When Russia invaded Ukraine, I lost my readers, my career, and my voice. Today, I’m finding it again.

This video is deeply personal- it’s about what the war in Ukraine taught me about being Russian. About fear, silence, and the unbearable truth of watching people who look just like us destroy each other. I’ll tell you what broke me, what healed me, and why I chose to speak out when staying silent would’ve been easier. This is not politics—it’s a confession.

JOIN ME ON THE JOURNEY

👉 Buy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/elvirabary⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

👉 Donate with PayPal: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=CSAQ25WWN979A⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

👉 My books on Amazon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/465Co4Q⁠⁠⁠⁠

👉 Sign-up for news about the New Book here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://elvirabary.com/elvira-barys-newsletter/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Why lies became Russia’s survival code—and why it matters for the rest of us.

👉 Get New Episodes at least 7 days earlier on Elvira Bary YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@elvirabary⁠⁠⁠⁠

Why do Russians lie and cheat so much? From broken contracts to fake patriotism, today’s Russia runs on deception—but the roots go much deeper. In this video, I trace how ancient tribal survival codes evolved into a culture of lies that poisons modern politics and daily life. This is not just about Russia—it’s a warning about what happens when power relies on deceit instead of trust.

Video Chapters:

00:00 Why Lies Became Russia’s Survival Code

02:02 Where the Culture of Lies Comes From

05:03 Lie # 1 - Fake Patriotism

08:27 Lie # 2 - Fake Greatness

15:45 Lie # 3 - Fake Hopelessness

20:33 The Weapon of the Weak

👉 Get New Episodes at least 7 days earlier on Elvira Bary YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@elvirabary⁠⁠⁠⁠

China and Russia present a united front, glowing with power on the world stage - but is it real unity, or a fragile alliance built on fear and privilege?

In this video, Elvira Bary unpacks how autocracies really work, why their so-called “axis” is riddled with cracks, and whether the world is sliding toward a new Cold War. With history as our guide and today’s fragile geopolitics as the backdrop, we’ll explore what these regimes truly want, what they fear most, and how the West should respond.

JOIN ME ON THE JOURNEY

👉 Buy Me A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/elvirabary⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

👉 Donate with PayPal: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=CSAQ25WWN979A⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

👉 My books on Amazon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/465Co4Q⁠⁠⁠⁠

👉 Sign-up for news about the New Book here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://elvirabary.com/elvira-barys-newsletter/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

👉 Get New Episodes at least 7 days earlier on Elvira Bary YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@elvirabary⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Video Chapters:

00:00 Russia’s Tragic Secret: Why Suffering Is Glorified

02:11 The Suffering Cult

05:20 Hierarchy through Suffering

09:19 Suffering as Social Elevator

12:39 Escape from the Ordinary

16:15 Psychological Adaptation Tool

19:30 How Suffering Shapes Everyday Life

👉 Get New Episodes at least 7 days earlier on Elvira Bary YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@elvirabary⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Why suffering is not just endured in Russia—but glorified as virtue and destiny.

👉 Get New Episodes at least 3 days earlier on Elvira Bary YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@elvirabary⁠⁠⁠⁠

Video Chapters:

00:00 How Close is Russia to a New Revolution?

01:50 The Nature of Civic Unrest

8:37 Potential Revolutionaries

15:22 Four Scenarios

24:13 Self-Organization and Ideology

👉 Get New Episodes at least 3 days earlier on Elvira Bary YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@elvirabary⁠⁠⁠⁠

Uncover how Russia secretly shaped the Middle East — and why its influence still haunts us.

👉 Get New Episodes at least 3 days earlier on Elvira Bary YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@elvirabary⁠⁠⁠⁠

Video Chapters:

00:00 The Shocking Truth About Russia’s Influence in the Middle East

01:12 What Exactly Did Russians Want in the Middle East?

06:53 The USSR, the Jews, and Israel

11:17 The Anti-Colonial Narrative

16:16 Financial and Military Aid

19:41 Syria: Moscow’s Last Stronghold

22:28 The New Gulf Safe Haven

👉 Get New Episodes at least 3 days earlier on Elvira Bary YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@elvirabary⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Putin’s foreign-policy report card: Europe lost, neighbors hedging, China holds the leash.

👉 Get New Episodes at least 3 days earlier on Elvira Bary YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@elvirabary⁠⁠⁠⁠

Video Chapters:

00:00 The Foreign Policy Disaster Putin Will Be Remembered For

03:27 Europe

05:54 Former Soviet States

10:32 Turkey and the Middle East

14:25 The United States

17:02 Africa

20:16 China

22:14 Economic Warfare

👉 Get New Episodes at least 3 days earlier on Elvira Bary YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@elvirabary⁠⁠⁠

Putin’s war machine runs on money. But how long can Russia’s fragile war economy survive?

👉 Get New Episodes at least 3 days earlier on Elvira Bary YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@elvirabary⁠⁠⁠

Video Chapters:

00:00 How Long Can Putin’s War Economy Survive?

01:56 Which Path to Take?

07:49 Early USSR

10:54 Late USSR

16:32 After the USSR Collapse

19:31 Putin’s Rent Model

26:38 Watching the Cracks

👉 Get New Episodes at least 3 days earlier on Elvira Bary YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@elvirabary⁠⁠

Inside Putin’s weaponized church: why Russian priests bless war.

👉 Get New Episodes at least 3 days earlier on Elvira Bary YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@elvirabary⁠⁠

Video Chapters:

00:00 Why Russian Priests Bless War

00:48 The Difference Between the Church in Russia and the West

02:46 The Birth of a State Religion

05:25 The Great Schism of the 17th Century

09:17 Religious Minorities

12:55 The Church and Soviet Power

17:48 The Church in the Soviet Union

21:49 The Church and Putinism

26:00 The War on Dissent

27:59 In Place of a Conclusion

👉 Get New Episodes at least 3 days earlier on Elvira Bary YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@elvirabary⁠

The KGB never died—it just changed uniforms. Here’s how it still rules Russia today.

👉 Get New Episodes at least 3 days earlier on Elvira Bary YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@elvirabary⁠

Video Chapters:

00:00 Inside the KGB Mentality That Still Rules Russia

01:31 The Secret Police: Serving the State, Serving Themselves

06:51 The Silovik Career

08:52 The Siloviki Mindset

13:12 The Besieged Fortress

👉 Get New Episodes at least 3 days earlier on Elvira Bary YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@elvirabary