0:00:04 > 0:00:08I'm just starting the third and the final leg
0:00:08 > 0:00:10of my journey across Russia.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13But I'm actually in the neighbouring country of Ukraine and that's
0:00:13 > 0:00:15because I'm heading to one of the most bitterly contested regions
0:00:15 > 0:00:17on the planet.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19I'm on my way to Crimea.
0:00:21 > 0:00:25No country in the world, really, apart from Russia,
0:00:25 > 0:00:27recognises this as a border.
0:00:31 > 0:00:35The international community see this annexation as an illegal occupation
0:00:35 > 0:00:37of Ukrainian land.
0:00:37 > 0:00:42Seizing Crimea has led to conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45It's led to Russia being internationally isolated.
0:00:47 > 0:00:48I had to come.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54This final leg of my journey across Russia takes me from Ukraine's
0:00:54 > 0:00:56Crimean peninsula on the Black Sea,
0:00:56 > 0:01:01across western Russia's vast plains to my final destination,
0:01:01 > 0:01:03glorious St Petersburg.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07- ALL:- Aaaaah.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10100 years on from the Russian Revolution...
0:01:10 > 0:01:12What on earth goes on in here?
0:01:12 > 0:01:16..I'll meet the Russians living a simpler life in the wilds.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19This is like stepping back a century.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21I'll discover what happens when you speak out in Russia.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27A Russia once again taking on the West.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39And I'll meet the tough blokes fighting for what they say are
0:01:39 > 0:01:40traditional Russian values.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43I think I'm going to puke.
0:02:10 > 0:02:15Wow! It's this sort of spectacular view that makes Crimea such
0:02:15 > 0:02:20a special place, such an attractive destination for many Russians.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26In 2014, after revolution in Ukraine moved the country closer to
0:02:26 > 0:02:29Europe, Russian special forces seized government buildings
0:02:29 > 0:02:31in Crimea.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33Russia simply took over,
0:02:33 > 0:02:36then organised a questionable referendum on who should govern.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38Alexander.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42Crimea's home to nearly two million people.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46Like my boat skipper Alexander Bykov, most are ethnic Russians,
0:02:46 > 0:02:49and they voted overwhelmingly for rule by Russia.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15Many here like to point out, correctly, that Crimea was ruled by
0:03:15 > 0:03:19Russia for centuries. It only became Ukrainian during the time
0:03:19 > 0:03:20of the Soviet Union.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26Look at the size of this!
0:03:29 > 0:03:33I've got a chesty cough
0:03:33 > 0:03:36and some other minor ailment, so it's quite helpful
0:03:36 > 0:03:39I'm staying in a sanatorium.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44There are dozens of sanatoriums, or health resorts,
0:03:44 > 0:03:47along Crimea's Black Sea coast.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50They date back to Soviet times, and they've long been a major draw for
0:03:50 > 0:03:54Russian holiday-makers.
0:03:54 > 0:03:55Thank you kindly.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00Looks very nice.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04I don't know about you, when I hear
0:04:04 > 0:04:07"sanatorium"... HE SUCKS IN BREATH THROUGH TEETH
0:04:07 > 0:04:10..it doesn't sound like a great word, sounds very Soviet,
0:04:10 > 0:04:12sounds like punishment is involved.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15Makes me think of medical conditions,
0:04:15 > 0:04:18purging and enemas.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41It's like Chinese whispers here, cos I can't actually see
0:04:41 > 0:04:43the girl doing it, so I'm basing it
0:04:43 > 0:04:45on what other people around me are doing.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50- ALL:- Aaaaaaaah.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56It's time for me to see the doctor.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01Doctor. HE LAUGHS
0:05:01 > 0:05:04- Good morning.- I had an appointment with Dr Vadim Danilov.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24- Uh, doctor? Let's go.- Go, go.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29What's going on in this room? Can we see in there, doctor?
0:05:38 > 0:05:40After annexation,
0:05:40 > 0:05:43tourist numbers dropped, so the Russian government has started
0:05:43 > 0:05:47encouraging civil servants and pensioners to come here on
0:05:47 > 0:05:49subsidised health breaks.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51Goodness me! LAUGHTER
0:05:51 > 0:05:55- Zdravstvuyte.- Zdravstvuyte. - I'd shake your hand, but...
0:05:55 > 0:05:58What is going on here? What are you inside?
0:06:05 > 0:06:10You have existing conditions and you really feel that they're treated
0:06:10 > 0:06:12by this, by the plastic bath?
0:06:12 > 0:06:15Da, da, da, da, da, da, da.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19- That's a yes?- Da. - LAUGHTER
0:06:19 > 0:06:25Were you more or less keen on coming to Crimea since the annexation?
0:06:55 > 0:06:57What on earth goes on in here?
0:06:59 > 0:07:02Some lady who's just come out shaking her head.
0:07:03 > 0:07:04OK.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10I was intrigued and slightly nervous to discover how 80-year-old
0:07:10 > 0:07:13Dr Lydia Yegorova was planning on treating my cough.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25Whoa! Oh, my goodness.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33Bloody hell!
0:07:33 > 0:07:35What do you mean, "relax"?
0:07:35 > 0:07:38You're about to put blood-sucking creatures on me,
0:07:38 > 0:07:40how am I supposed to relax?!
