I met one my first hour in Bulgaria! This Bulgarian guy came to pick me up cause I came from Istanbul to meet my friend he had met, and we were speaking English on the bus at 7 am on a Saturday morning, and she got upset, and he told her off for yelling at us for speaking English. Good times, good times (or maybe I’m thinking of the cheap vodka I took back to Turkey). 😆
In czech republic one 90 years old woman called police on youngster which ware sitting on her bench before her apartment bulding letter we found out those youngster were 70 years old woman from same appartment building.
A person's character usually stays with that person for life, regardless of age. If those grannies are Karens now, they were most likely the same way when they were young.
The USA sadly and very likely have the most racist form of Karens. When it comes to the elderly women in Russia, they have probably been through hell in their life and when you reach a certain age, I think you just stop giving a f@ck when it comes to manners and social graces. Maybe once you reach a certain age you feel you earn the right to be a jerk.
I live in a ex communist block in Romania and we used to have these types of benches as well, just like the ones in Russia, but my neighbors dismembered them because of the babushkas and horny teens who made loud noises day and night.
my dad in Ukraine "accidentally" six times in a row smashed into those benches, because we lived on 2nd floor and heard all those babushkas as well. and he became a villain in their eyes
When I worked as a shop assistant I had to deal with SO MANY crazy old ladies that I think I'm scarred for life now. Every time an old lady comes into the store I instantly just start mentally preparing myself to be treated like shit for no reason. These people hate their lives so they try to make everybody else's life miserable as well just to feel better. It's sad.
sounds like an overall Eastern Europe problem, there are several factors that contribute to it, one is the overdone "respect your elders" thing but then it's coupled with the fact that apart from some intangible respect, the elderly are completely left behind and left out of society, but on face value it's really annoying how entitled they can be, like expecting you to wait for them to finish chatting by the elevator (in the commie block) and then let them go ahead in said elevator (covid precautions, one household per elevator trip) because to let someone younger go ahead is just not a concept, or thinking it's okay to ask me "who I am and what am I doing here?" when I've been living there for years, you kind of want to say well, I'm Hank Taxpayer, a part of my salary goes toward your pension check :/ but you don't because you feel kind of bad for them because Hungarian society ultimately shits on the elderly from a great height
I happened to read that at least 1-in-5 grownups globally allegedly have developed one or more mental conditions over their lifetimes, so the video chunks you selected for today’s episode seem to prove that dismal accuracy ;)
In Poland I think we have 2 types of hood babushkas (babcias?). The bench ones and the "street monitors" - they sit looking out the window all day and literally scan the entire neighbourhood. They know everything.
Oh God that's so fucking creepy but also not surprising. They get so bored with life, especially their life, that they decide to see what goes on in other people's lives.
Yeah but Polish ones are very rarely rude. I speak Polish man, once in 5 years here a Polish babcie was a little bit rude in that polite Polish way, why doesn't sir just stand up and leave the seats for us, I said cos I am tired and there are other seats, she made some racial slur(I am white, Irish, still she did not like my accent lol) then about 4 younger Poles told her politely to shut up lol. Poles do be observing standards of public decency by rudely being polite in response to the person being politely rude.
We have them here too, especially the window kind and they are annoying as hell. They will literally go through your trash too just too make sure you threw it away the right way. Absolutely vile and I've had to fight a few before because their behavior actually often is at least borderline illegal if not just full on harassment.
