That is a sentence that for the first time has meaning and makes sense coming from this old man. It almost made me tear up. It makes you think before complaining again about anything.
Seeing the way he takes care of the cemetery hit me right in the feels. He might spend more time there than in his house. No words.. but thanks for sharing this one.
Indeed Brilliant words "to be human.. Its difficult sometimes" I find it analogous as gr8 Socrates said "an unexamined life is not worth living" ... I liked the gentleman's respect for Cemetery bcs "in the grand scheme of things I am nothing"
@@thecontrarianview9269 Well mate, there are two problems though. First one is we cant even be sure if Sokraters could say that - because we have no idea if he even existed. You quoted Plato's dialogue 'Ἀπολογία Σωκράτους' (apology of Skorates (well, its genetivus so lets say "Apology of Skoratus' :d)). So it rather Plato said. Second problem is the quote has in fact certain meaning which contains orphic beliefs. You can translate it to "to live means thinking which is nothing else but examining things".
@@krowaswieta7944 I admire your knowledge level as I take it to further explore on the info Though I strongly believe, as being conservative, the words make lot of sense; whats the purpose of life I appreciate you views and taking out time to comment. Have a gr8 weekend
Kolja is a hardcore anarchist. The parkinsons or whatever it is might make him behave weird compared to what we consider normal but he is very very much sane. If he was "weak" he wouldnt survive in those conditions, he is very strong and very brave. HUGE respect to Kolja.
This grandpa, living in the middle of nowhere, inside a radioactive zone, no electricity, no money, no family, no neighbours... I almost cried the moment he drops that bomb.
That’s because you are a good person who can empathise with others situations like this elderly man who’s life is a lonely and hard one compared to us people in our western modern cities with simple things like electric and clean running water etc. God bless this man.
@@MuhammadIamhardBrucelee Yes people in India are poor from wealth but not from heart.And if some one is showing his kindness by giving some help to a poor barber by a medium of fucking shave(In your language) what is your problem???I think u r very rich.That is why you don't know how poor people's life is so full with struggles.Go and have some treatment...
Praying this guy is protected and left alone in whatever peace he desires during these times. One of the first things I thought about when I heard of this new conflict.
I came here to tell people. He is safe! He's in a safe area right now, he was a caretaker now. As you can imagine he's old and needs the help. But he's doing ok!
@@philyjfry Thanks for letting us know. He seem to have parkinson and be quite old, it was kind of sad to see that he was living by himself with this illness, lost my grandpa to it a few years ago.
@@NuttersTheTree And what does that matter? The poor man should be able to drink his sorrows away if he wants. He's old and he probably won't live long enough to see himself out of the position he's in in his life. This is different than giving some New York City bum $50, this man lives in the middle of nowhere and obviously is a very humble and kind person.
How is one man and a camera better at showing us the real world than multi million dollar productions, documentaries and films. This is what people are yearning for, reality. No edits, dramatic cut scenes or emotional music needed. Just honest simple human interaction, oral histories, ruins and exploration.
Yes I agree. But, as ive replied to other comments, ppl yearn for this type of reality then want to make assumptions and stereotypes all over it. Many comments include ppl making assumptions off a few min video that this man has shakes due to alcohol. I find it so sad. Ppl see someone poor and assume these things. They see an old man living roughly in europe as and assume hes an alcoholic. The same thing in india the assumption is to feel bad because he had no opportunity. In the west, the assumption is he did it to himself and deserves it. Its all really sad. When I see this man in this video, even though I'm not Belarusian, I feel proud and envy in a positive way. Because, hes lived the obvious war riddled life he has and despite his ailments does more walking, chopping wood, etc than most westerners do in a day. I'm proud of him and envy his spirit along with so many we encounter in Balds videos. Its amazing and a privilege he brings these encounters and parts of the world to us.
All of a sudden it hit me. He stayed at the cemetery because because his family and friends,as well as everyone he knew was there. He is the one who up keeps it. All alone with only the memories of those who came before him that now lay beneath in eternal sleep. 🙏❤️🙌
There was a man I know who also died alone, HE LIVED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CITY, He rents a place and has a shop but he had nobody, no relatives none at all! When his shop was closed nobody ask why, nobody wondered, It was only when they smelled a rotten flesh nearby and theorized that it might be by his place and when the cops arrive, it was him.. died of heart attack.
i wasnt talking about the way of living just that that man was 100% sad all of his family and friends buried in that graveyard i really hope hes happy but i wouldnt be in his shoes,.doesnt matter only Kolya knows take care guys.-
He is now alone, he is alone 24 hours, 7 days a week for years, he was only with our bald hero for a few hours when this was filmed... It is not heart warming it is extremely sad... Life is miserable and sad for most of people, those privileged like you are not aware how privileged you are until you see something like this and then forget about it in half an hour
@@Everythingisok89 yeah true, the way kolya took him to graveyard really got me in the feelings, that's how he's surviving by passing time with his family Man sometimes I feel I am underprivileged but this is truly sad
@@Everythingisok89 You can see that the field they walk over seems to be cultivated by a farmer. And the graveyard seems to be in an alright condition too, so there must be people taking care of it constantly. Kolya surely seems to live a lonely and lonesome life there but he's not completely isolated even at his home.
Paige you probably ended up here either because you watched the HBO Chernobyl series or something related to it OR just because there’s so much Chernobyl searches on yt right now because of the HBO series youtube’s algorithm will recommend you Chernobyl vids
I know how he feels in that regard, I'm am aspie NEET and it is very difficult to integrate with the rest of society. Thats why I've closed myself off from everyone and it seems Kolya has done the same.
@@PaganShagger I don't think that he has closed himself off by choice. Look at the state of him, shaking, barely comprehensible and barely hears or sees the world around him. No one is going to be trying to talk to him much. I doubt he has a flat in a city or any relatives living in a city to live with. With the way things are, it's likely that he might die in his shabby, rundown, house not a mile away from a graveyard full of friends and relatives, and no one will know. Unless he has developed a strong friendship with the townsfolk or the people who come there every two weeks to give them some food and money, I doubt anyone will come to his house to check on him. Very possible that he will simply rot in his own house.
@@nik_evdokimov to be more exact he said "кукуруза" a couple of seconds before that. "Corn, it's a starch", talking about the field they were crossing.
Many things about Kolya broke my heart but when he described Germans leaving, ditches, clouds of flies and the crows in that broken story of his, I was left to piece it together and it made me even more sad.
Me too...I could be very wrong, but it sounds like the Germans killed a lot of people in the village and burnt their bodies in the woods, hence the black cloud of smoke, and the flies infesting the rotten bodies.....wow ....what a recollection of his childhood....this broke my heart......the pain and suffering caused by the Germans on Kolya's village, Thanks Mr Bald for such a touching video...
@@johnm9105 The Germans had a special division which was composed of many mentally ill and criminals, that even Germans feared, it is portrayed in the Soviet Film "Idi I Smotri" (Come and see)
Most of them chose life style like that. That's mentality. You can compare Russian villages with villages of Lithuania or Estonia. All of them were part of ussr. Just Russians used to live in a mess , they will have more vodka instead of cleaning up their surroundings. There was huge difference between those countries back then and even bigger difference now. If someone prefers to drink vodka , that's their choise.
@@2003Aidas You are being very judgemental, there wasn't a vodka bottle in sight. The poor man seemed to be afflicted with Parkinson's. We don't know his life story, hence we should not judge. BTW, I have seen German pensioners collecting bottles to get through, poverty is everywhere.
for me it used to be this way but my life experience has been very convincing - people deserve what they get IF they have a chance to do things differently and they do NOT.