0:07:43 > 0:07:44Oh, my God!
0:08:05 > 0:08:07Yeah, it's biting, yeah.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28Is this really necessary?
0:08:28 > 0:08:30Have you not got some small plasters?
0:08:35 > 0:08:37Listen, I'm happy with a plaster!
0:08:46 > 0:08:48President Putin grandly says
0:08:48 > 0:08:51he annexed Crimea to protect ethnic Russians.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56It might actually have more to do with oil and gas reserves
0:08:56 > 0:09:01in the Black Sea. Either way, the UN has condemned Russia's actions.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04Look at this. Can we just, can we stop for a moment?
0:09:05 > 0:09:08Not that President Putin, the all-powerful Russian tsar,
0:09:08 > 0:09:10cares what the world thinks.
0:09:10 > 0:09:15This is a very bold statement of ownership and involvement from
0:09:15 > 0:09:17President Putin.
0:09:17 > 0:09:22So it says that Crimea has always been famous as a resort, basically,
0:09:22 > 0:09:25and, "Of course we will develop it further."
0:09:25 > 0:09:28It's basically promising there's going to be a tourism boom here.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34Tourism is already important here, but it's now central to Putin's
0:09:34 > 0:09:37vision for a successful, new Crimea under his rule.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44I headed to one of Crimea's more surprising attractions -
0:09:44 > 0:09:46the Taigan Safari Park.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53It's all the dream of one man...
0:09:55 > 0:09:57..with a somewhat relaxed approach to health and safety.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03HE GROWLS SOFTLY
0:10:08 > 0:10:12So this is Oleg, he owns and runs the park,
0:10:12 > 0:10:14obviously in a very hands-on sort of way.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19LIONS SNARL
0:10:33 > 0:10:36This bloke is completely mad.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51- Hello, Oleg.- Hello, hello.
0:10:58 > 0:10:59All right, we're off.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15This is a tourist attraction, but also a sanctuary.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18Many of Oleg's animals have been rescued from people's homes.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45Are you seriously telling me there are tiger cubs
0:11:45 > 0:11:48for sale on the internet?
0:11:50 > 0:11:52That's absolutely incredible!
0:11:57 > 0:12:026,000, so that's about £5,000, you can buy yourself a tiger cub.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05That's unbelievable.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09OLEG CHUCKLES Yeah.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11Please, come, please.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14TIGER CUB SNARLS
0:12:16 > 0:12:18Against the odds,
0:12:18 > 0:12:22Oleg's park has become a successful breeding centre for Russia's
0:12:22 > 0:12:26Amur tiger, whose habitat I found under threat earlier on my journey.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30How are you, how are you producing so many cubs?
0:12:30 > 0:12:32It's very rare, isn't it?
0:12:51 > 0:12:53Oleg is a patriot.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57He was born in Russia and enthusiastically supported and voted
0:12:57 > 0:12:59for Crimea to be governed by Moscow,
0:12:59 > 0:13:01but now he's having doubts.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07So, Oleg, we're following your water truck, I think.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10What's going on? Where are we, where are we following it to?
0:13:38 > 0:13:41With the critical water supply from Ukraine cut off,
0:13:41 > 0:13:45Oleg now has to transport water to his park from a local reservoir.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55Isn't this something that should've been thought about
0:13:55 > 0:13:56before Russian annexation?
0:14:39 > 0:14:43Much of Crimea is arid, and most of its water comes from Ukraine.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46Without it, reservoirs here are drying up.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50Wells are being dug hundreds of feet deep, but they're running out of
0:14:50 > 0:14:54water. Some experts think Crimeans will need to be resettled.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57They warn of a humanitarian crisis.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03Just stopped by the side of the road because I wanted to show you this.
0:15:03 > 0:15:09It's a quite extraordinary sight, really. This is a canal that should
0:15:09 > 0:15:15be flowing with water from Ukraine down into Crimea, but because of
0:15:15 > 0:15:18the conflict, because of the annexation by Russia,
0:15:18 > 0:15:20Ukraine has turned off the taps.
0:15:20 > 0:15:26It's dammed the waters that flow down it and dried up the canal.
0:15:26 > 0:15:31This is an artery, this is a lifeline bringing water into Crimea.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34And without it,
0:15:34 > 0:15:36Crimea is in enormous trouble!
0:15:39 > 0:15:44Russia wanted Crimea, and Crimea in many cases wanted Russia.
0:15:45 > 0:15:51But the people of Crimea may find they have a very heavy price to pay.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57Ruling Crimea isn't going as smoothly as Putin might have us
0:15:57 > 0:16:02believe. Corruption is rife, and minority groups here have accused
0:16:02 > 0:16:04Russia of human rights abuses,
0:16:04 > 0:16:08and Putin has had to pledge vast sums to develop Crimea.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17Crimea is now almost completely cut off from Ukraine and it doesn't
0:16:17 > 0:16:20have a direct connection with Russia,
0:16:20 > 0:16:24but President Putin has a plan to change that.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27Come on, then.
0:16:27 > 0:16:28Let's go and have a look.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30Oh, bloody hell, look at that!
0:16:32 > 0:16:34Oh, my!
0:16:35 > 0:16:39So that is Russia over in the distance, over there, and then
0:16:39 > 0:16:42the bridge, look, it's like a giant steel cable,
0:16:42 > 0:16:46anchoring Crimea and Russia together!
