unMasking Pod

Ever wondered how complaining about $40 croissants can instantly cure your first-world problems? (Spoiler: it involves three consecutive nights of record-breaking drone attacks, one very lost grandma at IKEA, and the sudden realization that expensive lattes are not, in fact, a legitimate crisis).

Think you've had a rough week? Try going from Copenhagen's boutique trauma to Kyiv's bomb shelter networking events. Or how memorizing every luxury price tag accidentally prepared you for calculating survival odds at 2 AM. (Sorry, Denmark, but Ukraine's got better crisis management skills now).

Also in this episode:

🛩️ Why your "expensive vacation" complaints might actually be your privilege showing

💸 What happens when the worst financial shock of your trip becomes nostalgic? (ft. Record Russian Drones)

🏠 That awkward moment when moving to a village becomes your mental health plan

🇺🇦 Why Ukrainian restaurants are better than Danish ones (and cost 90% less)

⚡ How to lose your grandmother in IKEA and find perspective in a parking garage bomb shelter

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🧭 Find us here:Masha – https://beacons.ai/mashagoroundYulia – https://beacons.ai/yewleea

What do staring down Russians in airports, being mistaken for Russian speakers, and discovering Lithuania's obsession with herbal liquors have in common? This episode.This week, Masha and Yulia share their wild travel adventures outside Ukraine's war bubble. From Yulia's anti-disinformation fellowship in Vilnius to awkward encounters with Putin-defending Russians living comfortably abroad, they break down the culture shock of leaving a war zone.They also dive into why Europeans still can't spell Kyiv correctly, the trauma of hotel staff assuming you speak Russian after seeing your Ukrainian passport, and how Lithuanian military takes disinformation seriously (but maybe not seriously enough).Plus: 17-hour solo drives thanks to the "brotherly" nation, making new friends through mutual Russian-bashing, Soviet architectural remnants, and why asking your American neighbors for sugar will get you three-headed stares.🎯 New episodes every week where we unmask the headlines, the hypocrisy, and ourselves — one existential laugh at a time.——🧭 Find us here:Masha Yulia ——🍺 Buy Luki Gin hereUSE CODE unmasking10 for a 10% discount

What do peace talks, the Pope, Eurovision, and the fear of sleeping naked in wartime Ukraine have in common? This episode.This week, Masha and Yulia break down the absurdity of so-called “peace talks” between Russia and Ukraine, the strange rise of a Pope with a suspicious backstory, and why religious institutions should maybe… sit this one out.They also share how working in media during war affects their day-to-day, from debating which side of Kyiv might be safer from missile strikes to bringing your camera home “in case you survive the attack.”Plus: naked rescue nightmares, Eurovision controversies, Hungarian spies, and the Soviet Union literally falling from space.🎧 New episodes every week where we unmask the headlines, the hypocrisy, and ourselves — one existential laugh at a time.——🧭 Find us here:Masha Yulia

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USE CODE unmasking10 for a 10% discount ——00:00 – Your weekly dose of chaos + Intro 01:00 – Istanbul: where peace talks go to die05:00 – When Bob became Pope (yes, that Bob)10:00 – Jesus said don't kill... unless?17:00 – Living that missile alert lifestyle22:00 – Death preferences: a casual discussion26:00 – Wardrobe tips for sudden strikes27:30 – Soviet space junk: the gift that keeps on giving29:00 – Hungary took 'watching' too literally36:00 – Eurovision: where politics meet sparkles44:00 – Lithuania tea & other cliffhangers

Ever wondered how a girl's obsession with Justin Bieber's Instagram turned into Ukraine's most unexpected resistance story? (Spoiler: it involves questionable operation hours, accidental propaganda fighting, and a whole lot of discontent russians).🤔 Think you've seen weird career changes? Try explaining how memorizing Bieber's tour schedule became the perfect training for tracking disinformation campaigns. Or how organizing fan meetups accidentally prepared you for mobilizing international support movements. (Sorry, Justin, but Ukraine's got better crowd coordination now).Also in this episode:🏆 Why your "cringe" fan phase might actually be your political bootcamp🎨 What happens when the worst person you know is right? (ft. Ben Shapiro)🏛️ That awkward moment when the odds against you become your superpower

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USE CODE unmasking10 for a 10% discount ——🧭 Find us here:Masha

Yewleea

Yulia T.——

Today on unMasking Pod we're serving apocalyptic prophecies, that might explain why Francis peaced out on Easter (dramatic timing: 10/10), with a side of unexpected drone donations, proving that even Popes can slide into Ukraine's DMs while no one is watching.  

Yulia's Frenchman navigates Ukrainian Easter traditions while getting accidentally baptized (spoiler: he survived both).🤯 We investigate why Russian accents sound like Valley Girl meets Eastern Europe, debate whether 2027 is actually the end or just a really aggressive deadline, and explain how my dog sitter turned my frozen varenyky stash into a true crime story (!).Also in this episode: 👽 Eery reasons why the Pope ghosted Earth 🏡 Architecture therapy: traditional Ukrainian house designs are basically Sims for adults with trauma🖼️ The secret art of meeting Ukrainian parents 🚨 Uzhhorod: The mysterious Ukrainian city where curfew goes to die

🍺 Buy Luki Gin here (only available in Ukraine for now)

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🧭 Find us here:Masha – https://beacons.ai/mashagoroundYulia – https://beacons.ai/yewleea

Ever met diaspora Ukrainians named "Vsevolod"?