Ай-Das ist fantastisch i’ve seen some lithuanian villages, and people drink there as well. However, this guy is super unusuall. Its really rare type of recluse.
@@2003Aidas What the hell do any of these stereotypes have to do with a catastrophic accident at a nuclear power plant making villages uninhabitable, and a destitute old man obviously suffering from Parkinson's disease.
This documentary should have been given an International Award. That old man living alone in the midst of nowhere is really remarkable. More amazing that he still maintains the graves of his parents. Mr. Bald is a brave man. No one would have ventured into this abyss. No one ever accompanied that old man to his ghost house. Really awsome. Mr. Bald deserves an International recognition for his work. Love from Mumbai, India.
Other people obviously took care of them. I dont know if you or anyone noticed the obviously freshly ploughed field, so obviously, there are landowners still active nearby that village!
@Mike White mmm, the crumbling ones are usually the ones that are 100s of years old. Besides, being religious and tending graves is not indicative of any advanced thinking or society,
He has nothing but still locks his door, I guess what he has is precious to him. He has so little but he has so much. I'm glad you gave him some money. I would gladly contribute to keep him in food and vodka. Being elderly myself I used to think I had very little but compared to him I live like a king. His spirit is beautiful. I am touched. There's an old saying "I used to feel sorry for myself because I had no shoes... until I met a man who had no feet".
It's not uncommon for ruffians to break into older people's homes in desolate or rural areas just to beat them up and wreck stuff if there is nothing valuable to be found. Mind boggling and heart breaking, I've heared of a couple of such cases and talked to a poor gramps who had such an experience. I don't think it's endemic to eastern Europe but instead that we just don't hear about this stuff, what goes down in the countryside I mean.
@joeblo that's what makes any house, a home. He still feels that it's his home so what anyone would do the least is lock it. I even lock my home even though i do not have any valuables (regular pots&pans and some clothes).
Brian Bommarito I see what you mean as in maybe when younger he was possibly a force to be reckoned with but sadly he’s just an old wino now, probably no family left. I imagine when he goes, unless a little shop tootles out to supply him with vodka and cigarettes, he will have decomposed before anyone finds him.
I hope he goes there and takes him a lamp or something..who will bury this guy when he passes on. Wonderful video, lucky to speak the language so as to communicate some what.
This is one of the most incredible videos I've seen on YT. In the probably 1000s of hours I've watched on this platform this is one of the best videos I've seen. When he said, "being human is hard sometimes" it hit me like a ton of bricks. I honestly teared up a little. To have something so simple but so profound come from a guy with so little it really struck me. He has almost no comforts or family left and still he pushes on, it amazing. Thanks for taking us on this adventure with you.
“To be human is hard at times” - Kolya I’m not a very emotional person but man....I’ll include this man in my prayers for the rest of my life. Thanks Bald.
That man really just wanted someone to spend some time with, and get a few old stories off of his chest. I am very thankful for your kindness towards the man, and all the warm hearted comments left about this adventure. That man surely won't forget this, thank you again. It's so nice to see the world still has good left in it.
He even has a own YT channel now some dutch people i believe went to visit koyla because of bald’s video’s and they helped him set up his channel, its such a great thing!
@@redlineracing4947 koyla the story teller. I haven't watched any of the videos yet. I'm waiting to finish this video first, but I saw one that says something about koyla watching himself on RUclips.
@@georgehoffman3439 yooo so true. for me it's more so my parents cuz we don't talk much. But I've never got to hear about their first love, first fight, crazy college stories, and just cool stuff like that which I know about my friends. I guess it comes down to just that, we don't treat them as friend we treat them solely as parent/grandparents.
Yeah, I don't know what that was about. I've been taught at a young age that it's discourteous to race ahead of someone you're walking with -- and if it was an elderly person you're leaving behind; well that's just premium level asshole behavior. Maybe Brits are oblivious to this... idk Bald is a good guy though. I'm sure it was unintentional.
It's crazy, without this video nobody, would have known of this human being living in this remote part of the world. Now, thanks to Bald, this guy will be remembered by thousands of people even though he doesn't know it himself but thousands of people will feel and get a glimpse into his struggle! God bless you Bald, never stop. Top bloke.
@@mariad.5823 How about you try to walk through the forests to find any basic store and let me us know what is remote or not. You can be away from civilization in almost any country.
Great content mr bald! REAL life. No nonsense about sponsors, no superficial lifestyle. I love the fact that you're an Englishman with balls to actually venture out to the places nobody actually goes to. I am sure it made you grow so much as a human. You also prove that there's no borders!
One moment a crazy old man jumps into your car and a few minutes later you have one of the most interesting, sad, yet beautiful stories on youtube. My best wishes to Kolya. What a great man.
@@СережаХвост I think ady gombos meant that at 1st he seemed like a "crazy old man", then the story of his remarkable life unfolded to show he isn't crazy, just lonely, traumatized, yet still going on
Loneliness is the worst pain that exists. And this man is as lonely as can be. Living in the forest, no family, no friends, no electricity, no transportation. So sad. Appreciate everyone around you and be forgiving because you never know when you’ll be gone
Physically being alone =\= being mentally alone. This man probably lived a fuller life than any one of us can ever hope to. Such is evident by his ability to survive with absolutely nothing. He may be alone, but he seemed far from lonely.
@@nmkkannan1256 Is that why he was so happy to have Bald as company and show him around for hours? Humans need social interaction. It’s been proven time after time in social experiments
Forget going back to work in the UK. Your true calling is as a travel blogger/host. There is NO ONE who interacts with the locals like you do. Highly entertaining as well as informative. Congrats on the # of new subscribers. Amazing. Please bring back Alina for another video. Thank you Mr. Bald.
I canceled my cable TV provider for a reason, too much bullshit so-called reality shows and too many TV commercials, Bald and Bankrupt is the real true life explorer and documentary expert, I subbed to your channel.
Honestly that’s how they do it in the Europe I’ve experienced, I was in Poland for two years, they took such good care of them, even the ones out it the middle of no where! Fresh flowers and paint. They always remember.
Im from Balkan and there is the same story... Hell, there are some 100+ year old graves in villages and they look better than a lot of houses around them
Those people experienced the greatest loss of their life, their relatives. Those graves mean really much to them, because they are last link to the memories of people who were very important to them. They taught them how to live, something much more important than some "possessions". Mind that there was unimaginable amount of knowledge passed on from generation to generation only by oral means, oral and direct instructions - no books. As some example - You could go on into field with my grandmother and pick any plant - flower, plant, grass - and she could tell You name, what time of year it flowers, how it reproduces, what insects feed on it, what animals feed on it, is it edible, what dieseases it can cure or what poison you can make out of it, what myths are related to it and if it is native - all of that knowledge was passed orally to her by her grandparents and complemented by her husband who was also a gardener. My mother managed to absorb maybe 10% of the knowledge, i could not get even 5% even with help of modern books, we just had not enough time together before she died. And this was just small part of knowledge about life, some example wchich can visualise that illiterate people had means to pass culture and knowledge and why people value their elders and why they are so attached to their graves.
radiation, no heating during russian winter, no electricity, lack of food, survived world wars, and all kinds of political regimes. and at on top of all of that, loneliness.... if there is a definition of superman, it should be based on people like Kolya. god bless him!!!
I don't think Kolya is as old as he looks. I can't imagine he lived during either of the World Wars. But the stories have probably been passed down to him by those who did.
I'm from Belarus. And I tell you that he is not poor. It is his choice to live in the zone. I know that people was evacuated from the contaminated zone. But many of them refused to leave their houses. This is his own decision. To stay. I would say this is like to be a monk. Just refuse from all hopes and desires. And watch how this world could be. Without illusions of comfort and long life happyend. Just watching the trees and a leaves as they fall...