0:16:46 > 0:16:51This is one of the most politically symbolic constructions that is
0:16:51 > 0:16:54underway anywhere in the world at the moment.
0:16:54 > 0:17:00It's a really solid concrete and steel statement that Crimea is
0:17:00 > 0:17:04connected to Russia, and Russia is here to stay.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13The German army and the Soviet army both tried to build a bridge between
0:17:13 > 0:17:15Crimea and Russia.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21President Putin says he's determined to succeed,
0:17:21 > 0:17:23that it's a historic mission.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26It's certainly costly.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28This build has swallowed a huge
0:17:28 > 0:17:31chunk of Russia's national transport budget.
0:17:33 > 0:17:37The fact this bridge is being built is just extraordinary, but who is
0:17:37 > 0:17:39building it is really interesting.
0:17:39 > 0:17:45It's a firm run by President Putin's childhood judo sparring partner,
0:17:45 > 0:17:47his old mate.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51That's Putin's Russia for you.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54Power and wealth are the gift of the tsar.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59It was time for me to leave Crimea
0:17:59 > 0:18:02and get back on the road in Russia.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14The next stage of my journey took me to Russia's European heartlands,
0:18:14 > 0:18:16north of the Ukrainian border.
0:18:18 > 0:18:22When Ukraine turned decisively towards Europe in 2014,
0:18:22 > 0:18:25Russia didn't just annex Crimea,
0:18:25 > 0:18:28President Putin encouraged, perhaps orchestrated,
0:18:28 > 0:18:32an armed uprising in the east of Ukraine which became a war that has
0:18:32 > 0:18:34cost more than 10,000 lives.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38Geography can help us to understand what happened.
0:18:40 > 0:18:45This is the vast, flat European plain across which mighty armies
0:18:45 > 0:18:49have invaded Russia, including the French under Napoleon,
0:18:49 > 0:18:53the Germans under Hitler, and even the Swedes.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55Let's have a look at this map.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59I think this gives a sense of why
0:18:59 > 0:19:02geography is so critical.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07So the European plain
0:19:07 > 0:19:11is almost all of western Russia,
0:19:11 > 0:19:14almost 2,000 miles from north to south.
0:19:14 > 0:19:19There are no mountain ranges here that act as a natural barrier
0:19:19 > 0:19:21against invasion.
0:19:21 > 0:19:27It is very hard for Russia to defend its western border.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31But as the plain spreads across northern Europe over to here,
0:19:31 > 0:19:33it narrows.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36Here it's bounded in the north by the Baltic Sea and in the south by
0:19:36 > 0:19:38the Carpathian Mountains.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41This is a gap that can be plugged.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44Armies can be stopped here...
0:19:45 > 0:19:48..if there are pro-Russian governments in power
0:19:48 > 0:19:52in the countries to the west of Moscow,
0:19:52 > 0:19:54particularly in Ukraine.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57If there's a pro-Russian government in power in Ukraine,
0:19:57 > 0:20:01massive Ukraine, Russia can feel safe.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05That's not to excuse what's happened.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08Russian efforts to destabilise neighbouring countries
0:20:08 > 0:20:10are causing deep alarm.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16America and the EU imposed heavy sanctions on Russia and Russia
0:20:16 > 0:20:21responded by banning many imports from the West, including of food.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25Most observers think this is all a bit of a disaster for Russia's
0:20:25 > 0:20:30relationship with the West but some farmers here sense an opportunity.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37So this, I presume the bloke on the right there is Vladimir.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42- Vladimir.- Bonjour.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46- Bonjour!- Parlez Francais? - No, no, no. SIMON LAUGHS
0:20:46 > 0:20:48We'll drive in. OK, thank you.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51Merci.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54Vladimir Borev is a farmer, a former journalist, and a bit of
0:20:54 > 0:20:58a character, with a passion for all things French.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01Who-o-o-oa! What a view.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05- Here.- Oh, look!
0:21:05 > 0:21:07- This is my...- Your goats!
0:21:12 > 0:21:15What a glorious scene this is, Vladimir.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27HE GRUNTS
0:21:30 > 0:21:32You go bareback.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39You want me to get on with you?
0:21:39 > 0:21:40All right.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44Jonathan, you know how you...
0:21:44 > 0:21:46Can I use your knee?
0:21:48 > 0:21:50Thank you, mate. All right.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17I think I might have to get off.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19My back... O-o-oh!
0:23:05 > 0:23:08Russia's oil wealth means other industries have been out of favour
0:23:08 > 0:23:12in recent decades. Farming has been in decline and Russians have bought
0:23:12 > 0:23:16foreign food. Ironically Western sanctions seem to have given farms
0:23:16 > 0:23:17like this a huge boost.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19Come on goaties, come on.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22Come on, you don't want to get left out.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24Come on. Come on, you're all right.
0:23:30 > 0:23:35President Putin has said he wants Russia to be self-sufficient in food
0:23:35 > 0:23:38by 2020, I think. Do you think it's possible?
0:23:49 > 0:23:52Vladimir might be happy with sanctions, but they've caused hefty
0:23:52 > 0:23:54price rises for most Russians.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57- This is a cheese house.- Wow!
