Life in Russian small town: depressing hometown vlog 

This video has more views than citizens in my hometown. Crazy.

I’m from mexico and came to Canada to work because I was depressed in my country. At the beginning it was good but after some months I was in the same mental state like when I left. Im starting to realize that it doesn’t matter how far you go, it’s your way to see the world and to be grateful for what you have what makes you happy, remember that for the greedy no amount of gold will ever be enough. Peace.

There's a weird paradox about small towns. A lot of people flee big city depression for a "mellower" and "simpler" life in a small town. Then their kids grow up with small town depression and often try to flee to the cities.

I live in Norway but I always had some kind of fascination about Russia. I find it very misterious and unique.

I live in north east England and its just as grey cold and depressing. It makes you think why the hell did humans ever settle in these places so far from the tropics its madness.

One person’s ‘depressive’ small-town is another person’s escape from a big city! Keep up the videos, the world needs to see that Russians are just like us 😎

This was so much fun to watch! As someone from the US, I think that we act like we’re so different from Russia. The reality is that many American towns, like the ones I grew up in, have the same sort of vibe. Now I live in New York City. Thank you so much for showing the world life in Russia!

I can't believe that places like that exist. Here at Brazil everyday of the year is hot, colored and alive, you can feel good just by go outside.

Alena, this is the most refreshingly honest Russian youtube channel I've ever seen. Your editing is amazing, seriously! I love it! This reminds me of the midwest (US) where I'm from. Lots of brown and grey. Just the way it is. Please keep showing us your life! It's super interesting!

A co-worker who moved from Colorado was talking about how Colorado people were all saying, "I miss the snow. I miss the snow." He responded, "You don't miss the snow. You miss the first snow, when it makes everything fluffy and white and clean and beautiful. But you don't miss all the rest of the snow when it's dirty and wet and ugly and piled up on the side of the street and everywhere."

Actually your English is excellent and you should be proud of yourself for being so adept in your learning ability of the English language.

Thank you for your explanation. If I may comment, I think depression is not based on place, location, situation, or anything else. Depression stems from 'our inability to manage our feelings'. So, we have to start focusing on controlling ourselves, instead of controlling external things that we cannot control.

Greetings from Melbourne, Australia. Thank you for your video. I love your sense of humour and your English. I went to Khabarovsk (from Japan) when it was still the USSR. That was in late December so it was very cold and the Amur River was completely frozen. I travelled with a small group of foreigners from Japan, USA, Australia and New Zealand on the Trans-Siberian Express train to Moscow and Leningrad (as it was still known then). My strongest memories were the cold (-30° in Irkutsk for example), and the friendliness of Russians on the train.

Had to laugh a few times. I don't know where you learned English but your delivery was just right. Looking forward to the next one.

I love these vids because they're simple and chill. I really liked the walk through the university.

You are actually very funny at times! First time on the channel and I really enjoyed watching the video. Thank you for showing us your home town and giving us a sneak peek into your life!

I grew up in a small village in Australia. Your town would be considered old here, and it really doesn't look so depressing to me. The history of ship and aircraft manufacturing would please me very much.

The time of year this was filmed on, gives an extra "depressing" effect. It seems like this was filmed in late winter, or early spring, when there still are remnants of snow, and before the vegetation and trees blossom. My village can also look bleak and lifeless in late winter, but in summer it's really beautiful here. I live in western Norway.

This city doesn't look so bad. The grey skies make it look depressing. I bet it looks much better in summer.

It does look depressing, but not too much more than the small town in the U.S. where I used to live. All out of way places in winter look depressing one way or other, more or less. (By the way, your English is VERY good, with almost no accent!)

My word, you have a lot to say with in a confine of not being able to say anything. So your Vlog is spot on topic. Can't wait for you break out of such confines and really hear what is on your mind in any language that you choose to speak in. Alena, at 19 you got the spark. I am pulling for you. Another well done Vlog. Stay Healthy and stay safe.

I agree with what others said, depressing places are everywhere. When I lived in Poland, even Krakow seemed to be depressing many a time, although it is considered to be one of the most happy places to live there. Apart from the summer, my strongest memory of the weather was just like yours: grey skies and grey, communist buildings(at least further from the city centre). And always celebrating lost battles and war artrocities, never any cheerful celebrations, constant martyrdom, although some social attitudes changed over the years. I liked that video, it is very interesting to see how other people live in distant places from a daily perspective. Remember that you can always try to live a better life where you are, after all, wherever you will go, you will take yourself with you.