Many people (me included) wouldn't explore the remote areas that you do, wouldn't interact with these people, wouldn't even know what conditions they lived in. So many people can say they've seen the Eiffel Tower but very few have met people like Kolya and very few ever will, thanks for sharing this with all of us Bald.
There is many people like this all over the world, You just don't know because you think your better then them and don't take the time of the day to say hello.
I do realize that I’m watching this in an air conditioned room, on a device that’s ridiculously expensive, while I drink fresh water that was delivered to my house. And yet watching him leave him at the graveyard I began to cry.
@0 0 Shoot I can't blame him. Must be a sad boring life living on your own that far in the woods with no one around. Doesn't even have a phone to contact anyone.
I'll be honest, this was one of the most beautiful but brutal moments of reality I've ever witnessed. A man with no electricity, no comforts and no company was still so strong and proud of who he was and what he had. By the looks of those fresh, colorful flowers, he often paid his respects at the cemetery. Whether to pray, to morn or just try connect with what little human element he had left. Thank you for meeting this man Bald. Thank you for capturing this small moment in time for us to experience with you. You must've been the most exciting bit of contact he'd seen in so many years. It just makes me so depressed to think this poor chap has no one left to bury him once he sees his last day.
I was watching it again after seeing it the first time 3 years ago and I noticed your recent good comment...there's a couple more videos by Bald related to Kolya, but if you'd like to see what happens later, check out "Kolya the Story Teller" channel... Cheers
This is just straight up sad, this man is simply greatful that he got to walk with another man again... The sheer happiness in his face and the big hug just from seeing another person that was interested enough to have a walk with him. You got people who are greatful for a simple walk and at the same time we got kids kicking their parents for not getting them the latest iPhone. Straight up sad that these extremes exist and people who don't deserve this lifestyle live through it everyday without much complaints.
odd to think about it....my grandmother used to say "Oh Goodness Gracious" yet she was on the other side of the planet from him and spoke a completely different language. it really is a small planet, but i feel media and cellphone a personal device tech is keeping many from looking up and going out and really seeing how much the human family needs each other.
All that poor lonely old man needed was someone whom he could talk to and introduce him to his family members..I doubt there is any vlogger who can match your talent..And see the story..One of the best vlogs that I have ever seen..
An old man living in the middle of nowhere with just a cemetery nearby that he can reminisce on. He probably couldn't show as much happiness as he really was because of his condition.. the man barely speaks. You're amazing Bald, I respect everything that you've done and continue doing there's not many people like you out there.
I'm amazed he's still alive. Seems like he may have Parkinson's disease based on his rhythmic tremors. Most people would have went completely insane or died of loneliness. I can't imagine what it's like to be all by yourself for weeks at a time. No electricity, no radio, no tv. I didn't see any books either. What does he do to pass the time?
@@mykolakanyuk To be honest, that is equally as poetic and meaningfull to me. Perhaps the struggle of Kolya is to try and become human again after all he has been through. Perhaps even if one becomes "human" again, it isn't always easy. With being a human comes having feelings, and feelings as many know can be severely difficult to deal with, especially in the state that Kolya is in. It's quite subjective how one interprets something like this, but for me it is deep and meaningfull. It'd much more than a RUclips comment for me to fully express the thoughts I have about these two quotes.
Man. This episode got me big time. Can't believe content can be this good. Kolya at the end at the cemetery got to me the hardest. I started fully accepting that I was crying over a youtube video. I want to go and help poor Kolya.
“Drink till the end.” Your laugh was genuine and sincere. When you said you pleased to meet him, he replied “Remember, it was mutual.” That’s beautiful.
This guy actually says a lot of interesting things. At 7:51, for example, he jokes about this road, saying "Забег олимпийский" (Zabeg Olympiyskiy), which means "Olympic Run". And 15:13 he says "Lednikovyi Period" (Ледниковый период) - "Ice age", meaning that it was long time ago in 1941-1945. And he is still soberly thinks. Like, when you were asking about destination, he said "Поворот" (Povorot) - "Turn". So, he knows where his house is. But yeah, i understand, that it is very hard to understand an old man, that speaks not your language. There is many villages like that in Russia. Russian Village is slowly dying, because youth wants to live in a cities. Understandable. But villages are part of russian and post-soviet countries' cultur, so it is a little sad. I think i'm in love with this channel. Waiting for your visit in Kazan. Although it is quite a modern city, so i guess it will be not interesting for you. But there is also city of Naberezhnye Chelny, that was built by a soviet project, so the city is quite... hm.... wide and soviet-styled. But in a very good shape. It is my hometown. P.S. "Electricity" - "Electrichestvo" ("Электричество"), not "Electrichka" ("electric train"). Your russian is very-very good tho.
@@franciscog.3086 What he is saying: that it is hard to stay as a human. My guess we would be, that he is answering to the previous host question about his way of living here alone.
@@Astruminat Yes but I mean the transcription of what he says, I dont understood what he said between "человеком. and.. тяжело", and yes I totally agree with you!
This video actually made me question my morals and my perspective on life. Especially when Kolya said "To be human, can be hard at times." Kolya, stay strong.
When the video ended, I just realized something : for the last 15 minutes, I had been so totally immersed that I literally forgot that I was watching something going on on a screen. I think I haven't been so absorbed in a story since I was a child.
If I had a lot of money I'd love to travel to a lot of small forgotten towns to bring some joy to poor lonely old people like that poor old fella. May good bring some light into his life.
I sift through a lot of bullshit on RUclips. And then very rarely do I stumble on true gold. This is one of those. What a beautiful video you shared. Something that many of us would never have seen without this video. Bless you and bless Kolya.
I don't know that he is unhappy. His life has meaning to him. He sees himself as part of a greater story and a greater community. That community for him extends beyond this life, hence his care for the graveyard. He has things to live for. I would even say good, worthwhile things, better than many much wealthier people here in the city of Toronto. As Victor Frankl pointed out in his book on how he survived the holocaust and the war often it wasn't the young, the strong, and the healthy who survived the camps. Factoring out things like luck, it was those who had a profound reason to live. Kolya has many reasons to live and his knowledge of them has been illuminated by his faith and honed by the hardship he endures.
I felt really sorry for Koyla living there in the middle of no where with no electricity or anything. Just think he is sitting there right now in the dark unaware he’s on RUclips with thousands of people watching him 😐 Forgot to mention he lives in a radiation zone.. poor guy
Jade I’m Scottish too we don’t really have reclusiveness like this except maybe in the highlands. But not near a radiation zone, I feel proper bad for him. Hopefully Bald goes back and visits him one day !
As sorry as we all feel bad for him, hes the type that would prob say dont. I lived an honest life, work to survive, have a pension food and shelter and air in my lungs and can still walk and tinkle on my own without help. Therefore, life is GOOD. I dont feel pity for the man, I feel envy in a positive way. Because, hes lives thru what he has, is still standing and independent and isnt jaded still inviting strangers into his home and proud to show the little he has. Most ppl couldnt handle that in such a positive manner. Some would say well it isnt a choice....But...it def is. I'm proud of this man and envy his spirit and wish him the best. Bless him.
You know, I’ve been following a bald for at least 5 years now. I’m only 25, but everything to do with Kolya makes me beyond happy. I’m Irish, butI understand Isolation in a city full of people. Kolya understands it in its more literal form. I’m always delighted watching bald and Kolya. Although it was originally intended as a gag or whatever. It was actually very heart filling.
It's like that in Eastern Europe. However, some people joke that people only start caring about their relatives when they're dead, and it's often true. Old people live alone in bad conditions, but when they die, they have beautiful graves. It's bullshit. When you're dead, it doesn't matter how your grave looks.
