We don't tell you what to think about Russia. We help you see more of it.
If you follow international news, you already know everything about Russia. You know how Russians live, how they think, why everything there is strange and, above all, why everything is bad. There's just one detail: almost all of that knowledge was produced for you by people who aren't Russian. In the global conversation about Russia, actual Russians are mostly absent.
A few years ago I switched almost entirely to reading and watching news in English, French and Portuguese. Two things struck me. First, up to a quarter of what I read somehow touched Russia, and nearly all of it was politics, sanctions and villains. Second, there were almost no Russians talking about Russia in those languages. A few hundred in English, maybe. In French and Portuguese, a few dozen. Everyone was explaining us, and we weren't in the room.
A side fact I found funny: surveys of how young people abroad get their picture of Russia put news media at around 30% and memes at around 20%. Memes. The country clearly needs more memelords, and I figured I could at least be one voice.
Who I am, so you can calibrate
I'm not a political scientist, economist or analyst, and this is not a think tank. I was born in Norilsk, which is above the Arctic Circle and has two months of night a year. I studied in Akademgorodok, the Soviet science town outside Novosibirsk, and later in Moscow. I've worked in Moscow, visited 50-plus countries while that was still cheap and easy, and for the last several years I've lived in Lisbon, where I run a couple of small businesses and walk a black pug who has more Instagram-worthy charisma than I do.
So I've spent a long time watching the same event turn into three different stories depending on the language it's told in. That's the itch Two Nations scratches.
What Two Nations is, and isn't
The idea is almost absurdly simple: replace the three-word Russia ("authoritarianism, sanctions, war") with a Russia where people live. People who are ironic, proud, embarrassed, confused, sometimes not sure what's happening to them either. Everyday life, absurdity, normal neurosis, without a political slogan in every sentence.
I'm not trying to save anyone's image. I'm not doing propaganda, and I'm not trying to change your mind. If you finish reading and still think Russia is just another clearly "bad country," that's fine. My only goal is that the picture in your head gets slightly more complicated than a cartoon.
- No ads, no sponsors, no affiliate links, no paid placements. Nobody funds this. It costs me time and money, and that's the point.
- Non-political by design. Not because politics doesn't matter, but because everyone else already covers it.
- I'm the only moderator. If something on the site is wrong, tell me and I'll fix it.
- Honest confession: the project is also my elegant way of defeating my laziness about practising French and Portuguese. If a sentence sounds off, that's why.
What's here
The site runs in English, French, Portuguese and Russian. There are short stories and observations that don't fit the news format, and a growing directory of foreigners who blog about Russia, whether they live there or not (and Russians abroad who make content in local languages). Video versions live on YouTube and TikTok. To my surprise, comments from foreigners have been mostly positive. I expected more hate.
What I'd like from you
Read in whichever language you prefer. Subscribe. Send the link to one or two friends. Then come back and argue with me in the comments. Telling me this is nonsense is a valid contribution.
If you think the world conversation needs more voices rather than fewer, write to me. I'm looking for people who want to contribute articles or video, own a topic, help with translations, or supply memes. We also run online meetups, and the community isn't limited to Russia or Russians.
Whether you want Russia in your head to be more complicated, or just want to check whether I'm making it up, welcome.
— Vlad
Written by Vlad Lario
Russian in Lisbon. I read both sides and write down what differs.
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