Seeing Russian kids saying no to babushkas makes me so happy. When I was a kid there was one Yerafeevna who terrorized all the kids and smoked a pipe .that was the USSR so nobody dared messing with her
I was born and raised in Riga and we too have these types of babushkas. I remember I once got on the bus that was full, and in a small front seat was a little Latvian girl, minding her business and bothering no one. Two Russian granmas get in (and I know both of them), and they scan the buss for free seats, see the lil girl, come up to her and start to harass her in an attempt to shoo her away and take the seat. They both had few heavy bags, and they yell at a girl that they deserved that place and she, an ungrateful bitch (a 4-5 year old mind you), is not giving up her seat for them. The little girl probably wasn't understanding what they were saying and looked terrified. Had to interfere because I know that these old farts were only a couple of stops away from their homes and starting shit with a little girl because they are cowards. It's fun to remember these crazy women and make fun of them, but sometimes they can really damage young children. I'm proud of that 12 year old who was standing up for himself
It's not only old russian ladies that can be like that, it's old people in general can be like that. I mean once i got on the bus , sat my ass down in an empty seat, and i just hear a loud scoff noise. Some old lady was standing next to me and just says _"do youngsters don't give their seat up for us old people anymore?"_ I look around, empty seats everywhere. _"Ma'am, there are empty seats over there if you want."_ _"Also"_ i point at my leg *that is literally broken and in a plaster.* Then she just spits at me and moves off the bus and i'm like _"the fuck just happened?"_
I had the same thing happen to me except they didn't leave and it happened 4 times on the same tram. After the 4th time these old people started screaming that I'm possessed by Satan lmao
It is important to say why babushkas are being karens sometimes - in post soviet countries there are big posibility that gopniks will destroy the bench or spit sunflower seeds near them, so babushkas are being paranoid of losing their "hangout" and because they are too scared to say something to the gopniks (because they can hurt them), babushkas are putting all the anger on the kids. But like Roman says, usually babushkas are quite and friendly
Well maybe those (of them) who behave like self-righteous/obnoxious/hateful/racist/homophobic/vicious old "cnuts" - particularly such as the one on the tram, who personally and almost single-handedly enabled Russia's defence and brought about its victory during the Great Patriotic War apparently 🙄😆 - richly deserve getting a proper bashing from that "gopnik" lot then 😁...?! ¬💚💖
The tram babuska fought in the 101st Child Brigade of the Red Army and laid landmines to stop Nazi tanks at age 7 and was given the Order of Stalin for heroism. 😂
The sheer speed of that discourse going to "you're a traitor to Russia and are going to end up wiping the asses of ******" was insanely quick it's impressive.
Here in Taiwan the closest thing we have to babushkas are the middle-aged ladies who seem harmless when you see them dancing in the park in large groups at night but God help you if you are blocking their way to an open seat on a bus or subway - you’re gonna get shoved aside and if they have a shopping cart (which is often) you’ll probably get your toes run over. No “excuse me”, no, “sorry”, because it’s their right of old age to push and shove if the objective is to sit down rather than stand. Oh, and they also cut the queue.
My grandmother was an alcoholic hillbilly and would sit on her porch and shoot at anyone who got too close to her property. And since the cabin was adjacent to a national park there would be the random stray hiker every so often who doubtless went back home with tales of his near death experience. Luckily she was too wasted to hit anyone most of the time.
are you serious lmfao. bro i moved to a very rural area, i started going on walks and genuinely think about this sometimes because theres NO ONE around but houses every 200-300meters. imagine getting smoked cuz your on a hike
wow that really escalated quickly from "this guy wasn't raised right" to "he's a traitor, they should all be eradicated!" and then something about wiping "n*gros" a**ses 🤣 man these people were whacked 🤣🤣
The skater kid when he grows up: _"Your honor, these three young men never could have possibly predicted, that by skating near the communal bench the local residents would treat it like their own private property"_
That lady on the bus, lol. I think for many older people they struggled to get some place in a system that I wouldn’t want to live in but they made a life. When that system ended many were worse off and still are so there has to be some resentment there. I appreciate that Roman sees this too and has respect. Fun video.
Respect is earned... just because you're old doesn't mean you can behave like these babushkas. I'm 100% with the youngsters, they seem to have manners at least.
In my native philosophy, when a person turns old, he/she can become either a "Sepuh" (gilded) or "Sepah" (bagasse). Sepuh, refers to basically something gilded/plated in gold. Which refers to elderly people with lots of wisdom and possess words of great everlasting value and these people must be respected. Sepah, on the other had, are basically bagasse. Pulps leftover from grinding sugarcane which possess little to no use whatsoever. This analogy applies to old people who are like the ones in this video. Being Karens with no virtues and are very selfish. These people does not deserve our respect and respecting them is not a must.