I was going to say the same! That cemetery was so neat and well tended, the flowers were bright. It was such a juxtaposition to everything else. I am so glad you stopped to give him a ride Bald, you are a good man 👨🦲 !
@@Dziugenonas - it does matter - the grave offers no refuge. If someone comes to visit and says nice things in your merit how do you know its not good. How do you know ?
@@subchan6595 What? Of course it's good for people to remember their dead relatives or friends fondly. It's not good to ignore and neglect them while they're alive and to only start caring once they die. Do that while they're still alive and can still feel that someone cares about them.
Very powerful expose of that poor man. I swear I'll never complain about anything as long as I live. The cemetery is so beautiful and well kept, hopefully he will be interred there with his loved ones some day.
I was impressed as well about the cemetery, was expecting it to like the other one, un kept and lost. It seems people still come there, ar least once a year to tend to the graves of the relatives. In eastern orthodox Christianity the next Sunday after Easter is dedicated to the dead. God bless that old man, Kolya, that is a hard life!
He had no one to remember him. Now he has thousands+
That really hurt to read
Yes mate actually that's the thing. This was Kolyas epic moment in his life as a reflection of his life to the world.
Millions actually
c0m4ndo45 a very nice thing to say man :)
Didn't need to make me cry there mate
"To be human... Is hard sometimes"
- Kolya
So fucking true that
That is a sentence that for the first time has meaning and makes sense coming from this old man. It almost made me tear up. It makes you think before complaining again about anything.
Kolya Nikolov is his full name I think. Or maybe the other way around, Nikolov Kolya.
😂😂😂
Perfect line for a poster or tshirt
when the death came and knocked on his window, Kolya didn't answered
Too true!
Goosebumps
Wow
@Victor Bastos shit man
@Victor Bastos or Mr.Bald of course
Seeing the way he takes care of the cemetery hit me right in the feels. He might spend more time there than in his house. No words.. but thanks for sharing this one.
That cemetery was immaculate. It was strange that the only well kept property was a cemetery. He keeps it great.
Other Families are buried there too I'm sure someone else does it
@@phillipdabong2931 Yeah, agree. Also the next video showed more of the story and it was a bit less depressing. Worth watching!
@@billbates5475 the flowers are probably not real tbh
The cemetery is kept clean by other families who have relatives burried there. It's a christian orthodox thing.
*Gold. 24 karat gold episode.*
"To be human ... its difficult sometimes."
- Kolya.
Not exactly the phrase. If I heard right, he said, "Человеком становиться тяжело". Which means 'It is difficult to become human'.
Indeed Brilliant words "to be human.. Its difficult sometimes"
I find it analogous as gr8 Socrates said "an unexamined life is not worth living"
... I liked the gentleman's respect for Cemetery bcs "in the grand scheme of things I am nothing"
@@thecontrarianview9269 Well mate, there are two problems though.
First one is we cant even be sure if Sokraters could say that - because we have no idea if he even existed. You quoted Plato's dialogue 'Ἀπολογία Σωκράτους' (apology of Skorates (well, its genetivus so lets say "Apology of Skoratus' :d)). So it rather Plato said.
Second problem is the quote has in fact certain meaning which contains orphic beliefs. You can translate it to "to live means thinking which is nothing else but examining things".
@@krowaswieta7944 I admire your knowledge level as I take it to further explore on the info
Though I strongly believe, as being conservative, the words make lot of sense; whats the purpose of life
I appreciate you views and taking out time to comment. Have a gr8 weekend
Kolja is a hardcore anarchist. The parkinsons or whatever it is might make him behave weird compared to what we consider normal but he is very very much sane. If he was "weak" he wouldnt survive in those conditions, he is very strong and very brave. HUGE respect to Kolja.
Today i realized what really loneliness is...If possible please go back to see that man again..god bless him.
yeah man.. me too.. i can feel it.. it kinda scared me tho to be honest.. god forbid i'll end up like that poor man.. god bless him
QAYYUM KHAN we don’t know how lucky we are pal we eat like kings dry and warm homes we want for nothing
He has nothing yet is content
IT IS NECESSARY..... GOVERMENT MAKE SOCIAL NETWORKS BETWEEN PEOPLE
He went back to him, videos up
@tiger45551 u are a childish idiot without respect
Kolya says "To be human... is hard at times"
This hit me right in the heart.
This grandpa, living in the middle of nowhere, inside a radioactive zone, no electricity, no money, no family, no neighbours... I almost cried the moment he drops that bomb.
666 likes
That’s because you are a good person who can empathise with others situations like this elderly man who’s life is a lonely and hard one compared to us people in our western modern cities with simple things like electric and clean running water etc. God bless this man.
same here
Just to correct a bit, he says "человеком... быть тяжело" "To be human... is hard" i know not much changed but still meaning is different
You spending time with this man was probably one of the best experiences he has had in a long while.
Thank you for showing him some respect.
@@brokenheart1188 hey man you good?
What for a bullshit you don't know this man, maybe he was in the army under one ocean to another in a submarine, you never know what he saw
🥺
He wanted to show him that he once he had a family. GOD bless Him.
Death the Only 1 thing in life that is certain, enjoy & love your family to the fullest, we're only on this journey for a short period of time
@@king_torre_calchi2242 bro why I crying in the club right now
@@ananda_adi because u was reading comments in the club lol
That made me cry, marlon.
fk im a pussy XD
NDA No, you are a real good person ♥️
”50 Thousand people used to live here, now its just Kolya.”
VoDKa -R LMFAOOO that's funny as fuck poor fella
@@donniedarko4179 how is it funny tho?
@@donniedarko4179 wow you seen very intelligent my friend
Stevi Boi Call of Duty
Donnie Darko u sound like a sociopath
This is real stuff. 1000 times better than other fake vloggers who only does promotion for hotels and known places. Please keep it going Mr. Bald
110% agree ,, these vlogs are the best on youtube
A lot of other vloggers aren't fake but I see what you mean.
@@MuhammadIamhardBrucelee Are you talking about Harald Baldr? OK, he did post a couple of stupid videos recently but he's alright now.
bald and baldr are my favorites, two genuine vloggers
@@MuhammadIamhardBrucelee Yes people in India are poor from wealth but not from heart.And if some one is showing his kindness by giving some help to a poor barber by a medium of fucking shave(In your language) what is your problem???I think u r very rich.That is why you don't know how poor people's life is so full with struggles.Go and have some treatment...
Praying this guy is protected and left alone in whatever peace he desires during these times. One of the first things I thought about when I heard of this new conflict.
I came here to tell people. He is safe! He's in a safe area right now, he was a caretaker now. As you can imagine he's old and needs the help. But he's doing ok!
@@philyjfry thank you for letting us know, sending you hugs filled with love, stay safe ❤️✊
@@philyjfry Thanks for letting us know. He seem to have parkinson and be quite old, it was kind of sad to see that he was living by himself with this illness, lost my grandpa to it a few years ago.
Literally come back to this video to see if anyone knows how he’s doing..
He has probably been conscripted as a tank General for the Russians
Please go back and see him. Would be such a nice sight for him to see you again
K sweeney he did visit him again the video is on his channel
@@Sunnystube3 where is this video? I have seen it but I can't find it now
ruclips.net/video/lbThP55CtoQ/видео.html
@@ollie_vdl big
He did check some of his latest videos. He’s raising money for him by selling a Kolya t-shirt on his merchandise website.
Really hit me how he has almost nothing and yet still felt guilty about asking for money. "I'm not greedy."
yeah bald should have stopped in shop for him first for food
@@melxb yeah hes just going to spend what he gave him on booze
True
@@melxb
I m sure Mr Bald will go back some day and give him some food and vodka.
