Ask a Russian

[Zardnaar]

Polish TV series "4 tankmen and a dog" was very popular in USSR. Not a comedy, but it was made for kids, thus wasn't too grim and there were quite a few funny moments.

The movie is complete propaganda garbage, unfortunately.
I read about half of the book, it was not bad actually, much better than movie. Though it was written during Cold War and a bit outdated by modern standards. Soviet archives were not accessible to Western historians back then.

When I grew up the history hooks relied heavily on German accounts because that's what they had access to.

Other things were estimates eg 20+ million citizens of the USSR died in the war.

Enemy At the Gates isn't really regarded as a great war movie in the west either. American war movies tend to go two ways.

1. War is Hell. Eg Platoon, Apocalypse Now. Usually Vietnam War.

Or

2. Ra Ra America schlock. Pearl Harbor, Saving Private Ryan (not to bad all things considered), Longest Day.

1 is usually better than option 2.

Pacific campaign not as prominent either. Pearl Harbor and Midway you might hear about but it's mostly seen as an American War and the movies tend to be meh. It's overshadowed put it that way.

I was wondering about things like Fall of France or Italian Campaign etc.

 

[Gelion]

Which movie prompted you to wonder about it?

 

[Zardnaar]

Which movie prompted you to wonder about it?

Forgotten Battle. It's a Dutch film on Netflix about clearing the approaches to Antwerp in 1944.

Really good film war is pointless type trope.

 

[Zardnaar]

Best PoW camps of the war.

Thoughts if anyone watches it?

 

[Samson]

Why do Russians have such a problem with falling out of windows?

Diplomat found dead outside Berlin embassy was Russian secret agent

German security services believe that a man found dead in a street outside the Russian embassy in Berlin last month was an undercover agent of Russia's FSB intelligence service, Der Spiegel reported on Friday.
The 35-year-old man's body was found early on Oct. 19, the magazine said. It said, citing security sources, that the man had fallen from an upper floor at the embassy.

Security sources told the magazine it was unclear how the diplomat had fallen and what had caused his death. The Russian embassy had not agreed to an autopsy, Der Spiegel said.
Der Spiegel quoted the Russian embassy saying the incident was a "tragic accident" on which it would not comment "for ethical reasons".​

 

[Gelion]

Why do Russians have such a problem with falling out of windows?

They are perhaps trying to catch a troll that is balancing on the window frame?

 

[Gelion]

Why do Russians have such a problem with falling out of windows?

Diplomat found dead outside Berlin embassy was Russian secret agent

German security services believe that a man found dead in a street outside the Russian embassy in Berlin last month was an undercover agent of Russia's FSB intelligence service, Der Spiegel reported on Friday.
The 35-year-old man's body was found early on Oct. 19, the magazine said. It said, citing security sources, that the man had fallen from an upper floor at the embassy.

Security sources told the magazine it was unclear how the diplomat had fallen and what had caused his death. The Russian embassy had not agreed to an autopsy, Der Spiegel said.
Der Spiegel quoted the Russian embassy saying the incident was a "tragic accident" on which it would not comment "for ethical reasons".​

Since you liked my response to your post I assume you have a good understanding of what I meant.

 

[Samson]

Since you liked my response to your post I assume you have a good understanding of what I meant.

No. Was Der Spiegel the troll, or the "security sources", or me?

 

[Gelion]

No. Was Der Spiegel the troll, or the "security sources", or me?

Your question. There's no way to interpret (at least for me) what you asked otherwise

 

[red_elk]

Why do Russians have such a problem with falling out of windows?

There are two possible explanations.
Either Russians tend to fall out of windows disproportionally more often than everybody else.
Or events like that involving Russians tend to be reported disproportionally more often.
Which one do you think is more likely?

 

[Samson]

There are two possible explanations.
Either Russians tend to fall out of windows disproportionally more often than everybody else.
Or events like that involving Russians tend to be reported disproportionally more often.
Which one do you think is more likely?

There is something particular about falling out of windows though, whether it is doctors, lawyers or spys. This is not a major cause of death of high profile people anywhere else, and windows and news stories about extrajudicial killing are much more distributed.

 

[red_elk]

There is something particular about falling out of windows though, whether it is doctors, lawyers or spys. This is not a major cause of death of high profile people anywhere else, and windows and news stories about extrajudicial killing are much more distributed.

I doubt it is a major cause of deaths among anybody in Russia. But if you report every single case like it's a big news, it may certainly appear like that.
Last year there was a wave of suicides among New York medical workers, due to overwork in covid hospitals - don't you think exact same thing may happen in Russia?
Does it absolutely necessary has to be some KGB death squad killing doctors because reasons? I understand that journalist job often require being sensationalist, but kind of tired of such allegations.

 

[Zardnaar]

There are two possible explanations.
Either Russians tend to fall out of windows disproportionally more often than everybody else.
Or events like that involving Russians tend to be reported disproportionally more often.
Which one do you think is more likely?

Both statements can be true.

I blame Vodka.

 

[Gelion]

Does it absolutely necessary has to be some KGB death squad killing doctors because reasons?

I didn't even think that far... yeah

 

[red_elk]

I didn't even think that far... yeah

There was a similar discussion last year in covid thread. Few people seemed to believe in all seriousness that Russia was murdering its own doctors, because Russia.
Reasons, motives, logic, common sense - who needs these things in post-truth era?

 

[Gelion]

There was a similar discussion last year in covid thread. Few people seemed to believe in all seriousness that Russia was murdering its own doctors, because Russia.
Reasons, motives, logic, common sense - who needs these things in post-truth era?

Well, convictions are better than mocking even if false. I'd take that

 

[Aiken_Drumn]

Is it safe/possible for me as a westerner to travel unplanned across Russia? Or should I just take a package tour?

 

[red_elk]

Is it safe/possible for me as a westerner to travel unplanned across Russia? Or should I just take a package tour?

It is possible. As for safety it depends on where you want to go.
Cities like Moscow or St. Petersburg are common tourist destination and about as safe as large EU cities, i.e. not 100% safe, but in general you should only watch your belongings.
Going to remote places may be more extreme, since people there rarely speak English and distances are vast.
There is no hatred towards westerners, most Russians understand that ordinary people don't necessarily support their government actions.

 

[Zardnaar]

So Russia is getting a beer drinking and cafe culture these days?

Parts of St Pete and Moscow look amazing.

Careful you might be turning into westerners.



Found this again. Hard in the post Covid world. Gorkovskaya APA lol.

Sneaky Russians trade deficit!!!

https://tradingeconomics.com/new-zealand/imports/russia

Sneaky Russians pt 2. Russian troops within 9886km of Auckland!!!

 

[Ferocitus]

Best PoW camps of the war.

Thoughts if anyone watches it?

Not quite the same as a POW camp but...

My father spent 5 years in a displaced persons camp in Sarnau, Germany.
He always said he had a good time there because he went in at age 8 and left when he was 13.
When he went to Germany in 1990, he stopped at Sarnau with a photo of the kids in the football team he
played with. He asked at the Post Office if one of the team still lived there.

Within 48 hours all the team members except one came to meet him and get drunk for a few days. The
only one missing was his brother (my uncle) who lived next door to us in Adelaide.