Captivating and mesmerizing! The topic/subject is so boring that it feels super real. After all, for most of us, everyday life is boring no matter where we live. I felt like I was transported to this random place in Russia. Great work!

Good afternoon! I'm from Russia (I don't know English well, Google translator will help me), and I really like to travel around the world and around my country, when you see that someone lives surrounded by gray landscapes, you begin to appreciate the bright moments, you are waiting for a trip to exotic countries . And when it’s winter, it’s very cold, you go to visit friends or sit at home with your family, sing songs together, dance, watch movies wrapped in a blanket, read books, bake a delicious fragrant cake and drink tea. This is life, it consists of such small bright moments .. And of course you dream of a trip to hot countries😁

Your English is indeed quite good. To me, a town of 200k people is not at all small! I grew up in a town of 800, went to college in a town of 32k, & noa live on a town of 14 people. (Yes, really only 14!) Thank you for making these videos. It is very interesting to see day-to-day lives of "normal" people. I am amazed by the monuments & memorials. I won't say what I want to say, but I'm sure you can guess!

I think your "depressive" town looks beautiful in summer when all those trees are green

I really enjoyed watching this video. Thank you so much for taking the time to make this. I live in Manchester, UK and many of the buildings are grey and depressing. Many of the people in Manchester are rude and not very friendly. I have subscribed to your RU-vid channel and I now look forward to seeing more of your videos.

Hi I'm from Malaysia. It's interesting to see how life is like in the cold North. I think what makes Russia seem "depressing" is less to do with small towns, but more to do with less opportunities. Places like this have really old infrastructure so you're taken back in time, although this can be good for some people. The more globalised a country is, the happier the people are! People in countries that you wouldn't expect to be sad are sad, like Singapore and Japan.

Large towns all seem to have this same "depressing" ambiance, regardless of what country they're in. Cities (even small ones) usually feel more vibrant and have more (and better) amenities, while small towns feel more intimate (with everyone knowing everyone else's business), but large towns like this one are too big to feel intimate and too little to have much in the way of interesting things to do. I've lived in many countries (Japan, India, Egypt, Greece, Turkey, Kuwait) and this strange condition seems to apply across all of them.

Depression sells well even if you're pretty happy, but you want a better life. You want what you see in the social media. The problem is what you've seen in the internet doesn't exist.

My wife and I adopted two children from Khabarovsk. My first, John, died of liver cancer. Peter, in the picture is 18. Because of the war cannot visit. Thanks for sharing your town with us!

Hello and greetings from Southern Californiia. I stumbled across by video by accident but now I’m an subscriber. I agree the city is a little depressing during the winter and early spring but there’s also places her in the US which is the same. I often thought about traveling to Russia so I could meet people, I think we are more alike than different. Maybe one day when thing get back to normal. Look forward to seeing other videos in the future.

I rather watch 15 min of this than 100 hours of travel programs. 👌 I'm studying Russian and it's fun reading all the signs and groceries

I accidentally turned on this video and continued watching because I saw a familiar train station. In 2018 I spent an hour in Khabarovsk while on the train from Irkutsk to Vladivostok. It was mid-summer, 25 degrees, sunny, the world didn't look so gray. I went to the square in front of the station to took some photos. In the near market I bought a souvenir magnet and a Zolotaya Rus' juice. On the station timetable I saw trains scheduled to Sovgavan and Komsomolsk. Took a selfie with befriended provodniki of the Russian Railways. Guys were from Vladivostok and Blagoveshchensk, working on the Moscow-Vladivostok trains. They were high school graduates and it was their holiday job. The Amur River which we crossed later on looked big and nice. Before Khabarovsk I also liked the Birobidzhan train station with its name in Yiddish. These are my random memories from Khabarovsk. Russia is a super interesting country to see especially for a person from the former Eastern Block and now the EU like me. It's not just a travel across vast lands or visiting the "Empire of Evil", it's like a trip to the past, especially the past mentality. My country, Poland also used to be that gray, depressing, without perspectives and with poor infrastructure. Actually, we still sometimes complain about some of the things you talk about despite enormous changes that took place here. Although that journey on the Transsib was my biggest dream (also had dirty windows on some parts of it) I really feel you and I realize that living actually in this expansionist authoritarian open-air-museum until today for someone aware and open-minded like you must be sad and depressing. I really liked your ironic sense of humour and the way you describe this reality though. It's very similar to our way of dealing with negativity and absurd. But as I'm skeptical about any possible improvements in the near future, I hope you can get out of this sh.t asap... Cheers

Alena, this is a great video into the life of everyday Russians. Thanks for uploading. It reminds me of my time in Germany and how the winter can drag on.