@@NuttersTheTree And what does that matter? The poor man should be able to drink his sorrows away if he wants. He's old and he probably won't live long enough to see himself out of the position he's in in his life. This is different than giving some New York City bum $50, this man lives in the middle of nowhere and obviously is a very humble and kind person.
How is one man and a camera better at showing us the real world than multi million dollar productions, documentaries and films.
This is what people are yearning for, reality. No edits, dramatic cut scenes or emotional music needed.
Just honest simple human interaction, oral histories, ruins and exploration.
It's probably because nobody wants to deal with the problems these people have in their lives. Except Mr Bald.
Yes I agree. But, as ive replied to other comments, ppl yearn for this type of reality then want to make assumptions and stereotypes all over it.
Many comments include ppl making assumptions off a few min video that this man has shakes due to alcohol. I find it so sad. Ppl see someone poor and assume these things. They see an old man living roughly in europe as and assume hes an alcoholic. The same thing in india the assumption is to feel bad because he had no opportunity. In the west, the assumption is he did it to himself and deserves it. Its all really sad.
When I see this man in this video, even though I'm not Belarusian, I feel proud and envy in a positive way. Because, hes lived the obvious war riddled life he has and despite his ailments does more walking, chopping wood, etc than most westerners do in a day. I'm proud of him and envy his spirit along with so many we encounter in Balds videos. Its amazing and a privilege he brings these encounters and parts of the world to us.
SPOT ON MISTER!
Regards from Stockholm.
FUCK EDITING!
CONTENT IS EVERYTHING!
Well said Kat ! Huge respect for such individuals who are living in a far off lands like these.
Spot on, well said
All of a sudden it hit me. He stayed at the cemetery because because his family and friends,as well as everyone he knew was there. He is the one who up keeps it. All alone with only the memories of those who came before him that now lay beneath in eternal sleep. 🙏❤️🙌
It saddens me to realise that when Kolya dies, no one will be there to given him as beautiful and well done burial as his family
devilogic Why did you tell me that now im even sadder
fuck yeah me too. But he will pass away satisfied. He lived his life, and he is not alone now. He probably will see his family waiting for him.
There was a man I know who also died alone, HE LIVED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CITY, He rents a place and has a shop but he had nobody, no relatives none at all! When his shop was closed nobody ask why, nobody wondered, It was only when they smelled a rotten flesh nearby and theorized that it might be by his place and when the cops arrive, it was him.. died of heart attack.
@Wolf Among Sheep ok
He literally lives in middle of nowhere there won't be any body to give him a funeral.
This might be your saddest video so far. Put a tear to my eye.
Imagine having nothing and nobody after living to that age? I bet bald was the highlight of his month.
@@Das_Vert This was the highlight in many many years not month… Yes very sad video indeed i hope he gets to go to his family soon.
Idk man. He might be happier than you. Some ppl like loneliness. And his life is pretty simple.
@Swiss ArmyFist That sounds like paradise to some ppl. That way of living is not necessarily sad or bad.
i wasnt talking about the way of living just that that man was 100% sad all of his family and friends buried in that graveyard i really hope hes happy but i wouldnt be in his shoes,.doesnt matter only Kolya knows take care guys.-
Please visit him.He won’t live forever but he’s a good presence
He already visited
He already dead
@@elsizzle2000 Noooo
elsizzle2000 maybe he is but he’ll live in our hearts as koyla the only man to live in a small village near Chernobyl
@@elsizzle2000 fuck you.
I literally bursted into tears when I saw his bed in the dark and that fireplace. No one should be this lonely in this world
It's very sad indeed. Life goes on and on.
Yeah they should
Move in with him then.
That old guy was annoying as fuck, no wonder he was lonely.
@@Tinkering902 I think he is sick from the Chernobyl radiation.
I can see that the man is happy to have some human contact. Heartwarming.
He is now alone, he is alone 24 hours, 7 days a week for years, he was only with our bald hero for a few hours when this was filmed... It is not heart warming it is extremely sad... Life is miserable and sad for most of people, those privileged like you are not aware how privileged you are until you see something like this and then forget about it in half an hour
@@Everythingisok89 yeah true, the way kolya took him to graveyard really got me in the feelings, that's how he's surviving by passing time with his family
Man sometimes I feel I am underprivileged but this is truly sad
Čau ervīn būsi mans draugs?
@@Everythingisok89 You can see that the field they walk over seems to be cultivated by a farmer. And the graveyard seems to be in an alright condition too, so there must be people taking care of it constantly. Kolya surely seems to live a lonely and lonesome life there but he's not completely isolated even at his home.
@@fearofmusic1312 Sharp eye and brain my friend... Kudos
“To be a human, is hard at times”
- Kolya
It's difficult to live like this in common language
I have no idea how I ended up watching this video, but I'm so glad I'm here.
And the video is about a guy who has no idea where he is going but is glad he is there.
@@gale7682 damn... You're right 😂
Paige you probably ended up here either because you watched the HBO Chernobyl series or something related to it OR just because there’s so much Chernobyl searches on yt right now because of the HBO series youtube’s algorithm will recommend you Chernobyl vids
Me too! This bloke is hotttttt
same af.
“To be human is hard at times. “ This is a beautiful documentary: sad, human. I love what you are doing. This is real journalism. Thank you.
"To be human is hard at times." I think you have it harder than most Kolya.. :'(
That part really got to me.
I know how he feels in that regard, I'm am aspie NEET and it is very difficult to integrate with the rest of society. Thats why I've closed myself off from everyone and it seems Kolya has done the same.
So sad
@@PaganShagger I don't think that he has closed himself off by choice. Look at the state of him, shaking, barely comprehensible and barely hears or sees the world around him. No one is going to be trying to talk to him much. I doubt he has a flat in a city or any relatives living in a city to live with. With the way things are, it's likely that he might die in his shabby, rundown, house not a mile away from a graveyard full of friends and relatives, and no one will know. Unless he has developed a strong friendship with the townsfolk or the people who come there every two weeks to give them some food and money, I doubt anyone will come to his house to check on him. Very possible that he will simply rot in his own house.
Broke my heart. Then him sitting at the cemetery alone. I'll try to never complain about my life.
Literally lives alone in a middle of nowhere
: Locks the door when he's out
Plongplong Jusain Ramira 🤣🤣🤣
So bears won't come in and ransack what he's got left of his things
Imagine if he sees bears, run into his house and close his door patiently cuz he dont want to shut the door and locks his door just incase..
It's probably just a habit
Just to be safe lol
“Wrong way, we need to go back!.... I am an honest man, I am not greedy... Young man, shut up, and I will show you the cemetery.” Kolya, 2019.
Brian Bommarito 😂😂
- Fin
he didn`t say to shut up, he said "это ж крахмал", which is `that`s a starch` referring to this field 14:36
@@nik_evdokimov to be more exact he said "кукуруза" a couple of seconds before that. "Corn, it's a starch", talking about the field they were crossing.
what a lovely words honest person and fiddel af
Many things about Kolya broke my heart but when he described Germans leaving, ditches, clouds of flies and the crows in that broken story of his, I was left to piece it together and it made me even more sad.
Me too...I could be very wrong, but it sounds like the Germans killed a lot of people in the village and burnt their bodies in the woods, hence the black cloud of smoke, and the flies infesting the rotten bodies.....wow ....what a recollection of his childhood....this broke my heart......the pain and suffering caused by the Germans on Kolya's village, Thanks Mr Bald for such a touching video...
