artis Zel I know they're German. No other questions. I wasn't asking you though so mind your own business.
Brilliant documentary. I learned so much and the edits and sound designs were top notch. VERY well done. 🏆
Thanks for watching and for the positive feedback, Benn!
It is one of the most biased and propaganda documentaries one can watch. Beware.
Watching from Nairobi Kenya 🇰🇪 congratulations to DW doc team thumbs up for you and continue with the hard work we appreciate 👍
I think this is a very fair and balanced documentary. I was in communist Poland and East Germany in the 1980s and saw Russia in 1992. I have been to Russia several times but if one goes into the countryside then it certainly does not look like a 'super power' rather somewhat behind everyone else, particularly if one compares it to its former country of occupation, Poland.
well i havent been to Russia and i would like to know how exactly you felt there. like would you consider it a 1st world country at the very least? was it a good place as a visitor?
And USA YES LOOKS LIKE SUPERPOWER IN THE COUNTRYSIDE 😅
Another thing is that in Poland everyone is rich and the villages are high-tech, it’s funny to listen to you, I was in Poland and you are not close to Europe or even Russia 😅😅
@@AbdulRahman-uw4nd It is interesting to see, but there is a huge difference between the countryside and the cities - particularly Moscow and Petersburg. The countyside looks as though it were 50 years ago!
Well come to pakistan we are still living in 1970s. Only a few cities have the technology
A very intresting documentary. It is helping me with my understanding of Russia, it's culture and history as well as the people and their beliefs. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for watching, Lynda.
I knew about this 40 years ago..people listen to public schools and universities too much. Communism/socialism/nazism is ALL evil!
@@ernies8828 you know those are 2 different political spectrums right?
@@justinhearst --yeah, it is called right and wrong :)
I love to watch DW .....love from India 🇮🇳... Whenever I want to understand things without bias I watch DW......we love your channel
Thanks for watching and for the support! We're glad you like our content. :)
👍🏻 It is a great channel. I'm from the US, and catch it when I can.
From American. We love India!
@@margotdourand2507 we too love USA. Great friend of India 🇮🇳...... Great democracy
@@Anup_BHU Yes! ☺
Thanks, probably DW has the best coverage right now on the war. Your is absolutely the most objective and with the least prejudices. And this documentary is the proof. The truth stands most of times in the middle.
Germany always tried to have ok relationships with Russia.
But Germans are now fed up with Russia invading Ukraine.
@@sollte1239 well no. Our gov got kinda "forced" to step in. Right now the sanctions are crushing our economy
Excellent documentary. But, what is that walking across the square at 52:16? I genuinely have no idea.
My god, I just took a look.. is it invisible man ???
Thank you for presenting this important documentary. I am an American who knows next to nothing of this history. Given what we are ALL going through on the planet this offers much food for new thought.
I am about half way thru this documentary and have just started sobbing at what these populations have suffered at the hands of corrupt rulers, and the consequences of hatred and prejudice of any kind.
At 75 I hope to survive long enough to see the world come to new revelations and respect for each other/our fellow human beings. I pray that new leaders respectful of life on planet earth will prevail.
Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment.
I'm agree and praying too
@@DWDocumentary I see many times this documentary ,for my interpretation not avoid desinformation of two sides.Just prouve who New complex soviet union recriere .That to be up of poppet of person president Vladimir Putin.Who earn with destroy of country from ukreine and russia ? Why don't happen with corporations banks from United states when invasion against Afheganistan and iraq?
@@karinaemelie1665 just praying won't help, instead people should work for the peace we deserve. It's always just prayers, but actually doing something? Why not that? That is what is needed!
Don't that who is truth,giant country but Without freedom.
I'm 76 and it feels like I've heard Armenia my whole life from the Turkish genocide of millions to this. Poor Armenia ! It's heartbreaking.