Dear LORD that was depressing. I love it. Can’t wait for your next video. 🙏🏼

Hello from the Czech Republic! I actually really like Komsomolsk, it has such a gloomy atmosphere, I can imagine a computer game or serious life-questioning movies being set in such environment. Here are some ideas for your future videos - your morning routine, what do you (or typical Russians) eat for breakfast and during the day, what does a typical flat in the city looks like, contrast winter vs summer, life in the villages outside the city, what people usually do in their free time....all of this is super interesting to me!

2 Years living in small towns in Nizhni Novgorod and Perm. It was one of my best memories. Nice and pure nature. People are sincere and very kind. A lot to explore in this beautiful country. Love this country even though I'm not a native Russian.

I grew up in the Southeast United States (Georgia and Florida). When I moved out west to Colorado where there's 300+ days of sunshine a year, but almost zero humidity and much cooler air year-round, I was absolutely (and still am) blown away that I lived in such wet, humid, cloudy conditions for 85% of my life. Consider the fact that the Southeast United States is at least two to three times less overcast than the UK on average, and I'm just at a total loss how you guys out there England/Wales/Russia/etc can stay sane.

I wish you and Natasha all the best in future life❤️

Thanks for the video. Depressing towns exist everywhere, including in the West. You's be surprised how many. Anyway, Russia has always been my favourite place that I wanted to visit all my life. Love the culture, the classic literature, the language.... My dream is to visit Yasnaya Polyana near Tula, where my favourite writer Leo Tolstoy lived and was buried. Greetings from Toronto, Canada :)

This looks a lot like my hometown in Canada. Grey and depressing with wind howling constantly

I met a Russian girl online that dreamed of living in the US, after she moved here to NYC, she went back to Russia. Lol. I think happiness is an in your attitude. Moving won't fix your unhappiness

There is something special about you and your content, keep it up and stay safe. You have me hooked like Natasha!

Your videos are brilliant. It's amazing to see different parts of Russia. I have never been there and yours and others videos are really informative. Looking forward to the next video! All the best, Richard.

Hang in there Natasha. I'm in my sixties, I too started in a smiliar 'depressingly parochial' city in the north of England. I moved to London at 18 and then moved several times, living in three different countries. Ironcally I have now moved back and live in a tiny (but beautiful) village in North Yorkshire, running my own pub and I'm LOVING IT!! Life has a funny way of making fun of people with set plans. Go with the flow. You sound intelligent and will do well in life, just get out of Russia as soon as you can. All the best to you from the UK xx

You are the architect of your life. Don't give up, keep posting and build an audience. This will pass

As a Russian, one of the fiercest problems of our country is a lack of sunlight. When it's summer and sunny, even small towns and communities look nice, tranquil, like some place you'd like to get away to leave your troubles behind. However, when the sky is grey and it's mid fall and it's disgustingly chilly, even Moscow center looks very depressing. And the thing is that we have (here I'm writing about Moscow precisely as I'm from here) very few sunny days throughout a year. Also, one of the things I've never understood about my homeland is why most of the buildings are dark, like all sorts of grey or something (except for maybe new, the ones that have been built for the last 10-20 years).

I used to live in Poland until I was 13 and was moved to UK at that time. Your town reminds of what Poland was like in late 90s and early 2000s. Totally see why you want to run away from it, there is much more on to this planet to live for, especially if you love exploring new places and expand your horizons ;)

Hi, Alena!!!Just few words: take Natasha with you and get out of there!!!! You"re such smart and lovely girls!!! Have a fulfilling life!!!