0:24:23 > 0:24:26Are you busting sanctions here?
0:24:26 > 0:24:28It's a very clever way of getting round the European Union stopping
0:24:28 > 0:24:30you buying French cheese.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43Simon, come on. This is a...this is a cheese.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49This is a liquid cheese.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51Liquid cheese?
0:24:51 > 0:24:53What? Liquid cheese?!
0:24:53 > 0:24:55Oh, you old temptress, you.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58Thank you.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00Mmmm!
0:25:01 > 0:25:03O-o-oh!
0:25:03 > 0:25:05Have you made alcohol from cheese?
0:25:05 > 0:25:09- Yes.- That's just...either genius or mad, perhaps both.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15I can see from all your pictures you're obviously very interested in
0:25:15 > 0:25:19Russia's Imperial Tsarist past.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22Do you think Russia needs a strong leader?
0:25:44 > 0:25:50So, does the growing gulf or divide between Europe and Russia,
0:25:50 > 0:25:52does it... It must upset you.
0:26:00 > 0:26:01Has Russia done nothing wrong?
0:26:23 > 0:26:25Cheers, sir.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30Bloody hell. A bit rammed.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40I think it's conscripts who are heading off on the train.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53OK, let's go to Moscow.
0:26:54 > 0:26:5817 and 19, and that is here, here we are.
0:27:00 > 0:27:01HE YAWNS
0:27:12 > 0:27:14That's very kind. Spasibo.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19Is this what you're going to survive on overnight?
0:27:23 > 0:27:25THEY LAUGH
0:27:30 > 0:27:33The journey to Moscow was short by Russian standards,
0:27:33 > 0:27:35just ten hours by rail.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38Remember, this country is a whopping 5,500 miles wide.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42I think I might be slightly too long for this bed,
0:27:42 > 0:27:46my feet are halfway into the passageway.
0:27:48 > 0:27:49Goodnight.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00I was heading north on the final part of my journey, through
0:28:00 > 0:28:02the night, to the heart of power in Russia.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12It's 6:10 and we're just pulling into the station.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16Now we've just stopped...
0:28:17 > 0:28:18..in Moscow.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22I'd never been to Moscow before.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25It was more beautiful than I'd imagined.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30The sense of power, absolute power, was tangible.
0:28:31 > 0:28:35We hear a lot about the wealth of Russia and some Russians.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38In reality it's in the hands of a few,
0:28:38 > 0:28:40as is the power and the privilege.
0:28:42 > 0:28:44HE LAUGHS
0:28:44 > 0:28:48Today, Moscow is a megacity, home to 12 million people.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51Its infamous traffic is a symptom of rapid growth.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54Not that everyone needs to be stuck in a jam.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57What's this lane in the middle of the road here?
0:29:03 > 0:29:05You need to be close to the pinnacle of power.
0:29:07 > 0:29:09Who's that, then? Is that somebody very important?
0:29:15 > 0:29:18I was leaving the congested centre of Moscow.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20I wanted to see where most people here actually live.
0:29:23 > 0:29:27It's interesting, actually. This is the sort of housing where so many
0:29:27 > 0:29:30Muscovites live, these massive apartment blocks.
0:29:31 > 0:29:36There's also still a lot of people living in this type as well.
0:29:36 > 0:29:39These are known as Khrushchevkas,
0:29:39 > 0:29:42and they're named after the former leader of the Soviet Union,
0:29:42 > 0:29:44Nikita Khrushchev,
0:29:44 > 0:29:48who first announced in the 1950s that the Soviet Union was going to
0:29:48 > 0:29:53begin a programme of housing construction, the like of which has
0:29:53 > 0:29:55never been seen before.
0:29:56 > 0:29:59For many Soviet families, many Russian families,
0:29:59 > 0:30:03these Khrushchevkas were their first family home.
0:30:03 > 0:30:07And, as a result, many Soviet families, many Russian families,
0:30:07 > 0:30:11have very warm memories of these apartment blocks.
0:30:17 > 0:30:19DOORBELL RINGS
0:30:21 > 0:30:25Natalia, hello! Simon, hello.
0:30:25 > 0:30:27- Hello.- Hello, zdravstvuyte, lovely to meet you.
0:30:27 > 0:30:30- Can we come in?- Yes, yes.
0:30:30 > 0:30:33Natalia Budkevich works at a state-run theatre.
0:30:33 > 0:30:35- So sweet. Look at that.- Come.
0:30:36 > 0:30:38What a lovely place you've got.
0:30:39 > 0:30:43- You've got a grand piano in here! - Yeah, yeah, I've got it.
0:30:55 > 0:31:00Every little bit of it has memories and meaning to you.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16The government has passed legislation to demolish more than
0:31:16 > 0:31:19half of Moscow's Khrushchevkas.
0:31:19 > 0:31:22A population equivalent to San Francisco will be relocated to
0:31:22 > 0:31:24brand-new high-rise apartments.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30The world's biggest demolition order was signed by the president,
0:31:30 > 0:31:33with little public discussion, at a stroke of a pen.
0:31:36 > 0:31:38Natalia has no grounds to appeal.
0:31:50 > 0:31:53I wanted to see what happened to Natalia when she tried to protest
0:31:53 > 0:31:55against her eviction.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59- That's you.- Yeah, it's me.