Yep. Encircled by millions of hostile Mongolians from all sides
@@Bolognabeef😂😂
Turkey needs to be held accountable for that genocide
Armenians lies and propaganda against the Turks they shud pay compensations in the billions of Dollars to The Turks. And give Nagorno Karabagh back to Azerbaijan and pay billions of Dollars to the Azerbeidzjanies they genocided in Hocali, Karabagh, in Yerevan.
Thats your propoganda. It was during time when world was divided by europe and those not colonized yet. Turkish people were killed in millions. Muslims living in crimea, caucasus balkans got removed and exterminated but its just racist to focus on death of people you like
this is something i never really watch, but clicked on it and expected to click right off but i’m 30 minutes in and loving it nice work (:
Interesting/informative/entertaining. Good video & oration enabling viewers to better understand what/whom the orator was describing describing. Special thanks to the guest speakers sharing personal information/life’s activities & experiences. Making this documentary more authentic and possible. Disillusioned Vladimir’s invasion of the Ukraine 🇺🇦 Ended up being an embarrassment not making it a short military endeavor.
They talk about the Russian people in those ex-soviet satellites, but they don't talk about how those Russian people ended up there in the first place. It is a shame that the Russians don't talk about the deportations in Siberia of Romanians/Moldavians, Georgians, Ukrainians etc. History gave you a slap in the face, comrades!
@ケM E Z Z I A Hケ Cringe is your middle name dork... =)))
So people, russian people should be treated like trash because half century ago soviet politicians made some choices? These families lived on these territories for few generations. These countries have become home for a lot of russian families.
@@tanchik_1523 Ha? Victimising much? No, please know your history and try to repair it. Unlike what the Russian dictatorship is doing now in Ukraine. If you don't understand what is happening now, I am very sorry for you. People can live in peace, not so much when they are manipulated by Putler. What the Soviets did and still doing now in Russia is despicable...
Excellent documentary as always!! Very few news channels in the world can keep up to this....❤
Thank you for watching and your positive feedback!
Dw Rocks ❤❤❤
@Legalize Raping Russian Broads In America from which objective lenses are you being so Anti Putin and Anti - Russia?
@Legalize Raping Russian Broads In America Your name says everything about you. You should be in jail. A disgusting entitled American warmonger who's country has invaded murdered and robbed country after country endlessly since it started 700 years ago.
@@sjonm Look at his name and you'll know why!😝
DW simply my faves 👌🏽keep up the good work guys !! Simply magnificent 🙌🏽
Thanks for watching and for the support. :)
Great documentary, it gave us an in depth knowledge of the international politics
Thanks a lot for watching and taking the time to comment!
My Ukranian friends told me before the end of the fall of the USSR everyone had plenty of money but there was nothing to buy. After the fall everyone's Soviet money was worthless but soon small businesses popped up meaning there was plenty of things to buy but no one had any money.
Think about it:
1.
Have a lot of money but nothing to buy meaning that money is worthless, not even compare to toilet paper.
2.
Eventually you or someone else will make some money to buy the things.
The second is always a better choice.
:-))
@@PonchoNugen I don't agree with you brother. Money wasn't wothless even from your point of view. My parents always told me that when they were on holidays in USSR citizens wanted everything to buy from them. And they were able to pay a lot. So their money weren't wothless, but they hadn't chance to travel and buy something and in their country wasn't any stuff because Soviets put everything into the army and another for normal people useless programs.
@@PonchoNugen Nah most of them preferred the USSR
@@PonchoNugen Not true at all. You could purchase things in the collapsing Soviet Union, nobody really starved, it’s just that there was a lack of trade and a lack of luxuries.
You could still make things yourself and as well as buy and sell them in secondary markets. You couldn’t find wine from France, but you could find wine at home. You couldn’t buy fancy clothes from clothing brands but you could get clothes custom tailored for you etc... There was a distinct lack of large companies colluding and holding significant market share enough to sway politics. In a sense it’s something a lot of socialist Americans now want to live in.