As someone from the tropic, I just can't understand how this is "depressing". This is beautiful. Living with constant heat under the sun is a hell. Literally you're unable to do anything. You can't move, you can't live like a normal person because you feel extremely tired all the time. You have to take a shower 24/7. You can't go outside most of the day (unless you want skin cancer), and so on. I wish I could live in a grey cold place

Потрясающе. Я тоже люблю ездить из Комсомольска в Хабаровск🙂 Хороший английский!

Wow just found your channel! I love it. Which begs the question! “Why can’t we all be friends “. Your no different than us in America or anywhere else. Can’t wait for your next adventure. Thanks 🙏

As someone who grew up in Ireland in the 1980's, this grey depression brought back a lot of memories.

Hi Alena! I love your English! I am Eric and I live in Minnesota. Love your videos! Keep safe and successful! ♥♥

I love your dry sense of humour. I changed trains once in Komsomolsk travelling from Tynda - Khabarovsk. I was in Russia for 18.5 years and visited 84/85 Russia's regions!

You have this deadpan, straight-forward delivery that is funny. A comedian back in the 90s named Steven Wright adopted this tone and it was sooooo funny. He'd say things like, "The world is small, but I'd hate to have to paint it."

What a courageous and open-minded girl. My respects.

I grew up in the Far East, and now live in America. Your city looks lovely! I would honestly love to visit, if not for legal issues involving our two nations. Best wishes and hugs from New York City!

Alena: Your videos are so well done. Your sense of humor and your ability to express how you see the world around you is really refreshing. Your english is perfect....you sound like so many of the young people at my work. Best wishes for any dreams that you have.

Привет , Аленочка! Молодец , что создала такой канал на шикарном английском . Иностранцы мало , что знают о России . Это замечательный способ показать нашу страну. У тебя чудесный английский , я бы даже не отличила от натива! Всех благ тебе и процветание каналу😘😘😘😘

Like someone said below, "It's a fad in Russia; girls showing of their depressing hometowns" Best of luck. I've been a Natasha follower since about the start of Covid. Good luck1 Jack in San Diego

It was fascinating to see your city, and your commentary was interesting. I'm from North West England and it can get so drab here too. Most places transform when the sun comes out though, it's like energy is injected into it. I find my city suddenly very inspiring when it's warm and sun kissed

Wow what a strange place, I wanted to ride the trains there and see Russia, but now that seems unlikely. There are some depressing looking places in the U.S, but where I am it looks fine and can be quite beautiful. The universities here I think definitely look better, in fact they look a little too good, I guess that's where all the money goes. I think the people of the U.S and Russia could get along, but politicians ruin everything. Maybe someday we can all be friends. Good luck.

You are so hilarious. I love your dry humor.

Thank you for sharing. I'm sorry about your situation. In history, only when people organize and revolt do they overcome oppression. Much love. from the globe

I have escaped Russia years ago and now I leave in Greece, so I hope you the best of luck in your path of chasing your dreams and better future.

This environment remembers me when I lived 4 years in Harbin, China, almost similar, included travelled the surroundings of this city, visiting small villages, some of them cute for tourism. I get quickly adapted to the cold weather, with the heavy tones of it (gray, dark, and white). I miss such artistical place. Finally returned to Venezuela, where I see everything colorful (Orange, green, yellow) and hot. Subscribed to watch more of it :D

The eggs: One of the coloring types of chemical compounds in plants are anthocyanins (these among others are responsible for red, blue and purple colors). The color of anthocyanins depends on the pH value of the environment, so e.g. the solution they're solved in. In acidic solutions they are commonly red and in basic solutions they're blue. The solution you had the eggs in must have been slightly acidic, so it had a lower pH. However the calcium carbonate eggshells are made of raises the pH of the immediate surroundings to basic levels as it gets dissolved slightly, causing the anthocyanin solution in the eggshells to turn blue/purple. (Because only small amounts of calcium carbonate get dissolved the whole pot of solution didn't turn basic and therefore remained red, but the little bit of solution that remained in the eggshells after removing them from the pot did, finally turning the anthocyanins blue/purple. Oh and please make a video about the impact of sanctions if you can! That would be really interesting because that's an issue which is really hard to judge from outside Russia. Also please don't be offended by my pfp. I stand with all Russians who oppose the war just as much as I stand with Ukraine! (I also know that you can't speak out against it publicity because of recent changes in laws, so don't worry. Don't do anything that might get you in trouble, it's just too dangerous right now.)