0:32:22 > 0:32:24So you were standing,
0:32:24 > 0:32:28protesting, on your own or with a couple of other people?
0:32:28 > 0:32:30- No, just on my own. - Just on your own?
0:32:50 > 0:32:53Oh, my God!
0:32:53 > 0:32:55It sounds like you feel quite powerless.
0:33:15 > 0:33:17The authorities here say they are trying to replace
0:33:17 > 0:33:19substandard housing.
0:33:19 > 0:33:21Opponents think it's all a money-making exercise
0:33:21 > 0:33:24for the government and property developers who are given
0:33:24 > 0:33:27the lucrative contracts.
0:33:27 > 0:33:31The demolition plan helped inspire a new wave of protests, with huge
0:33:31 > 0:33:34numbers of Russians taking to the streets in anti-corruption
0:33:34 > 0:33:36demonstrations.
0:33:36 > 0:33:38Many have been arrested.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41Russian law requires protests by more than one person to have state
0:33:41 > 0:33:45approval. Natalia insists she was demonstrating alone, and she invited
0:33:45 > 0:33:48me to her first appearance in a Russian court.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53THEY SPEAK IN RUSSIAN
0:33:58 > 0:33:59Yeah, that's it, that's it.
0:34:02 > 0:34:04Good luck.
0:34:07 > 0:34:08Well, that was very odd.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11We were allowed to film in the courtroom, but only for about
0:34:11 > 0:34:14a minute, and then we had to get the camera out. The judge came in,
0:34:14 > 0:34:17the case lasted about ten minutes, and now I'm just waiting for Natalia
0:34:17 > 0:34:19to come out and tell me what's happened.
0:34:19 > 0:34:22Fingers crossed for her.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25The odds on anyone getting an acquittal in a Russian court
0:34:25 > 0:34:30are slim. Russian courts have a 99% conviction rate.
0:34:30 > 0:34:32- Are you OK?- Yeah, I'm OK.
0:34:50 > 0:34:55Is this your first experience of that side of life here?
0:35:12 > 0:35:16- It's Russia, it's hard-core, you know? - SHE LAUGHS
0:35:16 > 0:35:18Really hope it goes OK. Good luck.
0:35:18 > 0:35:20- Thank you. See you.- See you.
0:35:20 > 0:35:22- Bye-bye.- Good luck. Bye.- Bye-bye.
0:35:25 > 0:35:27There's long been some sort of unspoken agreement
0:35:27 > 0:35:30here between President Putin and the Russian people.
0:35:30 > 0:35:35It goes something like, "I will give you jobs, a bit of money,
0:35:35 > 0:35:37"you'll have a chance to buy stuff and occasionally take
0:35:37 > 0:35:41"a foreign holiday, but don't question my power."
0:35:41 > 0:35:42THUNDER
0:35:44 > 0:35:46That agreement is now starting to break down.
0:35:46 > 0:35:50Russians are saying, "We've had enough of being treated like sheep.
0:35:50 > 0:35:55"We want to know where Russia's wealth is going."
0:35:55 > 0:35:57THUNDER
0:35:57 > 0:36:00You can probably hear the thunder. Appropriately enough,
0:36:00 > 0:36:02there's a storm coming.
0:36:09 > 0:36:13I headed west, out of Moscow...
0:36:15 > 0:36:18..and towards Russia's other great city.
0:36:22 > 0:36:24We get to do something most travellers don't do
0:36:24 > 0:36:26when they come to Russia.
0:36:26 > 0:36:30Most people go to Moscow and/or St Petersburg.
0:36:30 > 0:36:34I'm going to explore the countryside in between those two great cities.
0:36:36 > 0:36:40I was taking the long route, off the main roads and through the rural
0:36:40 > 0:36:42heartland of the far west.
0:36:46 > 0:36:50The Volga! That's known as the Mother Of Rivers.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55In Russian folklore, the Volga is the lifeblood of the country.
0:36:58 > 0:37:02This used to be an important agricultural region.
0:37:02 > 0:37:04Can we just stop here for a second?
0:37:04 > 0:37:08Now, everywhere, there were signs of neglect and slow decay.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13I presume this is some sort of grain silo.
0:37:13 > 0:37:18We're just a few hours from Moscow but this is, um...
0:37:18 > 0:37:21..this feels like forgotten, emptied Russia.
0:37:23 > 0:37:29This was probably part of a huge collective farm in Soviet times,
0:37:29 > 0:37:33so this whole area was farmed industrially,
0:37:33 > 0:37:35under state control.
0:37:38 > 0:37:43On collective farms, workers were poor but they had a steady income.
0:37:44 > 0:37:47Less productive regions of Russia were supported by the state.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51Now there are no such guarantees.
0:37:51 > 0:37:52Jobs have disappeared.
0:37:53 > 0:37:57Logging timber is one of the few flourishing industries around here,
0:37:57 > 0:37:59and much of that is done illegally.
0:38:04 > 0:38:08With few jobs, many Russians in isolated regions like this have
0:38:08 > 0:38:10a very basic existence.
0:38:17 > 0:38:19Wow.
0:38:20 > 0:38:22This is like stepping back a century.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29There's smoke coming from a couple of the chimneys, though, so there
0:38:29 > 0:38:31must be some people living here.