@@johnm9105 The Germans had a special division which was composed of many mentally ill and criminals, that even Germans feared, it is portrayed in the Soviet Film "Idi I Smotri" (Come and see)
@@albertoaguilar9773 ah yes the Dirlewanger Brigade
It's gotta be hard seeing someone like that and then leave them in that situation.
Most of them chose life style like that. That's mentality. You can compare Russian villages with villages of Lithuania or Estonia. All of them were part of ussr. Just Russians used to live in a mess , they will have more vodka instead of cleaning up their surroundings. There was huge difference between those countries back then and even bigger difference now. If someone prefers to drink vodka , that's their choise.
@@2003Aidas You are being very judgemental, there wasn't a vodka bottle in sight. The poor man seemed to be afflicted with Parkinson's. We don't know his life story, hence we should not judge.
BTW, I have seen German pensioners collecting bottles to get through, poverty is everywhere.
for me it used to be this way but my life experience has been very convincing - people deserve what they get IF they have a chance to do things differently and they do NOT.
Ай-Das ist fantastisch i’ve seen some lithuanian villages, and people drink there as well. However, this guy is super unusuall. Its really rare type of recluse.
@@2003Aidas What the hell do any of these stereotypes have to do with a catastrophic accident at a nuclear power plant making villages uninhabitable, and a destitute old man obviously suffering from Parkinson's disease.
This documentary should have been given an International Award. That old man living alone in the midst of nowhere is really remarkable. More amazing that he still maintains the graves of his parents. Mr. Bald is a brave man. No one would have ventured into this abyss. No one ever accompanied that old man to his ghost house. Really awsome. Mr. Bald deserves an International recognition for his work.
Love from Mumbai, India.
LOOK AT INDIANS
WALKING N DYING
THROUGH THE PANDEMIC.
well said
nobody in the west cares poor children sell better in the media
Jai Chhabra bro wtf
Jai Chhabra why you filming a man laying down on his death bed
He lovingly took care of the graves. God bless his soul.
Yeah, that was the one thing I noticed, no overgrowth or anything
Other people obviously took care of them. I dont know if you or anyone noticed the obviously freshly ploughed field, so obviously, there are landowners still active nearby that village!
Charles Beamish Yeah you can see tractor tires on the field
@Mike White mmm, the crumbling ones are usually the ones that are 100s of years old.
Besides, being religious and tending graves is not indicative of any advanced thinking or society,
Charles Beamish
But maybe a more respectful one
"To be humans, is hard sometimes" the best quote I've ever heard. God bless him and please forgive his shortcomings.
He has nothing but still locks his door, I guess what he has is precious to him. He has so little but he has so much. I'm glad you gave him some money. I would gladly contribute to keep him in food and vodka. Being elderly myself I used to think I had very little but compared to him I live like a king. His spirit is beautiful. I am touched. There's an old saying "I used to feel sorry for myself because I had no shoes... until I met a man who had no feet".
It's not uncommon for ruffians to break into older people's homes in desolate or rural areas just to beat them up and wreck stuff if there is nothing valuable to be found.
Mind boggling and heart breaking, I've heared of a couple of such cases and talked to a poor gramps who had such an experience.
I don't think it's endemic to eastern Europe but instead that we just don't hear about this stuff, what goes down in the countryside I mean.
I would love to have his address so to send him some gifts. I have some Russian currency left from my last visit & would send it to him.
It is called security bro. 😂
@joeblo that's what makes any house, a home. He still feels that it's his home so what anyone would do the least is lock it. I even lock my home even though i do not have any valuables (regular pots&pans and some clothes).
*TRIPALOSKI INTESIFIES*
The day this man Kolya dies will be the day the world lost someone special.
Brian Bommarito I see what you mean as in maybe when younger he was possibly a force to be reckoned with but sadly he’s just an old wino now, probably no family left. I imagine when he goes, unless a little shop tootles out to supply him with vodka and cigarettes, he will have decomposed before anyone finds him.
Джина Mrs Frogzilla scary 😞🙏🏽
May god bless him.
if you do visit kolya again some day, you should bring him a solar-powered lamp for his house and some good beer
poor guy has parkinson's probably due to the radiation, which wrecks the brain
This so sad situation when they die alone 😢
I hope he goes there and takes him a lamp or something..who will bury this guy when he passes on. Wonderful video, lucky to speak the language so as to communicate some what.
@@ClarkyCUH Worse is to live alone after all your family is gone.
Literally tears in my eyes 😥😥😥
This is one of the most incredible videos I've seen on YT. In the probably 1000s of hours I've watched on this platform this is one of the best videos I've seen. When he said, "being human is hard sometimes" it hit me like a ton of bricks. I honestly teared up a little. To have something so simple but so profound come from a guy with so little it really struck me. He has almost no comforts or family left and still he pushes on, it amazing. Thanks for taking us on this adventure with you.
Benjamin deserves a Nobel
“To be human is hard at times” - Kolya
I’m not a very emotional person but man....I’ll include this man in my prayers for the rest of my life. Thanks Bald.
Which minute was that? Im still searching
@@gungbojog6030 as they were leaving the house to go to the graveyard. 13:23
@John Jonathan u have some issues?
Drink till the end -konya
"Lonelyness is the most terrible thing". - Kolya (in the other video). Poor guy.
That man really just wanted someone to spend some time with, and get a few old stories off of his chest. I am very thankful for your kindness towards the man, and all the warm hearted comments left about this adventure. That man surely won't forget this, thank you again. It's so nice to see the world still has good left in it.
He even has a own YT channel now some dutch people i believe went to visit koyla because of bald’s video’s and they helped him set up his channel, its such a great thing!
@@marlostanfield4193 name of that channel?
@@redlineracing4947 Your mom
@@therealbosstopob4l974 good one
@@redlineracing4947 koyla the story teller. I haven't watched any of the videos yet. I'm waiting to finish this video first, but I saw one that says something about koyla watching himself on RUclips.
A generation of stories dies with this man.
fuck that hit me. i was think about that when I see old people. like they have so many memories and stories. i wish i was socially competent
Not true. Because of Bald, we can have his stories and experiences archived forever
UZ my grandparents are in their mid eighties, what scares me the most is that they leave behind the stories I don’t know.
@@georgehoffman3439 yooo so true. for me it's more so my parents cuz we don't talk much. But I've never got to hear about their first love, first fight, crazy college stories, and just cool stuff like that which I know about my friends. I guess it comes down to just that, we don't treat them as friend we treat them solely as parent/grandparents.
@@georgehoffman3439 So what's stopping u from starting up a convo with them?
This man has seen stuff that most people haven’t in their lifetimes, and his attitude is one of a kind, people aren’t built like this anymore
I love how he had keys to lock the front door in the most remote house in Belarus
The remaining "normality" element...
And it’s not like there is anything to steal either..
Eric Petit Maybe its to prevent strangers from going in there to look around
That one embossed lock 🔒 was so beautiful.
Well someone did knock on his window once
‘A lonely experience it must be’
*walks a mile infront of the guy*
Hello fellow bts army
bts lover fan of bts ayeee hey there
Hii
Для
Yeah, I don't know what that was about. I've been taught at a young age that it's discourteous to race ahead of someone you're walking with -- and if it was an elderly person you're leaving behind; well that's just premium level asshole behavior. Maybe Brits are oblivious to this... idk Bald is a good guy though. I'm sure it was unintentional.
It's crazy, without this video nobody, would have known of this human being living in this remote part of the world.
Now, thanks to Bald, this guy will be remembered by thousands of people even though he doesn't know it himself but thousands of people will feel and get a glimpse into his struggle!
God bless you Bald, never stop. Top bloke.