“I wish I could say what I want to” is so sad and it has been going on there for such a long time. I wish the Russian people would finally get a compassionate leader that they so much deserve.

Russia is a beautiful place! The far east is so beautiful! Your town seems really nice! I love small towns and countryside! ❤️ 🇷🇺

dear Alena, it's the first time i watch your video (sorry for my higly imperfect english). I'm an academic researcher with two sons of appoximately the same age as you. In recent years i met some students from Russia founding them as the smartest and most brillant students encountered in my career. Watching your video i had the confirmation of your enormous potential. Just a suggestion: do not follow the suggestions by anyone (including myself), especially those depicting their countries, and in general the west, as the best place to live. Every moon has its dark side. Stay strong.

I'm glad I found your video. I was way too happy. Now I'm depressed too. Greetings from the Netherlands.

Found out about this channel through one of Natasha's videos, and loving it just as much. Keep it up! Greetings from 🇳🇱

Always be thankful for what you have. 🙏🏻 Being healthy is the biggest blessing you could imagine. ☝🏻🙏🏻

I think your hometown looks quite beautiful, Alena! Thank you for taking us on this tour and sharing your thoughts! 😃 The times are really tense across the continent, so I just need to say this: We're all the same; people who wish peace, happiness and brighter future for ourselves and for those we love and share this planet with. I've met and made friends with many Russians in my life. Nothing has changed my opinion on how honest, hospitable and lively folk you are...! Love and best wishes from Finland! ❤

I'm from the Philippines,i know the feelings of what you feel right now. I know you are depressing also, i think you're crying because of the situation right now in your country. But despite all of that,be strong, have faith and pray to God to end this conflict that cause of this problems. Take care always and have a great day🙏

Поводы для депрессии есть везде. Меняя города в России по учебе, я закончил Санкт-Петербургскую консерваторию и уехал в Польшу. И как и в Питере наиболее интересными моими друзьями были иностранные студенты, так и в Польше. Инфраструктура ассортимент и культурное разнообразие здесь гораздо больше. Но при этом такое же ощущение депрессии у местных из-за того, что они себя сравнивают с более богатыми странами. Погружение в длительную рецессию вызывает здесь взрывы протестов различных социальных групп. Но в отличии от наших, это организованные забастовки профсоюзов. Я думаю это русская национальная черта - открытость в общении среди иностранцев (свое мы видели знаем), но в отрыеве от этой культуры, особенно среди консервативных народов, складывается атмосфера, где сближаются наиболее непринимаемые местными народы. Так вышло, что у меня друзья разъехались по разным странам после учебы, это обратная сторона мультикультурализма.

Hi, I live in the Czech Republic. The winter here is also quite depressing sometimes but it´s not so long. April is usually quite sunny. But it´s very interesting to see what the city looks like. The streets are so empty, and the place is quiet. I like it.

Your honesty is so refreshing - People like YOU define Russian people, *you are special* . A Russian MAN I admire greatly (Read his books when I was young) He Said: *Unlimited power in the hands of limited people always leads to cruelty* - Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (I wonder what he meant by that ???) - Leave it to you to figure out. *VERY* best wishes to you Alena

Very interesting to see your home town. I especially liked seeing your cat very cute.

I found my hometown dreary when I was your age but many years later find it somewhere lovely to return to. There’s a song by Lindisfarne called “Run for Home” (accessible on You Tube) which may change your point of view - it’s a tribute to one’s hometown for all of us who have moved away.

It's ok, I live outside of a small village of less than 1500 people in Michigan USA. 7+ months of cold, grey,and snow. 5+ months of greenery and color! It's beautiful! I have to drive 45 minutes to get to a big town the size of this hometown of yours. Even that's way too big and uncolorful for me ! I don't like big places unless it's wide, open, outdoors, and quiet! I love it here! I hope you enjoyed your visit with your parents. It's all about family.

I'm not sure how I found this video but I was enthralled immediately, please keep creating content -- from South Africa with love 💙

Your deadpan delivery is wonderful. It's very interesting looking in to somewhere else's small town life... it reminds me quite a lot of growing up in 80s Britain. Thanks for making it! Oh yes, as for country choice, i wouldn't bother with the uk right now, we're busy sawing our own legs off as a country too. The Netherlands is pretty good though!