@@slovakia0195 later 1980s 60 Russian kapeikas(little over half a rubble) was worth $1. After USSR broke apart by 1991-1992 exchange rate in black market was 5,000 rubles for 1 US dollar. Money devalued about 10,000 times over within a couple years. So if you worked your whole life and saved up 100,000 rubles for retirement. All the sudden your retirement is worth $20. What you are saying is true pre USSR breakup. Stuff like jeans, walkmans and other electronics like tape players etc was pretty much unattainable. Few people who were allowed to travel would bring this stuff back and it would sell for a lot of money because there was virtually zero supply and those who had money would pay up. But as poster above suggests above after USSR broke apart those products became plentiful because borders opened up. But due to collapsed currency almost no one could afford to buy it. I witnessed this myself.
Around 23:00 "Why would Russia attack the Baltic countries? What would there be to gain?" I asked myself the same about Ukraine a week ago...
Oil, gas, found in donbass and crimea sea
Watch the John Mearshiemer lecture on Ukraine from 6 years ago. You can watch it on TH-cam.
The Baltics are very, very happy to be out of the illegal occupation of the USSR. Never again
Oil reserves recently discovered in Ukraine don't hurt...
I was thinking the exact same thing lol
Thank you for this informative documentary. It is a complimentary source for me. As I watched almost 10 h of videos about USSR, Russia and Ukraine's history.
DW Documentaries getting better and better 🔥
Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment. Be sure to check out our channel for more content.
Loved every minute of this. I actually watched it thrice. It was balanced, informative and very easy to follow. For people not living in Europe or who have lukewarm knowledge of history like myself, this was absorbing and made me curious to do more research on my own. Well done to the writers, producers.
Well said!
You truly have a 'lukewarm' knowledge if you think DW is going to give you a balanced view on Russia :D
It's like Aljazeer making a documentary on the 'fall of US' and telling you it's a balanced view of the US.
@@lawrencejustin8136 thankyou Mr negative
@@nickywilliams8540 You are welcome Mrs gullible.
@@lawrencejustin8136 tf you think u are
it is important to mention that many of these "new" foreign countries were foreign countries before already but they were occupied.
For the benefit of Russia.
I'm only 10 min in but it's already very interesting. Didn't even know about the Armenia and Azerbaijan war and the Russian peace keepers. It's such a difficult region. I hope it all turns out well and that it isn't wishful thinking.
Its must be the only example, if true.. Generations sent to Syberia throughout history would be of different opinion and not call russians liberators at all. Just an example of the methods.
@@hamzak6437 what you are talking about, where are you from eu or middle east or where?
"Peacekeeper" is a self-labelkws Russian moniker
@@hamzak6437 ok i will be not discussing with it, if i may. But rest assured that out of these two, russia is by far worse. at least for Poles. Pls check how it looked throughout history. Check femine on Ukraine by Stalin, check Soviet Gulag, Siberia exile sites or Katyn massacre or Ribbentrop Molotov Pact, Communism. Great neighbor, dont you think? They simply have nothing to offer to civilized world, just war, troops, cheap display of so called power...and i only asked to let's say, take informed guess, if you may know these terms...
@@hamzak6437 do you really think it is world's illusion what is happening now or russia is just bandits attacking unprovoked, shelling cities and people there? 500k people fled already.
This documentary is a masterplan,I learnt so much about The Collapse of the Soviet Union and the Narrator is amazing,plz do the Collapse of Yugoslavia documentary
I'm an English woman who has lived in Bulgaria for the past 17 years , the balkan people are so lovely, if the bloody politicians left our small villages alone and treated the rest of the world with the ideology of live and let live the whole world would be a better place.just be happy with what you have in the small amount of time that we have granted to us on this our earth, the only one we have !! Life and earth!, JUST STOP THE WAR AGAINST UKRAINE AND THE WORLD.🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦
TH-cam Carl Sagan - Pale Blue Dot.