I once had a Babka shout at me when I was riding my bike in Piter on Vaska Ostrov despite me being in a cycle lane and her walking in the cycle lane and walking the wrong way. Babka's are the class enemy.
When she said" We achieved the victory" over and over, it reminds me of boomers and silent generation people being like "we fought in wars when we were your age, what have you millennials/Gen Z ever done for America?". Boomers who were never in the military or were but never saw battle claiming credit for wars like Vietnam even though it was a stupid war which America lost, or for simply being enrolled in the military for two years sitting on a base. And now there are millennials doing the same thing, like being in the military automatically makes you an honorable hero who should be bowed down to by everyone no matter what they do. Same thing with the police worship that happens in America, where they act like they are automatically above you and deserve unwavering respect even if they're awful people.
I mean it’s a bit different this time since she supposedly served in World war 2, that is something someone should actually be respected for unlike Vietnam. Though I very much doubt she was telling the truth
Kind of messed up considering how Gen X and Millenials that served were in Desert Storm to war in Afghanistan and Iraq with crazy high suicide rates. That’s like 30+ of war and the last one went on for decades. Not to mention the boomers started and ran those wars, oops 🙊
My baba (babushka) is like that. She constantly yells at other children who make noise (fortunately she was always good with me), gossips a lot and in recent years she started to say meaner and meaner things to everyone.
@@LimeozSimple it is not if you call that your grandma. There are different ways to call grandmas in Russia (baba, babulya, babushka), whichever your family prefers. Although 'babka' would be considered rude most of the times)
Proud of the young dudes at the end, my mom raised me to be just like this and that definitely got me out of a lot of trouble with people but also got me into it but I also was always a bit of smooth talker so somehow I always made it out in one piece. I hate those entitled assholes who think they are the authority of everyone just because they are older I literally don't give a shit and I won't respect anyone more or less for their age ever. My mom is a certified boomer and is a grandma by now and even she always hated this worldview of people.
I had a private Russian language teacher from Siberia. She wasn't quite as old as a babushka but she always grilled me about something every time I went to lessons. The difference with American Karen's is alot of their pushiness is baseless. Except for the bus babushka all the others have legit reasons
Guys, can we just appreciate how far our russian boi has come? I mean i have been a subscriber since pretty much the OG days and seeing you grow up and get better with every video...idk man it just makes me so...proud (ಥ﹏ಥ) thanks for all the years of great content comrade!
This literally bring tears to my eyes. Because we, the young, are taught that the old are ALWAYS right and you are ALWAYS a little sh*t. Even if the old are behaving like this and they should be in jail for a looong time for now. It's so sad, just heartbreaking. We have no development because of this, in all countries on all planet. The old got us on the edge of planetary cataclysm and extinction, but they still think that they can tell us what to do and how to live.
Maybe i dont know something about Canadian english and you do use Baba for old ladies but "Baba" in Russian is usually one of the mean way of saying "Woman"
@@jamesbodnarchuk3322 yeah, ive double checked and, well, you are correct ! its in Canadian English because of French. French borrowed slavic desert(polish i think) called "Rum Baba". Roots still in slavic languages nerveless. Anyways, its still consider as in insult unless its spoken by someone like a toddler. But who am i to judge? Language is only lives if one word transfers from one Language to another. Its like in polish wonieć - smells good, while in russian its smells bad =) Cheers!
Grandmas in the west: oh jimmy I baked some cupcakes for you Grandmas in russia: "I've just spotted two boys on skateboards heading westbound, something green is into their pockets, could be peddling weed. Woah, no they did not just sit on that bench!"
I was invited to a Russian church in the U.S. by a friend. One of the Babushka told me not to talk to any of the men. I went back a few more times and if a Russian man approached me I would walk away. No joke.