This is gonna sound strange, but your depressed videos are giving me joy. Also I like your collabs with Natasha.

I'm 46 years old male from the USA and there was a point in my life where I went from having alot to having nothing. And it was then that I realized how much stuff I do not need to be happy. Money might help some people feel content but it doesn't make them more happy. When you have nowhere to go and you're cold and wet outside in the snow and ice you're probably pretty miserable at that point ... but if somebody invites you inside their warm home and gives you a warm cup of soup and a shower and a warm place to sleep you realize that those little bitty things right there just made you the happiest person on the planet and there was no money even involved really. I suffer from depression really bad right now for various reasons but if you would like a big hug Alena I would be glad to give you one. love from the U.S.

This is great for educating me about far east Russia, between you and Natasha's channel I'm getting a fun and informative education about far east Russia, thanks Alena much love ✌️❤️🇬🇧

It's strange how many young people long to leave their home town I was exactly the same some 20 years ago. It's remarkable just how many neighbourhoods in my country (Scotland) resembles somewhere like Komsomolsk! Town planners must have been mesmerised by Soviet architecture in the 60s and 70s. Your not so different to any young person here, we're all human with similar aspirations. Stay strong and good luck in getting to where you want to be.

I just hate to see this divide between the west and Russia,together we would be so powerful that no one could ever mess with us,please Russia lets not do this! Love from Canada Alena!

So grateful for this video. Reminds me of my hometown in California. Never even saw Eastern Russia on camera in 37 years!

I really enjoyed watching this vlog, especially since it was mainly just you filming and explaining things, made it all feel so much more real. I hope you get lots of opportunities to move to the place you want to once you're finished with your studies. Please don't stop making videos and sharing your experiences. Subscribed :D

Hello all the way from New Zealand - many thanks for the walk around Komsomolsk-on-Amur through your eyes, this will do me for the moment instead of a visit to Russia which I am certainly still going to do (it's just one of those places I have long wanted to see for myself, having done history as my Degree when at University it has many points of interest. I also used to have an extremely inspirational violin teacher many years ago who was Russian, she was full of insights which I've long thought about - and I certainly think you have gotten some across here in your own way too). Your sense of humour comes through despite everything, and even though there are grey skies right now - this video was definitely still nice to see. I liked your cat too 👍

Actually half of Europe looks so depresive in the time of winter without snow, when trees have no leaves, grass and sky is just gray without visible sun. But I like it too, because this is a good starting point for the next spring. And the huge change which then comes in spring is something that is more powerful for my spirit and feeling then laying the whole year on caribic sand beach, where the only weather change is a hurricane.

You remind me of my daughter who is a sweet person. The world is a big place and there are places in it that are not depressing. Please make it your mission to find some of those places. There is nothing sadder to me than people that spend their entire lives in a depressing place. Take charge of your life and go where you want to be.

Nice video Alena! There's a great future for you wherever you move, and keep making the vids! BTW I also live abroad, it suits me just fine.

Reminds me of my town growing up in the US. Cool video love seeing other people's lives from different places around the world. Hope you are doing well! 😊

Alena: You have a natural disposition for this kind of production, and there is an increasing world demand (want) for understanding 'usual' Russian people. This cultural 'evangelism' helps us love Russian people even if we are unhappy with the Russian government. And this understanding is going to be very important once our 'troubles' are finished, and we must restore our goodwill between each other. So please try to produce enough regular content that you can build a following. ;)

About the hibscus tea, hibiscus is a ph indicated (i.e. changes color in the presence of an acid or base). Egg shells are made of calcium carbonate which is slightly basic. This plus oxidation from exposure to air is probably what caused the color change. You can observe similar things with red onion, red cabbage, blueberries, etc.

I'm from Brazil and I live in Fortaleza, here it's summer all year and every day 😂😂 the minimum temperature reaches 20°/21° and sometimes 18°, it rains for some days in 3/4 consecutive months a year and then it hardly rains anymore. Despite being a vibrant city with happy people I feel something similar to what you feel about wanting to leave, I like my city but I would like to know what life is like elsewhere and when I have been in other countries I felt this stronger, I hope that you can be happy. P.S: you have a great channel +1 subscriber 😁