Well said, we are all the same, all human, why the need for borders. We need a central "government" to collect taxes for infrastructure in each area, but there is no reason to fight the people next door, they pay for the roads in their area, we pay for the roads in ours.
We are still little tribes fighting the tribe just down the road because their god totem is different to our god totem.
The only difference is that the god totem now is money.
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Insightful documentary
Yes, it would be nice to learn the history of all the diverse ethnicities. Hopefully, DW Documentary will continue providing more educational series. Thank you 😊
I'm from Brazil and I really appreciate the work of DW. It is so deep and accurate
maria go home
@@RR-mo5ey no.
@@RR-mo5ey what?
@@gtPacheko 😀
Vixe... eu achei bem legal também, mas se uma brasileira, educada por Paulo Freire e pelo MEC marxista, tá dizendo que é “accurate”, agora tô na dúvida…
Why did you remove the video about Ecuador?
Interesting to learn about this part of the world. Thanks DW for highlighting the beauty and complexity of humanity. Much appreciated from South Africa
Any white farmers massacred lately? Or is the goal achieved..?
Most insightful. The documentary explains a great deal about current events, including attitudes.
Well done. A rare, honest, neutral representation during a time extreme exposure to lies, polarity and propaganda. Refreshing.
According to Le Bon, each nation has its own unique ethnic character which favors one ideology over other. Egalitarian mongols and related culture always favor absolute equality which make them easily fall for socialism or communism. In society with long history hierarchy, absolute equality is actually terrible idea since ancient time.
But changes not the fact that Russia has no right to invade ukraine.
52:16 invisible man wearing a suit and top hat just casually walks by 😂
I have to agree, this is a balanced and non partial documentary, well done. Also, very well put together.
Interesting and balanced documentary. One can only wonder if Russia put more of its GDP into improving infrastructure and less into expanding its military, conditions for ordinary Russians might be much better.
Sounds like something US should be focused on ie less military spending and more on its own people.
Exactly
RaydTassie It's not that easy . Just ask China . The west not forgiveany country they see as a competition. Ask Japan, Germany it's not about Human Right the goal is destruction of the competition and take the resources
@@bobbylow175 true. How much could be achieved by mankind if the billions wasted on war was used for peaceful purposes.
You could say this about a lot of countries america for one
Looks like some one (behind this video) learnt some lessons. This is what we viewers want: balanced reporting! Afterall its a global world, we've been everywhere, we have enough knowledge about different countries.
Good job!
Yeah, definitely better than all the western main propaganda channels.
Indeed, not all are well knowledge such as the young generation however thanks to the internet and public libraries around the world digital or physical may increase in education only those worthy of understanding then seen the light of a bright future, some would fall shortly with no understanding weak. Hopes for a better future are lay to the young but to green to handle the weight of a entire nation or country challenges and needs. Peace :3
@@Koloviv48i you know this video is from a public broadcast in Germany ? so basically a "western channel", I don't know where you live but here in Canada, our TV is not "propaganda", it says basically the same thing as in this video and the many others I can view on TH-cam and elsewhere on Internet. Not like the people living under authoritarian regimes where they block many western sources of information.
My father was dancing when he saw USSR disintegration on TV
@@uwotm8560 millions did, and are still able to do so!
Except for the ordinary ignorant Russian citizen!
Wonder why they are so complacent..
A great documentary. But - it is not about the collapse of the Soviet Union. It is about the aftermath of the collapse. A misleading title of the documentary in my opinion.
Damn DW you guys put together a great documentary. Very surprised at the truth on both sides... you guys didn't just slam Russia and say how bad Russia is, you really broke things down. Germany after WWII has always intrigued me because it seems like Russia and America basically just split the spoils of war.
It is very biased.
@@Squee.1366 Guess your observation depends on your own political bias.
Каждый видит то что ему показывают ! Про германию - об америке и не может идти речь ......
@@gustavmukki3165 My bias? But of course.