I told my Russian friend about it , I think it’s because she had a single Russian son in his mid thirties. I was spooked by her , but I stayed there until I moved out of state.
I think it has something to do with religious customs. I heard that in a lot of Orthodox Churches, men and women should not be talking to each other because it would be disrespectful to God. Something like that.
"Babushka in a bus" is actually in a streetcar. I know this, because it is specially designed seat for streetcars made in former Czechoslovakia. When you know this, it is even funnier. She is not blocking just a "bus". She is also blocking all streetcars behind :)
I laughed hard.. but it’s actually pretty sad. That bench, that bus ride.. it’s the last thing these oldtimers have left. After giving their lives to the country that left them behind a long time ago.
The slurs they throw around combined with their unjustified arrogance and selfrighteousness has me pretty convinced that they are exactly the kind of people that are responsible for the mess russia is in right now.
I have this comical image in my head of the KGB coming to visit at 4 in the morning, and some rabid babushka driving them off. Wouldn't have happened, of course, but It makes me smile.
I appreciate your commentary, analysis, assessment, whatever you wanna call it. A little humor, a little history and context, a little reasoning and common sense, a little babushka 🤣
wait till you hear about iazemat - basically russian Karens, but here it's not babushkas but self-entitled mothers that think the world should bend around them lest they be inconvenienced.
@@Hinokassaudifan1 not exactly, an american Karen is a middle aged entitled woman, whereas a iazemat is specifically a middle aged woman who is a mother and therefore feels entitled. Examples include skipping queues with their children, using sports areas meant for exercise for their kids to play and later get very angry if a person running on a sports track bumps into their small child on the track, wanting things for free/ at a steep discount since "it's for the kids" and get very angry if refused, etc.
in the US, the lady on the tram would have been arrested for assault and also charges related to interfering with public transportation. Also, the one that put a hand on the child to tell him to leave... she probably needs some time behind bars to reflect on her decisions. The kids sound like they know what is okay and what is not. I think i'd rather be friends with them any day.
“We crafted the victory!” Well by that logic the other Babushka did too but you give her no respect either, Grandma. But these are some tough grannies that’s for sure. It’s hard to imagine them as young women. Were they always like this? Or did age just make them give less of a damn?
I have a weird feeling that they were always like that. Because I've met some young Russian/Ukrainian women that are aggressive AF! Those women will most likely grow into these Babushkas we see in the video.
I've been working in retail stores for the last decade and I swear to you guys, old people are usually the worst customers, they are always the first to show no respect to anyone.
I've noticed it's usually the old white women that are the most uptight and entitled amongst them. Of course I've also met many old white women that are sweethearts but it's just something I've noticed. I've also come across a few old white men that were assholes too but they usually just have that alpha male mindset.
it still surprises me sometimes to hear stuff like this because my surroundings are full of people who support progressive movements however when i do talk to someone much older than me i try not to start any discussions concerning the topics of race and so on just because i don’t want to be insulted and called stupid they will never change their opinion anyway so a big part of older generation in russia is fucking insane dude
Funny enough. in NY I saw immigrant babushka's pull the same stuff with benches outside of apartment buildings in Queens back in the 90s.😄 They seem to love their benches, and woe onto you if you sit on them and they don't know you haha.
Makes me think of the time I went to Krakau and this old guy kept screaming at us for the entire tram ride. I think he thought we were German (we are Dutch), I think I heard the word "Hitler". Can't blame him for being mad at Germans, but dude I just want to see the Wawel.
