Russian Propaganda Video Encourages Emigration

Russian Propaganda Video Encourages Emigration

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It’s not unusual for countries to spend money on marketing to tourists or potential immigrants. However, a video that was posted by an official account of Russia is… very strange? No wonder it’s going viral.

Russian Embassy in Spain says it’s time to move to Russia

The Russian Embassy in Spain has posted a video on Twitter, with the caption “Time to move to Russia.”

The 53-second video shares various reasons you should move to Russia, including delicious cuisine, beautiful women, cheap gas, rich history, world famous literature, unique architecture, fertile soil, cheap electricity and water, ballet, cheap taxi and delivery, traditional values, Christianity, no cancel culture, hospitality, vodka, and an economy that can withstand thousands of sanctions.

The video finishes with saying “don’t delay, winter is coming.” No matter how you slice it, that seems to be a threat of Russia further cutting off natural resources to other parts of the world, especially Europe.

A couple of things in particular stood out to me. First of all, when the video talks about “beautiful women,” it shows pictures of two small girls running through a field. Disgusting. Second of all, there’s no cancel culture in Russia? I think Alexei Navalny would disagree.

This video is so beyond strange

Forget the actual substance of the video for a moment. Am I the only one confused by how exactly this video was produced, and to what extent it’s connected to the government?

  • Was this video officially commissioned by the government of Russia, or did some big Russia fan just make the video, and the Russian Embassy in Spain decided to share it?
  • Am I the only one who thinks the tone of the video almost makes it seem like a parody, especially with the commentary?

In all honesty, I would imagine that what’s promised in the video probably sounds pretty appealing to some. How many people are actually willing to move to Russia… well, that’s probably a different story.

Bottom line

So, um, anyone contemplating a move to Russia after this video?

Conversations (40)
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  1. Foo Blah Guest

    Lol! It’s obviously a parody!
    Someone in the Russian Embassy didn’t get it.

    Russian women are hot though!
    Its that mix of Nordic and Asian genetics. But dont tell them that. They’re racist against Asians.

  2. Constantine W. Guest

    When Russia has to pay back Ukraine for destroying it’s infrastructure…..they may have a different tune. Russia has plenty of GOLD stored offshore so they readily will meet the need for Ukraine.
    So sad that Russia will go from being a 2nd world country to a 3rd world country. Paybacks are hell…Huh?

  3. Azamaraal Diamond

    Hilarious. Parody.

  4. Rotuma Diamond

    This video looks and sound like a spoof.

  5. Sergei Guest

    2Jerry: Some Russians are proficient in English and aware of modern cultural realities. Government is not entirely secular and promotes Orthodox Christianity and specifically traditional Christian values whenever possible.

    On a side note - the writings you see in the first frames are actually in Ukrainian.

  6. UA-NYC Diamond

    You stupid racist, bigoted twat...seriously piss off with your "grooming" commentary.

  7. Mh Diamond

    The wrong scenes were used there. Here's the corrected one.

    https://twitter.com/na_intel/status/1553043679656435715

  8. SDRon Guest

    Another observation:
    At the 0:23 second mark in the video, was that a ring around the bathtub where the audio was talking about
    "cheap water?" You probably missed it because you were looking at the "beautiful woman."

  9. Andrew Guest

    I live in Mexico, and for a lot persons this video is very good and makes total sense in particular if your are a man.
    We see it very funny, has good sense of humor,
    Russia its a very good place to visit and to live, the video its very accurate.
    I have visit Russia many times and I can truly said that Russia its a hidden treasure.
    We world its like a buffet, You can chose what you like it according to your preferences.

    1. red_robbo Guest

      With a name like yours, I would have expected a better standard of English from you Andrew.
      Or should I call you Andrei, or Igor, or Mikhail?
      Jeez, these trolls get everywhere these days....

  10. Grammar Police Guest

    Both you and Matthew at Live and Let's Fly incorrectly refer to this as "emigration to Russia."

    They are encouraging immigration to Russia. Emigration is the act of leaving one's home country. Immigration is the process of settling in a new country.

    1. Eskimo Guest

      You know those two have histories together. It's like one could finish another's sentences.

    2. TC Guest

      Well, unless the title of the article has changed, it only refers to "encourages emigration". This is perfectly fine, since it's emigration from your original country, and thus immigration to Russia?