Talking about Karabakh. Why don't mention it initially was annexed from Azerbaijan by Armenia 30 years ago?
About Crimea. What elections they are talking about? There was so called "referendum", hastily organized in two weeks after occupation and against Ukrainian laws.
And so on...
There is lot of misinformation in this "documentary".
@@Squee.1366 Absolutely! Thank you for reminding me! ‘Elections in Crimea’ … are you from the planet Earth? There was fake election, conducted in few days, with limited questions, against Ukrainian law, under the guns of the terrorists. This is so bizarre mistake for real journalism.. Im shocked, Deutsche Welle…
Excellent synopsis.
Shame the corruption prevented such opportunities.
I no woe woe the wrath 😮😮😮
Pretty soon this will need a part 2
hey you: yes indeed! We can only hope Ukraine will defeat the Russian bully Putin.
@alexvlasny9755 If Russia is invaded, you wont have a head and arms to write this, The nuclear war that will be caused by that will lead to nothing but complete destruction, and that will never happen
Lol in your dreams
@@aniketverma2775don’t drink the tea, comrade 🙃
@alexvlasny9755along with USA, Europe.
It'll show how nuclear war due to western provocation towards Russian borders destroyed whole world and a new organisation will be formed like UN which will prevent any country from becoming super power like today's USA.
Best Channel for dispersing knowledge and information.. Thanks 💝DW💝
Thanks for watching and your positive feedback :)
@@DWDocumentary You're welcome 💝
Very good piece of history. I enjoyed and learned a lot from this program.
Thank you.
Would love to see Mr. Belov @14:45 show the same level of empathy for non-Russians who woke up one day in the Soviet Union after Stalin redrew the map.
Exactly
He’d say it was a “necessary change & the people adjusted”. 😒
nonono, don't ruin the narative :) russia is nice, just misunderstood #@%!#^$%@$^!$#%$%
@@bghone7044 Stalin ain’t even Russian
MUCH respect for including Armenia's struggles in this documentary! Thank you!
Struggle is what you get when the first thing you do as an independent country to invade your newly independent neighbor.
Armenia deserved what she got.
Thanks for watching. We try to cover a broad spectrum of important and often difficult global issues and we really appreciate your positive feedback. We upload documentaries regularly so don’t forget to subscribe.
@@turkoman859 nobody told the azeris to bomb major cities in populated areas of artsakh after voting to be part of armenia no one said put the armenians trough the pogromms of baku and sumgait where armenians being ethnic cleansed in that area. And also artsakh was a autonomic armenian oblast in the soviet union. So get your facts together or learn some history. Not turkish brainwashed history.
Let’s not forget the “Armenian genocide” and other atrocities and crimes that were committed against Armenian people. 1 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman Empire (nowTurkey) during WW1.
@@turkoman859 Google the Shusha Massacre and learn how the Azeris even inhabited that territory.
All Azeris are nothing but bitter Iranian Turks.
Great documentary
Well documented ❤
Thanks DW. As an African (not American) trying to understand the West, especially Europe, with its on-going conflict.
Thank you for watching, Mike! :)
You can always ask me. I'm European :D
If u trying to understand the west as an African then read bout all the atrocities the west has done to African countries
@@jojoperez2610 I know they done alot of stupid stuff, expecially the US. The European union has not been so involded. But did the West ever conqour any land? US has won and has done alot of stuff. But they never take land. . . This is a very important fact. . . . Ofcourse they done it earlier, but not in the modern era.
@@mikethk the EU has never engaged in military adventures but European countries like Spain, France, England, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium and to a lesser extent Italy and Germany all engaged in building empires based on colonies in other continents. The US has engaged in military adventures with interventions in Latin and South America, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq.
Having Russian connection, I’d say this video is quite accurate and well balanced. Thank you for making this.
Very actual. I'm waiting for the second part 😁
Awesome insights, especially with this political climate. Thanks for sharing!
So nice to see such a well timed documentary keep it up DW, perhaps you will do this for every country during their moment of crisis?