Taking FULL advantage of that you're an old person so no one can just throw your ass off the bus (without exposing themselves as a freaking sociopath in front of a crowd of people bcs you don't freaking man handle frail-looking old people unless you are, doesn't matter how difficult they're being)
Not condoning their actions but I mean fair game to use that to their advantage i can only imagine how much oppression theyve faced as a female in the soviet era
Oh, that didn't stop me at my job. 😈 I had this old fucker who allways broke in the closed off changing rooms (i work at a public pool and we close those of when we do maintanence) because _"he didn't want to get changed near the common folk"_ (his words, not mine). One day i had enough so i stood casualy near him and i see him fiddling with the locks to get a closed of changing room open. I say _"yeah you might want to stop that"_ . _"Why?"_ he asks. _"Because you're literally breaking and entering"_ _"Also we just cleaned these out with heavy duty cleaning agents so these changing rooms are out of commision for public safety reasons"_ . _"I don't care"_ he says and then just dismissivly waves me away. He got the lock open, he moves towards his locker to get his bag and i wasn't having it and stood in front of the entrance of the changing room and said to him _"to move to one of the open ones"_ Then the motherfucker tries to violently shove me to the side, and i just shoved him back and allmost fell on the ground. _"HOW DARE YOU! I'M AN OLD INVALID!"_ I just say, _"if you want to play a disabled person_ (which he isn't because the asshole does *backflips of a diving board every day* ) _THERE is the changing room for disabled people!"_ He screams at me right in my face, i scream at him back. He sees that i'm not budging and reluctantly and with obvious anger and powerlousness moves his ass to the changing room for disabled people. Never bothered us again.
There are annoying old women like this in Hungary is well. I was around 15 when me and my friend found a little set of stairs that we could use as drops for our mountain bikes and this old lady from one the ground level apartments opened a window and started to tell us that we can't do that. And we were both like why the hell not? Are our rubber tires putting dents in freaking concrete or what? It's not like we were making much noise either. I swear if these people encounter the slightest inconvenience they try to shut down young kids for no real reason.
4:33 I can't see who said this but it _sounds_ like another babushka who has probably dealt with Karen babushka's nonsense before and has probably spent the last 40+ years calling her out like this, shout out to her whoever she is.
What you didn't realize is that Russia still has the scenario where any parent has authority over any kids. That died out in the 1970s /80s in Australia. It's the case of being raised by the village not just your parents.
Im from Romania, but in my neighborhood i havent really met any angry granny in my block or the nextdoor blocks, but every day when i was in middle school i'd come home and immediately after a group or pre-teens from my school would come and fucking blast shitty ass manele and talk like loud ass jerks at like 5 PM (it would be pretty dark in winter) and i could hear this shit from the 7th floor of my block where i live, even with PVC windows, so i kinda understand why these Russian babushkas get triggered, but sometimes its kinda not on, like you showed in the video. But so far i was lucky not to go thru any of this stuff, even in highschool, because i'd just go to the neighborhood park instead or not interact with my peers. I did however have several annoying encounters while taking pics of trains and/or buses, usually grumpy drivers who asked me if i have permission to take pics on public property... the most recent one in April this year was when some guy claiming to be a bodyguard did some mental gymnastics on me telling me that by law im not allowed to film in railway stations because they're a "strategic state property" or some shit... hah... and he convinced the stationmaster to pack my bags and harassed another guy taking pics of the sunset (the story is much longer but i dont wanna bore people with it). Sadly the law in Romania is very vague when it comes to defining what should and what shouldnt be photographed, leaving it to the free interpretation of these authoritarian-minded boomers, thinking taking pics on public property is some sorta jailable offense.
Maybe they're upset because of all the ice falling on their heads every time they walk down the sidewalk )) PS-- These Grandmothers (especially the one on the Tram) are just like my own Grandmother (born in Ukraine) ---- Except my Grandmother cussed out people in English ---- I think they must be cousins
Roman, thank you so much for making the videos you make! Not only do you give us all an insight to Russia, but you also make us laugh. Something we desperately need these days in this crazy world we live in!
It’s kind of sad because the USSR promised these Babushkas special privileges and then the Soviet Union fell and now they don’t have shit. No wonder they are in a bad mood. :(
@@VsAStarr Well, there were nominally a lot more retirement benefits given the cost of living in those days, but now their pension has not changed in nominal terms. It is still 150 rubles per month or so, I believe, and that is so stupidly low that nobody can hope to live off of it, or even come close to it.