We have, and they will judge your Ukrainian-ness faster than you can take a sip of Borscht (gasp!). This cultural therapy session is where we discover mainland Ukrainians cringed at wearing Vyshyvankas growing up, while diaspora kids bedazzle their houses with more Ukrainian symbols than a Carpathian gift shop.Ukrainian identity is a beautifully chaotic web. Watch as Myshko (Canadian-Ukrainian) and Yulia explore the fascinating disconnect between diaspora's preserved 1800s traditions and Ukraine's evolving culture – where one side guards historical purity while the other reinvents it.Also in this episode:🤯 Cultural plot twists, a.k.a. How "being Ukrainian enough" means opposite things in different worlds; And When your diaspora Ukrainian is "too archaic" for Kyiv.🎭 Identity crisis moments: How Plast became hardcore abroad but a thing of the past in Ukraine.💭 Share your story: Ever been "too Ukrainian" for abroad but "not Ukrainian enough" for home? Let's hear your cultural identity tales! 🍹Purchase Luki Gin Here or find them on Instagram——🧭 Find us here:Masha Yulia ——

Ever feel like ditching your country and moving to Ukraine? you are not alone.

In this episode of Unmasking, we dive into the terrifyingly casual superiority of Ukrainian digital services — from babushkas with payment terminals to government apps that make Western bureaucracy look positively Soviet. 🤯 We unpack the wild cost comparison showing Ukrainian MRIs at $80 while Americans pay $15,000, explore why Kyiv's apartment hunting doesn't require credit checks, and how vegetables in Ukraine actually have flavor (revolutionary concept!). 🧠 Alex breaks down how Ukrainian society welcomes newcomers despite war challenges, while Yulia shares personal culture shocks from NYC to Kyiv — and the chaos of trying to explain to Americans why their "advanced" society feels backwards after experiencing Ukraine's efficiency.

Also in this episode:📲 DIA's all-in-one documentation system🧃 Why neighbors actually give you sugar in Ukraine📉 French bulldogs making suspiciously French noises

💬 Don't forget to comment below — would you trade your Western comfort zone for affordable healthcare and tech that actually works?

Ever feel like reality is glitching? You’re not alone.

In this episode of Unmasking, we dive into the terrifyingly casual collapse of critical thinking — from TikTok echo chambers and AI hallucinations to modern politics that feel more like cults than campaigns.

📉 A wild Columbia Journalism Review study found that AI tools cite fake news over 60% of the time. We break down how the internet is quietly (and not-so-quietly) radicalizing us — and why your algorithm might be gaslighting you.

🧠 @yewleea breaks down how far-right movements use cult-like psychology to gain power, while Masha shares personal run-ins with TikTok conspiracy theorists — and the chaos of trying to stay sane in a world where no one reads past the headline.

Also in this episode:

📲 Signal’s spicy rebrand

🧃 Media literacy 101

📉 Why facts alone won’t save us

Follow us Here:

Masha

Yulia

YouTube

Glossary:

AI search engines cite incorrect news sources at an alarming 60% rate, study says

Hands Off – Save the U.S. Protest on April 5th

What are AI Hallucinations?

The Invisible Battles of Ukrainian Military Medics — a powerful doc on the frontline heroes you never see on the news.

🎧 Chapters:

00:00-Welcome to the Simulation + Intro

01:09-Truth.exe Has Stopped Working in ChatGPT

10:27-Politics: The Cult That Went Viral

14:46-Far-Right Psychology for Dummies

17:57-Corruption Olympics: France vs Ukraine

22:30-How to Break Up With Your Info Echo Chamber

25:02-Maple MAGAs: Canada is Getting Spicy

28:26-Ex Files: Yulia's Haunting Past TikTok Edition

32:45-Grey's Anatomy: IRL in a War Zone Edition

39:11-Disinfo: The New Digital Drug Making us Numb

43:33-How to Un-Trump Your Timeline

45:25-Soft Cult Summer

50:57-Internet Survival Guide

58:31-Why We're Still Here + Love Letters to Listeners

Ever wondered what it’s like to plan a date between air raid sirens? Or explain to your dog that those flashes in the sky are just another Friday night in Ukraine? 

Welcome to our not-so-normal normal. From catfishing tanks (yes, really) to grandpas with DIY declarations of independence, this week’s episode of Unmasking is a chaotic ride through the surreal reality of living and not just surviving in a war zone.

We’re spilling the tea on the parts of war that don’t make headlines — like what it’s really like to date someone who can’t tell you where they are,  why pacifism is the ultimate privilege check, and how we’re holding on to softness in a world that keeps trying to harden us.

In this episode:
💘 Dating in a war zone – and why “can’t talk, at the front” is a legit excuse
🕊️ Why peace talks aren’t so peaceful
🎭 When our new normal makes everyone else uncomfortable
📜 That awkward moment when your heritage becomes a bargaining chip
💥 Why the female experience of war isn’t just staying strong and knitting camouflage nets

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Ever felt like the world is one giant stress ball, and you're just trying not to squeeze too hard? Join us for a raw and witty dive into the chaos of political anxiety and panic attacks, where we serve up a cocktail of humor and heart.

Live from a war zone (no biggie, just another Tuesday), we share our unique Ukrainian perspective on the madness of current events. With media and politics playing tag-team on our mental health, we're here to offer some coping strategies that don't involve hiding under your bed.

Armed with friendship support and a dash of sarcasm, we tackle the trauma and uncertainty with a wink and a smile. Whether you're in need of a laugh or just some good old-fashioned empathy, tune in to find out how we juggle our responsibilities and personal lives without dropping the ball (too often).

This is our first ever previously UNRELEASED episode, that we are serving up as a Sunday bonus. Enjoy?

Support the show

Yewleea's social media

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.