This was a very precise and illuminating report ! Excellent ! Thank you.
A brilliant documentary as always DW..thank you
Thanks for watching. We try to cover a broad spectrum of important and often difficult global issues and we really appreciate your positive feedback.
I wonder why the BBC has gone on that kind of dark reporting, we miss the old days.
In ten years you can do the same documentary about the European Union "The end of a superpower that never was over". I'm looking forward to it.
Two things I love, DW documentaries and anything Soviet related, like a kid at Christmas when I saw this was uploaded
Same here. I hate Putin but I’m just fascinated by Russia’s history. I was in St. Petersburg and Moscow in 2013 and it’s like 2 different countries (St. Petersburg is more liberal). Moscow is very scary (or perhaps just my imagination)!
Chomsky would be proud of your very tactical choice of words when translating from Russian. I caught two instances of mistranslation to the point of getting it backwards: "the Yeltsin coup" was translated as "the Yeltsin era", and "they have no heart" was translated as "they have no head". Needless to say, I totally trust you now. Bravo!
Such verbosity. Very Chomsky of you.
Don't be surprised, it's not like DW is not biased. It also spread some negative propaganda in some of it's videos/documentaries when speaking of anything Russian.
@@guruoflove3083 I take it your either a properganda troll contractor or a person who is going to join the military 😆 🤣 😂 Senators , elites stock market investments in the military industrial complexes must be on it's way up .
@@roybatty6857 I'm neither a Deep State Satanic Marxist like your group of friends NOR their controlled opposition which you've aptly named in your last post... besides the main gist expressed, which is you take it.
@@roybatty6857 EVERYBODY Knows...
I have been watching DW bias reports and documentaries on China but is very surprised by this well balanced documentary on Russia. It has allowed the Russians side to present their views and seems sympathetic to Russians sufferings like the millions of Russians who found they are at the wrong side of the borders overnight after the break up of the USSR.
GOOD
If Russians living in non-Russian former Soviet republics felt badly when the USSR dissolved, imagine how badly the people in those republics felt when the Russian imperialists Sovietized them.
No one cares, everyone cares about strong, aggressive and cruel. You may experienced this at your school, job and some experiences even in their own families. Much like DW cited at the beginning current mass murderer not any leader of those republics.
Thank you for the honest and unbiased reporting on this complex topic. This is journalism at its pinnacle.
very vigorous research narrated in the simplest form possible. I've learnt. Kudos!
The day planet earth will become one nation, no borders, and everyone taking care of each other... peace
Lol that day will never come until Jesus Christ comeback.
Never
Thats unrealistic.
Yes the day when nations will not fight each other and peace reign will only come from a Supernatural Power;the creator of the universe, and we are not very far from achieving. Holy Scripture don't lie, will come through. Have faith 🙏 it will happen.
😂. Not while we have Islam on the planet
Sehr gut 🇩🇪👍💯 vielen dank 👍💖
Thank you. This documentary felt very balanced and informative.
And you have mistaken about Hungary, Czechia and Poland. They joined NATO in 1999 (for some sources 1998) not in 2004 when Lithuania joined. But in 2004 HU, CZ and PO joined the EU.
All your Documentaries very good 👍👍👍🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲 Keith m.
thank you, very beautiful documentary
Very informative! 👍
Your channel is so neutral that it allows one to form their own feelings about situations. This channel is a gem 💎 and really should be the model.
really appreciate that my taxes as a german citizen are funding DW
A few hours ago RT put out a documentary about the 2014 invasion; now DW is putting out thier own documentary. How interesting this is to observe.
Please on please share a link to RT. I want to watch some objective and calmly presented news again :(
I cant stand mainstream media more then 1 minute
well, a war is going on which almost everyone sees Russia as the wrong side. So, coincidence might be. However, let's say it is not a coincidence. Are the things they say lies?