0:38:35 > 0:38:36DOGS BARK IN DISTANCE
0:38:36 > 0:38:38Let's see if we can find anyone.
0:38:44 > 0:38:46This place doesn't get too many visitors...
0:38:48 > 0:38:51..but I met a villager called Tatiana Zavreskaya,
0:38:51 > 0:38:54who was a bit surprised at my interest.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06Only three families left? MOSQUITOES BUZZ
0:39:06 > 0:39:08And, and quite a lot of mosquitoes. SHE CHUCKLES
0:39:12 > 0:39:15SHE LAUGHS Wow!
0:39:15 > 0:39:17They are hungry, aren't they?
0:39:19 > 0:39:23Take us in, Tatiana, away from the mozzies! THEY LAUGH
0:39:23 > 0:39:25CAT MEOWS
0:39:29 > 0:39:33- Mama Dasha.- This is Mama, Mama Dasha.
0:39:33 > 0:39:35All right, so in here...
0:39:37 > 0:39:38Thanks, Tatiana.
0:39:39 > 0:39:43So...I'm going to stay in here.
0:39:45 > 0:39:48I think we'll involve... on the sofa there.
0:39:51 > 0:39:52What a place, eh?
0:39:56 > 0:39:58Oh, it must be tough to survive here.
0:39:59 > 0:40:01They're not completely cut off.
0:40:02 > 0:40:06There's an outside phone offering free emergency calls.
0:40:07 > 0:40:09They have some power.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12If they want to boil a kettle, they need to warn their neighbours,
0:40:12 > 0:40:14but it's enough to watch the TV.
0:40:21 > 0:40:23SHE LAUGHS
0:40:28 > 0:40:30What do you make of what's going on in the world at the moment?
0:40:30 > 0:40:33I feel really confused by things,
0:40:33 > 0:40:37because I grew up on the other side of the Iron Curtain from you.
0:40:37 > 0:40:40I grew up in Britain during the Cold War,
0:40:40 > 0:40:44and there, then I was quite scared of the Soviet Union.
0:40:44 > 0:40:47Then the Iron Curtain came down and we became friends.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50And now it sounds like we're becoming enemies again.
0:40:50 > 0:40:51I think it sounds very sad.
0:41:10 > 0:41:12SHE LAUGHS
0:41:12 > 0:41:15No, you look like somebody we should be holding hands with, Tatiana.
0:41:15 > 0:41:16Of course YOU do.
0:41:21 > 0:41:25Almost all Russians get their news from TV.
0:41:25 > 0:41:29Of course, Russia's not alone in having broadcasters who pump
0:41:29 > 0:41:34propaganda, but Putin's almost total control of Russia's TV networks has
0:41:34 > 0:41:38been absolutely key to his popularity and his grip on power.
0:41:40 > 0:41:41I should be OK in here.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44Those little critters won't get through this.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47Even Russian mosquitoes can't get through this net.
0:41:47 > 0:41:48Night-night.
0:41:59 > 0:42:00This feels ancient.
0:42:19 > 0:42:22The cheeky frog! LAUGHTER
0:42:22 > 0:42:26It feels like a...an old way of life.
0:42:28 > 0:42:30SHE SPEAKS IN RUSSIAN
0:42:38 > 0:42:40Is that about right?
0:42:48 > 0:42:50So, as you look out on the village here,
0:42:50 > 0:42:53with so many of the houses decaying away,
0:42:53 > 0:42:56what do you think the future holds for this village?
0:43:06 > 0:43:09SHE CHUCKLES I do think
0:43:09 > 0:43:14there's some tragedy in the loss of all the culture and traditions that
0:43:14 > 0:43:17are wrapped up inside Russian village life.
0:43:31 > 0:43:33SHE LAUGHS
0:43:35 > 0:43:38HE LAUGHS
0:43:38 > 0:43:43Isn't it extraordinary that life now, and where people want to live,
0:43:43 > 0:43:48is often at least partly dictated by broadband speeds?
0:43:48 > 0:43:50Isn't that an extraordinary thing?
0:44:00 > 0:44:02The whole world is urbanising,
0:44:02 > 0:44:06but the Russian countryside is being emptied at an astonishing rate.
0:44:06 > 0:44:08Since the end of communism,
0:44:08 > 0:44:11roughly three villages have been abandoned every day.
0:44:11 > 0:44:14It's had a devastating impact on rural life.
0:44:14 > 0:44:18At a small cottage hospital, I found Dr Sergey Vishnyakov,
0:44:18 > 0:44:21who arrived here in Soviet times.
0:44:21 > 0:44:24We now know much more about the brutality of that era,
0:44:24 > 0:44:28but Sergey has a rosy view of the health system back then.
0:45:36 > 0:45:40It's claimed more than 15,000 Russian towns and villages have
0:45:40 > 0:45:42no medical infrastructure at all.
0:45:44 > 0:45:46Budgets are being slashed.
0:45:46 > 0:45:49So far, Sergey's managed to fight off plans to close this hospital.
0:45:56 > 0:45:58He's the sort of doctor you want, isn't he?
0:45:58 > 0:46:01A doctor who's got almost boundless reserves of knowledge and care.
0:46:33 > 0:46:36Spasibo, spasibo.