  11. Never In Doubt Guest

    No chance this was released (on purpose) by the Russian Embassy in Spain, and I’m embarrassed for Ben that he entertained that idea.

    As others have noted, it’s obviously parody, and likely that Twitter account was compromised to be able to post it.

    1. Miguel Guest

      If the account was compromised, then why hasn't the tweet been deleted by now, a few days later? The account has since made other tweets that are likely authentic (and in Spanish), so if there was a hack then they must be back in control, right?

  12. James Guest

    Like others have said, this does seem to be a parody. But then again, the other reason could be that the commercial seems to be slanted for men who would be great canon fodder in the invasion of Ukraine.

  13. Eskimo Guest

    LOL, Winter is coming.

    This is got to be some parody. Why would it not be in Spanish if it's coming from a Embassy in Spain.

  14. Jerry Diamond

    It can't be officially produced by the Russian Government.

    -The phrase "cheap gas" would really only be said by an American English speaker. The concept of "cheap gas" is largely an American idea.
    -"Cancel Culture" is largely a modern American concept.
    -While the Orthodox Church yields great power in Russia, the government is secular, and Russians take pride in knowing they have large swaths of Muslims, Buddhists, and Atheists across the county.

    There's...

    It can't be officially produced by the Russian Government.

    -The phrase "cheap gas" would really only be said by an American English speaker. The concept of "cheap gas" is largely an American idea.
    -"Cancel Culture" is largely a modern American concept.
    -While the Orthodox Church yields great power in Russia, the government is secular, and Russians take pride in knowing they have large swaths of Muslims, Buddhists, and Atheists across the county.

    There's just no way this isn't targeting a Fox News Audience. Nobody in Spain/Belgium/Australia is wining about cheap gas, cancel culture, and Christianity.

    1. Ed Guest

      By ‘cheap gas’ they mean ‘cheap gas’ as in natural gas which a great many people use for home heating and is very expensive right now. Russia is the worlds largest supplier, and sanctions plus Russia cutting back supply has sent prices skyrocketing. The lack of supply means that winter storage is not being filled so it will get worse this winter with even higher prices, rationing and industry shutting down, hence ‘winter is coming’

    2. Chris Guest

      A bit of a tangential aside that I'm loathe to have to point out (we'd much prefer you all to think life is just peaches down here), but I'm afraid you'll find we have plenty of people whinging about gas prices, cancel culture ("identity politics") and the "fall" of traditional Christian values in Australia.

      That said, I still reckon those people would see this silly video for the parody it is.

    3. Mantis Guest

      Fox News crowd? You're delusional. Still clinging to the Democrat created false narrative about Trump Russia collusion? You can be forgiven fornot realizing that it was completely disproven (and proven to be fabricated by the Dems), since your left wing media covered the false narrative wall to wall for a few years, then didn't bother to cover it when it all fell apart. If this is the first time you've learned about this, I'm sure...

      Fox News crowd? You're delusional. Still clinging to the Democrat created false narrative about Trump Russia collusion? You can be forgiven fornot realizing that it was completely disproven (and proven to be fabricated by the Dems), since your left wing media covered the false narrative wall to wall for a few years, then didn't bother to cover it when it all fell apart. If this is the first time you've learned about this, I'm sure this must come as a shock...even though it was never credible for socialist Dems to accuse the so called Nazi extreme right wing trump of colluding with Putin, who's trying to rebuild the Soviet empire.

      However, you socialists might want to go check out the fruits of the system you want to bring here, so please, go check it out...and maybe stay.

    4. Jerry Diamond

      I reread my comment, and it didn't look like I mentioned any sort of collusion anywhere. Did you read my comment?

      As for my statement about Fox News viewers, issues such as high gas prices, cancel culture, and so called Christian values do seem to be important issues to them. It wasn't a criticism. Merely an observation

      Russia has free healthcare too, but it wasn't mentioned in the video. I do think the video had...

      I reread my comment, and it didn't look like I mentioned any sort of collusion anywhere. Did you read my comment?

      As for my statement about Fox News viewers, issues such as high gas prices, cancel culture, and so called Christian values do seem to be important issues to them. It wasn't a criticism. Merely an observation

      Russia has free healthcare too, but it wasn't mentioned in the video. I do think the video had an intended audience. I'm sorry if my implication offended you.