This is propaganda war
@@RifetOkic you need vpn, it's censored
@@RifetOkic the choice is yours
I love this channel!
Many thanks for the documentaries which are a mirror of the great people behind them
Thanks for watching.
I learned a lot from watching this. Thank you DW.
@olive oyl Well - they executed a 200,000 soldier sized attack on Ukraine - are they Nazis? - or are they best friends and family? Hard to define by the actions of Kreml and the propaganda.
Yes this time Kreml is the baddy. Do you know how hard hard your leader has lied in the last few weeks? Probably
@olive oyl 🇺🇸🇺🇦 🇩🇪🤝💪🏽
One of the most informative documentary I've watched , really great
Stitch
20:28: "My generation are told that we don't know what freedom is because we never lived in a country without freedom.... we can't appreciate what freedom means." This is a problem in America, as well.
In the mid-70s when I first joined the military, everything was about the USSR. Our tactics were based on the attack by the Soviet Union into Europe. In the mid-eighties it got hotter and hotter and the USSR was blatant in every regard. But on December 26th 1991, a huge relief came. The fall of the USSR, by this time I was ready to retire. I remember mentioning to the new recruits, the russians will never let the countries that separated from them ever go. Someday they will attack those countries. I remember making those comments in September of 1993.
I grew up next to the ConocoPhillips refinery in Ponca City,OK...
We were #3 on their cold war hitlist in country because we supplied lots of petro to the military and everyone around the middle America region....I remember the sigh of relief when we all knew the bomb drills were over....We still dodge twisters by the half dozen a year here,but at least we weren't looking over shoulder like we are now,again....
The next documentary will be "America: The rise and bitter fall of the worlds final superpower". 😁
@@dead_on_departure The next documentary gonna be sth like this "How vodka and meldonium sank the former empire"
@@dead_on_departure "China: The new superpower." Without human rights, lowpay, no medical benefits so on.
@@dead_on_departure America the final super power, what about China?
This channel never disappoint public viewers specially me.... powerfully informative among other channels kudos to your channel 👍👌
Thank you very much for your comment!
This documentary needs a part 2: where are we today?
Very informative documentary , thanks DW
"But when you look at it from a rational perspective it's not at all clear why Russia would attack Poland or Baltic countries."
Meanwhile March 2022: Federal russian TV channels broadcast discussions about getting Warsaw.
Yep, journalism as it is.
Your documentaries are very enlightening. I like that its straight to the point. Very well presented.
Boy oh boy the whole part about "what does Russia stand to gain from attacking the baltics" has aged terribly
At 23.00 the Russian journalist saying that is not rational to think that Russia would attack any country. I laughed a lot at that statement 😂😂😂
Well it is not rational to think that, even if it happened.
Yeah....at the end, this one commentator said Russians have learned to deal with, and tell government what government wants to hear....so the Russians people can go back and live their normal life.
That was what I felt that commentator was doing, saying it's not rational to think Russia would attack other countries. He was just saying publicly what Russia would want to hear.
It seemed other commentators did the same thing.
He is correct. Ukraine started this war in 2014 by attacking Russian civilians of Donbass and Lugansk.
@@ik7584 Yeah, right!! Sure they did...🤣😂!!
I have friends in Lugansk!!! They didn't attack Russian citizens. Lugansk was getting hit my Russian artillery. My friend was bringing in medical supplies. As we're others. And got stopped by Russian separatists. Some of those bringing in medical supplies. Were killed by Russian separatists/soldiers at road blocks.
So no....what you're saying is absolutely not true. And even know....there are Russian speaking people in theceastern regions. But even they don't want the Russians there, invading Ukraine.
And it was also, Russian separatists, who turned out to be 3 Russian soldiers; and a Ukranian....Russian Separatist. Who took a Russian Missile launcher from a Russian military base, into Ukraine. And used it, to shoot down the Malyasian Airliner, flying from Holland. Killing 298 people.
The perpetrators were identified....and prosecuted in Holland.