I wonder does he even know what the internet is
Funny thing this is not a remote part of the world. It is the center of Europe
@@mariad.5823 How about you try to walk through the forests to find any basic store and let me us know what is remote or not. You can be away from civilization in almost any country.
@@rkan2 "shop that they were in" Where in the video did you see they were in any shop at all? LOL
That's true he is really showing us the world..hats off to you Mr Bald
This is my absolute favorite Covid19 therapy.
Salute from Denmark 🇩🇰
He looks like my late dad. Shed my tears today. I miss him so much. Thanks Bald for this video.
Don't Even REMOTELY Know You Mohd ... But Know EXACTLY How You Feel About Your Pops - God Bless
@@kneedeepinbluebells5538 thank you for your kind words
Absolutely the same here
How passionately he hugged Mr Bald after showing the graves of his relatives made me cry .😥😥 God bless him
Himanshu Trivedi ☹️
The scary thing is that all the flowers on the graves are fresh. Who's putting them there?
its plastic flowers
@@dkshines that would make sense
You're a good man Bald. Salt of the earth. 👍
Great content mr bald! REAL life. No nonsense about sponsors, no superficial lifestyle. I love the fact that you're an Englishman with balls to actually venture out to the places nobody actually goes to. I am sure it made you grow so much as a human. You also prove that there's no borders!
One moment a crazy old man jumps into your car and a few minutes later you have one of the most interesting, sad, yet beautiful stories on youtube.
My best wishes to Kolya. What a great man.
i think he is not crazy he is just drinking too much, thats why he is shaking like that.
@@СережаХвост I can't even imagine what that man has had to live through. We might drink that much also.
@@СережаХвост I think ady gombos meant that at 1st he seemed like a "crazy old man", then the story of his remarkable life unfolded to show he isn't crazy, just lonely, traumatized, yet still going on
Loneliness is the worst pain that exists. And this man is as lonely as can be. Living in the forest, no family, no friends, no electricity, no transportation. So sad. Appreciate everyone around you and be forgiving because you never know when you’ll be gone
Humans gets used to everything
Physically being alone =\= being mentally alone. This man probably lived a fuller life than any one of us can ever hope to. Such is evident by his ability to survive with absolutely nothing. He may be alone, but he seemed far from lonely.
I feel he is much happier alone
@@nmkkannan1256 Is that why he was so happy to have Bald as company and show him around for hours? Humans need social interaction. It’s been proven time after time in social experiments
@@joshuad1716 If he's not lonely, who's he with?
Forget going back to work in the UK. Your true calling is as a travel blogger/host.
There is NO ONE who interacts with the locals like you do. Highly entertaining
as well as informative. Congrats on the # of new subscribers. Amazing.
Please bring back Alina for another video. Thank you Mr. Bald.
My thoughts exactly. Don't take a camera crew with you I think it scares people
.
I just suddenly remembered this video, and it's been 3 or 4 years since I watched this. I wonder how the man has been ever since this video
He is doing well
i thought the same thing every time i feel down i watch this video and tell my self to stop being a p.ssssss.
@@noaccess37 he is doing well in retirement house in belarus
@@aychamp8306 oh, that's good to hear. i guess i can rest well now hahaha
@@aychamp8306this gave me a huge amount of relief knowing that! I truly hope he is.
People have all the luxury in the world and they still complain. And here is Kolya may God bless this soul.
Golden words.
I canceled my cable TV provider for a reason, too much bullshit so-called reality shows and too many TV commercials, Bald and Bankrupt is the real true life explorer and documentary expert, I subbed to your channel.
@@techbuyguide1 Better buy IPTV.
I still have to pay for tv in germany even though i dont want it, but if you have a flat in germany, you must pay for tv/radio by law.....
Exactly the same here. I cut cable tv 2 years ago and don't miss it a bit. On my spare time I watch real life here in youtube.
@@techbuyguide1 Sounds like a plan.Thank you!!
@@techbuyguide1 I live in Algeria
The house was in shambles but the graveyard was so loving tended. im not EVER going to forget this.
Honestly that’s how they do it in the Europe I’ve experienced, I was in Poland for two years, they took such good care of them, even the ones out it the middle of no where! Fresh flowers and paint. They always remember.
Im from Balkan and there is the same story... Hell, there are some 100+ year old graves in villages and they look better than a lot of houses around them
So dead one get more care and respect than alive ones...shame for society
😢😢
Those people experienced the greatest loss of their life, their relatives. Those graves mean really much to them, because they are last link to the memories of people who were very important to them. They taught them how to live, something much more important than some "possessions". Mind that there was unimaginable amount of knowledge passed on from generation to generation only by oral means, oral and direct instructions - no books.
As some example - You could go on into field with my grandmother and pick any plant - flower, plant, grass - and she could tell You name, what time of year it flowers, how it reproduces, what insects feed on it, what animals feed on it, is it edible, what dieseases it can cure or what poison you can make out of it, what myths are related to it and if it is native - all of that knowledge was passed orally to her by her grandparents and complemented by her husband who was also a gardener. My mother managed to absorb maybe 10% of the knowledge, i could not get even 5% even with help of modern books, we just had not enough time together before she died.
And this was just small part of knowledge about life, some example wchich can visualise that illiterate people had means to pass culture and knowledge and why people value their elders and why they are so attached to their graves.
This remains, the greatest video I have ever seen, on any platform. Watched all the Cholya episodes. Well done Benjamin. Well done.
radiation, no heating during russian winter, no electricity, lack of food, survived world wars, and all kinds of political regimes. and at on top of all of that, loneliness.... if there is a definition of superman, it should be based on people like Kolya. god bless him!!!
I don't think Kolya is as old as he looks. I can't imagine he lived during either of the World Wars. But the stories have probably been passed down to him by those who did.
@@martinh88 he looks as my grandparents who all experienced ww2, dunoo, maybe ur right. still kolya is very strong man
@@martinh88 well if hes 80 years old he was a child under the second ww
@@legendaryrababa Agreed.
You can see that those things definitely took a toll on him
Poor Nikolai, bless you for sorting him out some Rubles :(
I'm from Belarus. And I tell you that he is not poor. It is his choice to live in the zone. I know that people was evacuated from the contaminated zone. But many of them refused to leave their houses. This is his own decision. To stay. I would say this is like to be a monk. Just refuse from all hopes and desires. And watch how this world could be. Without illusions of comfort and long life happyend. Just watching the trees and a leaves as they fall...
Leviath40 Also he wanted to stay with his family and look after their graves. What a good job he was doing of that.
@@igors953 That was poetic
Many people (me included) wouldn't explore the remote areas that you do, wouldn't interact with these people, wouldn't even know what conditions they lived in. So many people can say they've seen the Eiffel Tower but very few have met people like Kolya and very few ever will, thanks for sharing this with all of us Bald.
There is many people like this all over the world,
You just don't know because you think your better then them and don't take the time of the day to say hello.
@@420downunder7 :)
@Brütal lol seriously?
I'd rather not debate the rights and wrongs of a swastika.
Ffs cha!
I do realize that I’m watching this in an air conditioned room, on a device that’s ridiculously expensive, while I drink fresh water that was delivered to my house. And yet watching him leave him at the graveyard I began to cry.
You need your water delivered and can't just drink out of your tap? That is sad in itself.
@@ritzharris1303water from the tap is delivered.
@@ritzharris1303who the fuck drinks tap water.
@@ritzharris1303are you stupid?
@@ritzharris1303 you drink tap water hahaha
I havent even watched it yet, but I know another quality video awaits me.
Goodun wernit.
I really believe this unfortunate man just wanted some company... He must be so lonely.