    5. ConcordeBoy Diamond

      "it was completely disproven (and proven to be fabricated by the Dems)"

      Hmmm. Let's take a look at what was ACTUALLY officially stated on the issue:

      "As I said forth in the report after that investigation, if we had had confidence that the President clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so," Robert Mueller, May 29, 2019.

      You seem like the type who doesn't completely comprehend the difference between "not proven" and...

      "it was completely disproven (and proven to be fabricated by the Dems)"

      Hmmm. Let's take a look at what was ACTUALLY officially stated on the issue:

      "As I said forth in the report after that investigation, if we had had confidence that the President clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so," Robert Mueller, May 29, 2019.

      You seem like the type who doesn't completely comprehend the difference between "not proven" and "disproved." (Well that, and that "disproven" isn't a word in standard English)

    6. Sergei Guest

      Some Russians are proficient in English and aware of modern cultural realities. Government is not entirely secular and promotes Orthodox Christianity and specifically traditional Christian values whenever possible.

      Cheap gas and cancel culture are widely in Russian news these days.

  15. guisun Diamond

    This is obviously a joke video posted by Russian embassy, but I think people are interpreting way more than what is it because of Russian invasion of Ukraine.

  16. Alex77W Guest

    Just a few observations:
    1) They do overuse "cheap": like everything is cheap, delivery, gas, water, etc. This makes the entire video cheap.
    2) The most fertile soil is actrually in the South and Ukraine. This is why the Catherine the Great moved the borders there.
    3) Do not move to Russia if you are a women because:
    (a) tough competition from the beauties already there and
    (b) no mentioning...

    Just a few observations:
    1) They do overuse "cheap": like everything is cheap, delivery, gas, water, etc. This makes the entire video cheap.
    2) The most fertile soil is actrually in the South and Ukraine. This is why the Catherine the Great moved the borders there.
    3) Do not move to Russia if you are a women because:
    (a) tough competition from the beauties already there and
    (b) no mentioning of beautiful men (clearly, the movie emphasizes heterosexual relations); the men are likely to be already involved in a copious consumption of vodka.

    Finally, one question to Ben is how one would even fly there nowadays? Right now the choices are rather limited to TK, Air Serbia, Emirates, Qatar +?

  17. Rob in Miami Guest

    THIS IS THE FUNNIEST thing I have seen in years!
    Thank you for showing us the HORRIBLE propoganda that both Russian share with social media.

    what a world

    jez

  18. Icarus Guest

    It also mentions a Christian country
    Beautiful women. So it’s aimed at heterosexual men. Of course Russia has a history of great culture. Writers, music and the arts.
    However here they only want you if your straight, white and Christian male. Or will they invite citizens of African countries to relocate ? I doubt it

    1. LEo Diamond

      Russian officials have said many time that Russia does not want people to emigrant to Russia and form a community that poses challenges to the majority, therefore I guess the target would be mainly whites.

  19. Niko_jas Guest

    Can't help but wonder what the entry requirements are?! No minimum income or police record check? Just don't be a gay couple?! The mind boggles!

  20. pstm91 Diamond

    Unfortunately for them, too many Russians (especially ages 30+) have seen the movie "East-West". If you haven't, I recommend it.

  21. Don Guest

    Their economy is booming, and they are proving to be extremely resilient.
    I can see people being attracted to that.

    I spent time there in 2019 - it's a different world.
    Any 'sanctions' or whatever the west puts on them, they will just shrug off.

    The people are tough. Wouldn't be shocked for more people to move there.

    1. DCAWABN Guest

      I think your definition of "booming" and nearly every economists' definition of "booming" is very different. Maybe you meant "Is, in the short-term, resilient"?

      https://www.marketwatch.com/story/far-from-putins-claims-of-resilience-russian-economy-is-being-hammered-by-sanctions-and-exodus-of-international-companies-yale-report-finds-11659377317
      https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/08/02/sanctions-cripple-russian-economy-study-says-a78478
      https://finance.yahoo.com/news/russian-central-bank-says-economic-150922319.html
      https://www.cnbc.com/2022/08/02/russia-faces-economic-oblivion-despite-short-term-resilience.html

      I think your definition of "booming" and nearly every economists' definition of "booming" is very different. Maybe you meant "Is, in the short-term, resilient"?

      https://www.marketwatch.com/story/far-from-putins-claims-of-resilience-russian-economy-is-being-hammered-by-sanctions-and-exodus-of-international-companies-yale-report-finds-11659377317
      https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/08/02/sanctions-cripple-russian-economy-study-says-a78478
      https://finance.yahoo.com/news/russian-central-bank-says-economic-150922319.html
      https://www.cnbc.com/2022/08/02/russia-faces-economic-oblivion-despite-short-term-resilience.html

    2. C. Weston Guest

      Booming?

