Живу на 70 тысяч и «страдаю»? Ответ Агалаковой на фильм «Придёт серенький волчок»

Summary

The unnamed commentator argues that Zhanna Agalakova’s film The Little Gray Wolf Will Come relies on an outdated, bleak picture of Russia and presents provincial residents as impoverished and driven to enlist in the military by desperation. The commentator says they are responding to the film’s trailer and Agalakova’s interviews, rather than offering a scene-by-scene review of the finished documentary.

To challenge the poverty narrative, the host describes living with a partner on a combined income of 70,000 rubles a month, saying this leaves them comfortable enough that they do not both need to work. They also point to gas supplies in villages, cite an average salary for a provincial city, and compare the cost of cosmetic procedures in Russia with prices in the United States. The host contrasts this with what they describe as Americans’ financial insecurity, including the risk of losing a home over unpaid property taxes.

The commentary criticizes Agalakova’s account of why she left Channel One. The host argues that she had lived abroad for many years and therefore lacked direct knowledge of everyday life in Russia. They suggest her departure in 2022 was also connected to her daughter’s education and finances, and dispute the idea that her resignation would prompt other journalists to follow. These are the host’s interpretations, not independently established findings in the video.

A large part of the critique focuses on Agalakova’s daughter, Alisa, who appears in the film and expresses dislike of Russia’s uniform-looking buildings and cities while praising New York. The host portrays her as having grown up in elite schools and privileged surroundings, and argues that this makes her an unrepresentative judge of life in Russia—or of hardship in the West. The host also takes aim at Telegram, describing its news ecosystem as anonymous and heavily populated by bots.

The video broadens the comparison to Western public services. The host alleges that healthcare in the United States can be prohibitively expensive and that European and Israeli patients may face long waits. They also cite claims about functional illiteracy among young Americans and contrast those claims with Russian students’ performance in international competitions. The comparisons are presented as arguments by the commentator, without supporting evidence assessed in the subtitles.

Finally, the host rejects the film’s suggestion that economic despair is the main reason Russians sign military contracts. They claim Russian military pay can be high, mention a drone operator’s alleged annual earnings, and promise a separate video comparing Russian and US military compensation. As an anecdote, they recount a former fighter who left for Germany and later asked to return to the front, presenting this as evidence of patriotic motivation.

Presenters and Contributors

• Presenter: Unnamed host of the Арбузеры channel.
• People discussed or featured in the film: Zhanna Agalakova and her daughter, Alisa.
• Other person mentioned: Margarita Simonyan.