Is any SimHQer following Bald and Bankrupt YT channel? I’ve been an avid follower for quite some time.
A Brit travelling across ex-USSR republics. Making extensive use of his broken Russian while hunting old Soviet mosaics, connecting with the locals and being jolly and witty no matter what. His Bielorussian lady sidekick companion Alina always handles his nonsense with a smile.


Highly recommended.

Cheers,
Slug

me.....i loved soviet stuff....wish it was cheaper to travel there before the world went crazy....from what i have seen its really cheap to get a good stay because most of the ex soviet countries are broken........no wonder so many americans/western had european "models" as wifes in the 80s.
i though he died because he wnet a place he sholdnt and i never got more video warnings from him lol.

Funnily enough watched that vid last night, good stuff. Not a follower but an occassional watcher when I'm looking for something other than my usual selection.

My 'goto' for travelogue type stuff is Itchy boots- a Dutch girl travelling the world on motorcycles, does some stuuning drone footage

This looks intriguing - will give a watch, thanks.

I have been watching him for a long time.

Entertaining and history from a somewhat different angle.
He is not afraid of entering dodgy areas where no other tourist guide goes.

Not just the former Soviet republics but pretty much any third world county like the Philippines, Cuba and Nicaragua. How else can you explain extremely attractive women in their 20’s hooking up with balding, overweight and old Western men?

The episodes where he revisits an old lonely man in the forests close to Tjernobyl really shows his character.
He finds the man and drives him to the nearest store and buys him supplies of food and vodka.
Also tells the story of the disaster, and of people refusing to abandon the area despite the danger of living there.

Benjamin Rich has 3.3 million subscribers and over 461 million views according to Wikipedia.

Brave or foolhardy, I'm not sure, but i do find his different perspective on various nations' peculiarities, particularly those of the former Soviets most interesting and entertaining.
How he has survived some of the places he has visited and the hazardous situations he has got embroiled in, one wonders, especially after taking a ride on the pillion on a clapped-out bike over bad rides piloted by a very drunk Belarussian!
His obsession with Soviet era architecture and art, Babushkas and Globniks is most entertaining. The hospitality of many with very little to offer is moving.
Interesting that many of the few citizens left in some of the former Bloc states, particularly in what was previously 'Closed Cities' hanker for the days of Communist rule.

Then there is the unanswered speculation regarding his relationship with the delightful Alena!

Interesting character.

I suspect he and the ADV China channel guys are intelligence operatives.

I think some people simply get a visceral rush out of visiting dangerous and poor countries.

No thanks!

I'm sure he's not bankrupt.

I got about a 15 minute drive to a dangerous and poor part of my own country. I also have to travel on bad roads to get there.

I've watched quite a few of his videos... I like them.

Probably safer than Model City though......

Did you mean Motor City?

not now that is for sure

Nope.

Then I'm not familiar with "Model City".

Really?

In one of his videos, he says out of all the places he has been, the place where he felt least safe was the US.