      Top Russian Banker Warns Russia Won't Survive Winter Without Russia's NUMBER ONE source of Revenue: European NatGas Sales

      Russian Economy Faces 10 Years of Recession Without Major Reforms – Sberbank CEO

      Sberbank, the largest Bank in Russia, forecasts Russia’s GDP to fall by 7% in 2022 and 10.3% in 2023.

      The decline would slide back into the single digits in the following years and reach -0.1% by 2030, according to a slide of Sberbank’s...

      Booming?

      Top Russian Banker Warns Russia Won't Survive Winter Without Russia's NUMBER ONE source of Revenue: European NatGas Sales

      Russian Economy Faces 10 Years of Recession Without Major Reforms – Sberbank CEO

      Sberbank, the largest Bank in Russia, forecasts Russia’s GDP to fall by 7% in 2022 and 10.3% in 2023.

      The decline would slide back into the single digits in the following years and reach -0.1% by 2030, according to a slide of Sberbank’s forecast at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF)

      btw - The Rubble, even with its recent rebound, is still down over 40 percent against the dollar since 2014.

      Putin is going to go down in history as a moron of epic proportions.

      He and his merry band of Oligs have been robbing the Russian people blind for decades.

      Now he goes and cuts off his nose despite his face by cutting off Russia's number one source of revenue, European gas sales and getting thousands of his young men killed in the midst of a Russian massive demographic crisis.

      Not the sharpest knife in the drawer.

      Parkinson Dementia:

      https://www.parkinson.org/sites/default/files/PD%20Dementia.pdf

      He has destroyed Russia's standing in the world for decades to come.

      Aeroflop anyone?

  22. MK Guest

    If you want cheap gas, you could move to either Russia or Saudi Arabia. Being a Male originally from South Asia who now lives in Miami (and therefore cannot handle the cold), I'd choose the latter.

    1. LEo Diamond

      How about Oman instead, you can't get pork and alcohol in Saudi, but you can get in Oman, gas is still cheap.

    2. Dixieboz Guest

      Move to Madagascar. Gas is cheap there, and you will have lots of adorable Lemurs as well!

  23. AJ Member

    I have a few additional questions...if it was written/produced/posted/whatever in Spain, why is it in English?

    Second, why did they use Redd Pepper (the man that does the voiceovers for scary movies)? They didn't have one person on that committee zoom call, that said "I like Redd but, perhaps, we should put out a casting call?"

  24. Bobby J Guest

    During the Cold War, there was a trickle of useful idiots outside the Soviet dominated world who emigrated to Russia; particularly anti-establishment leftists. I imagine there will be a similar trickle now, albeit among anti-establishment rightists.

Featured Comments Most helpful comments ( as chosen by the OMAAT community ).

The comments on this page have not been provided, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser, and it is not an advertiser's responsibility to ensure posts and/or questions are answered.

Grammar Police Guest

Both you and Matthew at Live and Let's Fly incorrectly refer to this as "emigration to Russia." They are encouraging immigration to Russia. Emigration is the act of leaving one's home country. Immigration is the process of settling in a new country.

3
Ed Guest

By ‘cheap gas’ they mean ‘cheap gas’ as in natural gas which a great many people use for home heating and is very expensive right now. Russia is the worlds largest supplier, and sanctions plus Russia cutting back supply has sent prices skyrocketing. The lack of supply means that winter storage is not being filled so it will get worse this winter with even higher prices, rationing and industry shutting down, hence ‘winter is coming’

3
TC Guest

Well, unless the title of the article has changed, it only refers to "encourages emigration". This is perfectly fine, since it's emigration from your original country, and thus immigration to Russia?

2
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