:00:09. > :00:11.I think I get very along very well with Vladimir Putin.
:00:12. > :00:21.Russia and the United States often seemed to be in
:00:22. > :00:24.Just take the past several years alone.
:00:25. > :00:28.First, I would like to congratulate President Putin for being the only
:00:29. > :00:34.And Obama and Putin lash out at each other, relations drop...
:00:35. > :00:36.I think they engaged in evil behaviour.
:00:37. > :00:38.Then Obama brings Medvedev out for a hamburger.
:00:39. > :00:45.And now Trump has been praising Putin.
:00:46. > :00:48.I think there's an 80% approval rating, which any politician in this
:00:49. > :01:02.But, let's just forget all of that for a second.
:01:03. > :01:05.How does the average American view Russia?
:01:06. > :01:12.I think the ones I know are pretty exciting people.
:01:13. > :01:15.I think they've always been really inclusive,
:01:16. > :01:17.kind of to themselves, a little red flaggish,
:01:18. > :01:21.As a tourist, a foreigner, you need to be alert,
:01:22. > :01:24.sharp and cautious because the men and women are very stern
:01:25. > :01:27.and dominant and they don't take kindly to strangers.
:01:28. > :01:30.It's a democracy, but really they have one leader.
:01:31. > :01:34.They are trying to counter US power all over the world right now.
:01:35. > :01:37.They do what they want and I love it.
:01:38. > :01:43.I believe there is no democracy in Russia.
:01:44. > :01:48.We just don't understand the similarities or the differences
:01:49. > :01:58.We journey from country to country, turning your story ideas
:01:59. > :02:07.We spent the spring in India, but now we're headed to Russia.
:02:08. > :02:10.We want to speak to ordinary, average Russian citizens.
:02:11. > :02:14.What do they think about their place in the world?
:02:15. > :02:17.Before we go, what stories do Russian speakers right here in LA
:02:18. > :02:25.It would be really interesting to talk about life here.
:02:26. > :02:28.It would be interesting for me to listen and to see stories
:02:29. > :02:38.I would like to see a story about the Union
:02:39. > :02:42.Actually it would be great if they mentioned the name
:02:43. > :02:57.We are going to be travelling across Russia for a full month,
:02:58. > :03:00.working with BBC teams already based in the country, but it doesn't
:03:01. > :03:03.matter what country or even planet you are from.
:03:04. > :03:06.Tell us what stories you want us to film in Russia.
:03:07. > :03:21.Get in touch with us at hashtagBBCPopUp.
:03:22. > :03:40.There is even craft beer pubs opening in hip neighbourhoods
:03:41. > :03:47.in the city, but some things will never change about Moscow.
:03:48. > :03:56.Local theatre will always be popular here, and shopkeepers will use
:03:57. > :03:58.underpasses to sell everything from Putin mugs to guns.
:03:59. > :04:02.A lot of Russians feel like the country is treated
:04:03. > :04:05.Particularly over the ban on some Olympic athletes
:04:06. > :04:08.after the doping scandal, and also criticism of their military
:04:09. > :04:16.BBC Pop Up is in Russia to find out what issues are most
:04:17. > :04:29.If you go outside the city, the roads are not that good.
:04:30. > :04:31.We should concentrate money not in just the cities,
:04:32. > :05:08.That's why we have such an interesting nightlife.
:05:09. > :05:11.We have also been getting story suggestions by social media
:05:12. > :05:25.and e-mail about adoption and aslo Dachas, Russian country houses.
:05:26. > :05:28.So there is one story suggestion that has come in,
:05:29. > :05:32.It came in from a viewer called Mark, who has asked about orphanages
:05:33. > :05:37.We have come across a very unique orphan village just outside Moscow
:05:38. > :06:25.Our activities, they are all centred on one goal.
:06:26. > :06:39.We go into orphanages and try to find children
:06:40. > :06:47.It is very important to develop abilities of courage,
:06:48. > :06:49.and the idea that you can build your own life
:06:50. > :07:05.There are four foster families here with from five
:07:06. > :07:08.to three children in each family, foster children.
:07:09. > :07:20.An adult invites orphans, if they want to be
:07:21. > :07:25.All the families construct a community.
:07:26. > :08:30.It is a very unusual way of taking care of orphans.
:08:31. > :08:36.There was absolutely no tradition of fostering.
:08:37. > :08:38.To a foreign audience, it is not very easy to understand
:08:39. > :08:42.what it means to change from a socialist system
:08:43. > :08:44.to Gorbachev's democracy, and then to this open capitalist
:08:45. > :08:48.system, all in a very short lifetime.
:08:49. > :08:52.People simply don't believe, what orphans?
:08:53. > :09:16.We are getting salaries as foster parents, and we are getting money
:09:17. > :09:56.Something is changing in the brains of people.
:09:57. > :10:12.We are going to hit the road soon, but before we go, we have received
:10:13. > :10:15.a few more story ideas that we can film right here
:10:16. > :15:15.So we are at Kaczynski train station here in Moscow,
:15:16. > :15:18.and we are about to hop on a train for some reason.
:15:19. > :15:22.We are about to get on a 31 hour train journey,
:15:23. > :15:24.taking us across Russia, to go on the Trans-Siberian Railway.
:15:25. > :15:28.As you can see, we have a bunch of bags with us, and we are going
:15:29. > :15:30.to tackle some of the story suggestions we have been
:15:31. > :15:34.receiving that are a bit further out from Moscow.
:15:35. > :15:38.Have you ever been on the Trans-Siberian railway before?
:15:39. > :15:41.No, but I've wanted to do it in the last five years.
:15:42. > :15:44.I have one problem, I cannot sleep on the train.
:15:45. > :15:46.This is going to be fun for you.
:15:47. > :16:11.So, having recently flown in from the US,
:16:12. > :16:14.where there is a heated presidential election going on, I'm curious
:16:15. > :16:16.what Russian passengers on board the Tran-Siberian Express think
:16:17. > :16:18.about the United States right now, and maybe more specifically,
:16:19. > :22:28.And with that, our month in Russia comes to an end.
:22:29. > :22:29.From orphan villagers, to the Islamic community,
:22:30. > :22:39.to the Altai Mountains, we saw a diverse cross-section of Russia.
:22:40. > :22:42.Politics aside, there are a massive number of residents in this country,
:22:43. > :22:44.all with fascinating stories to tell.
:22:45. > :22:47.Now, as for BBC Pop Up, where do you think we should go next?
:22:48. > :23:17.Good afternoon. For most of us it is a good afternoon if it is sunshine
:23:18. > :23:19.you like. There is certainly more sunshine across the eastern side of
:23:20. > :23:20.the country,