0:46:36 > 0:46:40For you, living out here in an area that used to be busy,
0:46:40 > 0:46:42where there used to be the collective farms,
0:46:42 > 0:46:46do you think life was better in Soviet times?
0:47:20 > 0:47:25So this is the bus stop that people here would need to wait at for quite
0:47:25 > 0:47:30a long time, if they can't get treatment at that hospital,
0:47:30 > 0:47:33if it was to close as per the government plan.
0:47:33 > 0:47:37The next place for medical treatment is a city called Rzhev,
0:47:37 > 0:47:39which is about an hour away.
0:47:41 > 0:47:43And the buses here only run on the weekend.
0:47:48 > 0:47:52Russia now likes to project an image of strength.
0:47:52 > 0:47:56Because of its size, space programme, nuclear weapons,
0:47:56 > 0:47:58its foreign conflicts, it is a global power.
0:48:00 > 0:48:02But as I'd seen so often on my journey,
0:48:02 > 0:48:05much of it is poor and underdeveloped,
0:48:05 > 0:48:08and its wealth is in the hands of the few.
0:48:08 > 0:48:11It's even more unequal than the United States or Britain.
0:48:12 > 0:48:17Russia is the most unequal country of the world's major economies.
0:48:18 > 0:48:22Sad, given the history of communism here and the attempt, at least at
0:48:22 > 0:48:25some point, to achieve equality amongst the masses.
0:48:27 > 0:48:32Not sure where the local budget for maintenance has gone here.
0:48:42 > 0:48:45After 12 hours travelling towards St Petersburg,
0:48:45 > 0:48:48the road was getting worse and worse.
0:48:48 > 0:48:51Our driver said he was worried about his shock absorbers,
0:48:51 > 0:48:53and he was going slower and slower.
0:48:54 > 0:48:56Can we stop here?
0:49:03 > 0:49:05I think I've been slightly defeated by its size,
0:49:05 > 0:49:09like just about every other foreigner, outsider,
0:49:09 > 0:49:12invader who has travelled through this part of the country.
0:49:13 > 0:49:16You just can't appreciate the scale of it until you're here.
0:49:19 > 0:49:22The roads here are pretty rubbish, frankly.
0:49:22 > 0:49:24At some points, we're doing about 15mph.
0:49:26 > 0:49:30Honestly, if you had to travel the length of time I have through this
0:49:30 > 0:49:35glorious yet monotonous landscape, you'd get the train as well.
0:49:51 > 0:49:54My journey across Russia had begun in the Far East.
0:49:57 > 0:50:01Travelling more than 4,000 miles and across nine time zones,
0:50:01 > 0:50:03I was arriving at my final destination on
0:50:03 > 0:50:06the edge of the Baltic, St Petersburg.
0:50:13 > 0:50:15Oh, my goodness, look at this place!
0:50:22 > 0:50:26St Petersburg was built 300 years ago by Peter the Great
0:50:26 > 0:50:28as the Venice of the North.
0:50:28 > 0:50:32He wanted to change the image of Russia from a land of backward
0:50:32 > 0:50:34peasants to a modern civilised nation.
0:50:40 > 0:50:43St Petersburg was designed to impress.
0:50:44 > 0:50:47It was built to make Russia appear European.
0:50:51 > 0:50:54Russia's current leader was born and raised here.
0:50:56 > 0:51:02This grand building is rather key to the story of Vladimir Putin.
0:51:04 > 0:51:08Young Vladimir came here to start practising judo.
0:51:10 > 0:51:16What's also astonishing to me is just how incredibly talented so many
0:51:16 > 0:51:21of his judo buddies must have been, because so many of them now
0:51:21 > 0:51:24seem to be running this country or owning it.
0:51:27 > 0:51:31Peter the Great wanted to transform the image of Russia.
0:51:31 > 0:51:32So does Vladimir Putin.
0:51:34 > 0:51:37One of his priorities has been changing the caricature of
0:51:37 > 0:51:40Russian men as unhealthy, smoking drinkers.
0:51:40 > 0:51:44The judo-loving President promotes and encourages a more muscular
0:51:44 > 0:51:47vision, supporting mixed martial arts and even cage fighters.
0:51:48 > 0:51:50I went to visit a local club.
0:52:02 > 0:52:05THEY SPEAK IN RUSSIAN
0:52:13 > 0:52:15I've got a bad feeling about what's going on here.
0:52:18 > 0:52:19I...
0:52:22 > 0:52:25I had a feeling trainer Eduard Cherbokov was lining me up
0:52:25 > 0:52:27for ritual sacrifice.
0:52:27 > 0:52:29Lamb, slaughter.
0:52:33 > 0:52:36These two guys? They look very tough!
0:52:59 > 0:53:01I'm nervous, actually.
0:53:30 > 0:53:33I think I'm going to puke.
0:53:38 > 0:53:39And they were gentle with me.
0:53:39 > 0:53:41PUFFING AND PANTING
0:53:42 > 0:53:44I think I might be sick.
0:53:53 > 0:53:54Why are you doing this?
0:54:00 > 0:54:03How key is faith to you and to what you're doing here?
0:54:08 > 0:54:11PUFFING AND GRUNTING
0:54:28 > 0:54:32Under Putin, the Russian Orthodox Church has been
0:54:32 > 0:54:33completely rejuvenated.
0:54:33 > 0:54:36The president would love this place.
0:54:36 > 0:54:40These fighters are all tough, healthy and religious.
0:54:40 > 0:54:43For many here, being Orthodox is about faith,
0:54:43 > 0:54:46but it's also about a patriotic identity.
0:54:47 > 0:54:50Grigori Guyvoronsky helps lead this club.
0:54:51 > 0:54:54The number of churches, the number of temples are growing,
0:54:54 > 0:54:56it's growing,
0:54:56 > 0:54:59and we have more and more churches in Russia.
0:54:59 > 0:55:01Actually, more and more people come to church.
0:55:01 > 0:55:04They come back to our tradition,
0:55:04 > 0:55:08to our faith, the faith of our grandfathers and our fathers,
0:55:08 > 0:55:12you know? Historically, Russia is supposed to be a Christian country.
0:55:12 > 0:55:16It was created as a Christian state.
0:55:16 > 0:55:19You're conservative Orthodox.
0:55:19 > 0:55:22So you think traditional values are important?
0:55:22 > 0:55:27- Yes.- What's your view on, I don't know, gay marriage for example?
0:55:27 > 0:55:29- It's negative.- Right.
0:55:29 > 0:55:32Cos we believe in God, and God says it's a sin.
0:55:32 > 0:55:35How strongly do you believe that?
0:55:35 > 0:55:37I don't agree that it's normal.
0:55:37 > 0:55:39- Right.- In Europe, people try to say that it's normal and
0:55:39 > 0:55:42everybody has a right to do this.
0:55:42 > 0:55:44We just say it's not normal.
0:55:44 > 0:55:48It's wrong, that's how we say it.
0:55:48 > 0:55:51Orthodox views are on the rise here.
0:55:51 > 0:55:55Encouraged by the president and the newly powerful Orthodox Church,
0:55:55 > 0:55:57many Russians appear to be turning their backs
0:55:57 > 0:55:59on modern Western values.
0:56:02 > 0:56:06Many here support Putin's core ideology,
0:56:06 > 0:56:08which is nationalism accompanied by anti-Westernism.
0:56:10 > 0:56:12It harks back to the past.
0:56:12 > 0:56:16This is a very fitting place for me to end my journey.
0:56:16 > 0:56:21This is the Hermitage Museum, but it was the Winter Palace,
0:56:21 > 0:56:26an official residence of the tsars for nearly 200 years.
0:56:27 > 0:56:29It was stormed during the Russian Revolution,
0:56:29 > 0:56:33and that was a defining moment in the Communist takeover
0:56:33 > 0:56:35of this vast country.
0:56:37 > 0:56:40In Russia's most famous museum,
0:56:40 > 0:56:43I was expecting a major exhibition marking the centenary of
0:56:43 > 0:56:48the Revolution. To my surprise, it was hardly registered.
0:56:48 > 0:56:50Oh, that's interesting! Look. So there should be...
0:56:50 > 0:56:54Normally, there's a portrait of Nicholas II hanging here,
0:56:54 > 0:56:57but it's currently displayed at a temporary exhibition,
0:56:57 > 0:57:00Romanovs And Revolution: The End Of Monarchy,
0:57:00 > 0:57:03that's happening in Amsterdam.
0:57:05 > 0:57:09The government here can't quite seem to decide how to mark the centenary
0:57:09 > 0:57:12of the Revolution, this huge event.
0:57:12 > 0:57:16They don't really want to commemorate it, perhaps because
0:57:16 > 0:57:19Tsar Nicholas II was a weak leader,
0:57:19 > 0:57:22and President Putin does not like weak leaders.
0:57:22 > 0:57:25But they don't really want to celebrate it either,
0:57:25 > 0:57:27because President Putin certainly
0:57:27 > 0:57:30doesn't want to encourage any more revolution.
0:57:31 > 0:57:34The Russians might not be sure how to mark it,
0:57:34 > 0:57:38but the Revolution remains one of the landmarks of modern history -
0:57:38 > 0:57:42a shattering event that transformed and then shaped our entire world,
0:57:42 > 0:57:45even if sometimes, in at least one way,
0:57:45 > 0:57:47it can seem little has changed here.
0:57:47 > 0:57:51I think the saddest realisation for me on this journey was that,
0:57:51 > 0:57:54100 years on from the Revolution that was supposed to
0:57:54 > 0:57:57change everything, there's an all-powerful tsar back in charge
0:57:57 > 0:57:59at the top.
0:58:02 > 0:58:06I'd loved almost every moment of my epic journey across Russia.
0:58:06 > 0:58:09From the frozen wilderness of Kamchatka on the shores of
0:58:09 > 0:58:12the Pacific to here at the edge of the Baltic,
0:58:12 > 0:58:16I'd travelled this vast country in wonder and been awed.
0:58:17 > 0:58:22This journey has really shown me the stunning diversity of a country and
0:58:22 > 0:58:24a people I really didn't know.
0:58:24 > 0:58:27Russians have a cold, tough reputation, but time and again,
0:58:27 > 0:58:31I've seen that, once you break their hard outer shell,
0:58:31 > 0:58:33there is warmth and there is welcome.
0:58:33 > 0:58:37I have to hope for an end to the current animosity between Russia and
0:58:37 > 0:58:41the West, for better relations between us and them.