@0 0 Most likely both
@0 0 Shoot I can't blame him. Must be a sad boring life living on your own that far in the woods with no one around. Doesn't even have a phone to contact anyone.
@@aRemter1996 Yeah man even if he dies no one would know it what a sad life
Bald doesn't look that lonely.
@@aRemter1996 It's different for people who are used to it like Kolya. He is adjusting with the help of a little "spirit" and a kind stranger.
I don't understand how you get into these insane situations Bald, but please keep doing it!
When you say YES to life, it pays you back in experience.
I want Bald to answer these questions in replies or in his next video:
1 When was Kolyas house built?
2 Where is his family?
3 Add yours.
@@nsx001 Sadly, I think the answer to #2 is at 16:00
@@jaredwblack So you are saying Bald's family is dead?
@@youtubeking2686 Reread the question....he's talking about Kolyas
I'll be honest, this was one of the most beautiful but brutal moments of reality I've ever witnessed. A man with no electricity, no comforts and no company was still so strong and proud of who he was and what he had. By the looks of those fresh, colorful flowers, he often paid his respects at the cemetery. Whether to pray, to morn or just try connect with what little human element he had left. Thank you for meeting this man Bald. Thank you for capturing this small moment in time for us to experience with you. You must've been the most exciting bit of contact he'd seen in so many years. It just makes me so depressed to think this poor chap has no one left to bury him once he sees his last day.
I was watching it again after seeing it the first time 3 years ago and I noticed your recent good comment...there's a couple more videos by Bald related to Kolya, but if you'd like to see what happens later, check out "Kolya the Story Teller" channel... Cheers
@@markmark2080 Thank you!
At 16:40 he says "tak s chelovekom shodil" meaning "so I walked with a man", he was grateful for the company
Lol this guy values his stereotypes too much
Seems like Bald is taking the piss with his subtitles quite a lot lmao
This is just straight up sad, this man is simply greatful that he got to walk with another man again...
The sheer happiness in his face and the big hug just from seeing another person that was interested enough to have a walk with him.
You got people who are greatful for a simple walk and at the same time we got kids kicking their parents for not getting them the latest iPhone. Straight up sad that these extremes exist and people who don't deserve this lifestyle live through it everyday without much complaints.
i have to hold my tears back after read your comment
@@ariagaify same
"Oh goodness gracious."
Well said, Kolya, well said.
odd to think about it....my grandmother used to say "Oh Goodness Gracious" yet she was on the other side of the planet from him and spoke a completely different language. it really is a small planet, but i feel media and cellphone a personal device tech is keeping many from looking up and going out and really seeing how much the human family needs each other.
All that poor lonely old man needed was someone whom he could talk to and introduce him to his family members..I doubt there is any vlogger who can match your talent..And see the story..One of the best vlogs that I have ever seen..
Well said. This adventure touches the heart, and beckons for a moment of prayer for Kolya.
What a kind, good natured man Bald is. He's really made me re-appraise my own outlook to life and others. Bless Kolya.
Words can’t even describe how amazing this video was.
Yess. truely amazing.
An old man living in the middle of nowhere with just a cemetery nearby that he can reminisce on.
He probably couldn't show as much happiness as he really was because of his condition.. the man barely speaks. You're amazing Bald, I respect everything that you've done and continue doing there's not many people like you out there.
I found it emotional. Throat's all sore now.
I'm amazed he's still alive. Seems like he may have Parkinson's disease based on his rhythmic tremors. Most people would have went completely insane or died of loneliness.
I can't imagine what it's like to be all by yourself for weeks at a time. No electricity, no radio, no tv. I didn't see any books either. What does he do to pass the time?
@@1QuickSlovak Very advanced Parkinson's I'd say. Poor sod, at least Bald was there to brighten his day, even for a short while.
I hope you can come back to Kolya with some vodka and groceries, like you did for Valery's babushka.
And with some sort of solar night light gadget!
@@chrisnewby5713 lol
A solar radio and some candles would go a long way.
@@danmac0 matches, vodka, yeah he definately could do with some supplies
Yes! Visit him again please!!!
To me Ben, this is the most important film you’ve made. More ways than I can say here. Thank you
That shit made my day when u gave him money. I felt he genuinely needed it.
13:22 "To be human, is hard at times."
What a quote!
Hit me like a truck...
fotan he said more like: "to become a human - it is hard".
@@mykolakanyuk Still holds similar meaning so the point gets across.
Thanks for the actual wording, seems much darker when said like that.
@@mykolakanyuk To be honest, that is equally as poetic and meaningfull to me. Perhaps the struggle of Kolya is to try and become human again after all he has been through. Perhaps even if one becomes "human" again, it isn't always easy. With being a human comes having feelings, and feelings as many know can be severely difficult to deal with, especially in the state that Kolya is in. It's quite subjective how one interprets something like this, but for me it is deep and meaningfull. It'd much more than a RUclips comment for me to fully express the thoughts I have about these two quotes.
Man. This episode got me big time. Can't believe content can be this good. Kolya at the end at the cemetery got to me the hardest. I started fully accepting that I was crying over a youtube video. I want to go and help poor Kolya.
I read your comment and was like okay gotta mentally prepare myself for this then he said it and boom tears
I've learned more about some countries from Mr Bald and Harald Baldr than I have from most mainstream media travel programmes.
@@i-am-your-conscience I'm also glad they parted ways because Harald makes some very questionable content lately
This is one of the best travel related videos on internet. Thank you bald for helping this man out.
This channel is the best that youtube has right now for me, hand down this is inspiring!
how did you lose one of your hands?
@@silviusforosiculensis don't know if you are joking or actually being serious
but i will point it out anyway
"hands down" is an adverb
@@qasdf276 I was just joking
Joke ruined :(
Lol, bald is great. Wonderful channel and u said it best, my one hand and all LOL
he look sad and lonely.. the way he hug you tells how he feel.. i am crying
The fact that he locks his door is just remarkable to me. Speaks volumes about his desire to live normally
Keep the Bears out
@@s4m130 Those damn Berenstains
Oh my god, I'm literally crying right now. Thanks Bald for sharing this experience.
“Drink till the end.” Your laugh was genuine and sincere. When you said you pleased to meet him, he replied “Remember, it was mutual.” That’s beautiful.
This guy actually says a lot of interesting things. At 7:51, for example, he jokes about this road, saying "Забег олимпийский" (Zabeg Olympiyskiy), which means "Olympic Run". And 15:13 he says "Lednikovyi Period" (Ледниковый период) - "Ice age", meaning that it was long time ago in 1941-1945. And he is still soberly thinks. Like, when you were asking about destination, he said "Поворот" (Povorot) - "Turn". So, he knows where his house is. But yeah, i understand, that it is very hard to understand an old man, that speaks not your language.
There is many villages like that in Russia. Russian Village is slowly dying, because youth wants to live in a cities. Understandable. But villages are part of russian and post-soviet countries' cultur, so it is a little sad.
I think i'm in love with this channel. Waiting for your visit in Kazan. Although it is quite a modern city, so i guess it will be not interesting for you. But there is also city of Naberezhnye Chelny, that was built by a soviet project, so the city is quite... hm.... wide and soviet-styled. But in a very good shape. It is my hometown.
P.S.
"Electricity" - "Electrichestvo" ("Электричество"), not "Electrichka" ("electric train"). Your russian is very-very good tho.
Thank you for the explanation, Ray.
13:22 "человеком..... тяжело" what are his exact words in russian?
@@franciscog.3086 What he is saying: that it is hard to stay as a human. My guess we would be, that he is answering to the previous host question about his way of living here alone.
@@Astruminat Yes but I mean the transcription of what he says, I dont understood what he said between "человеком. and.. тяжело", and yes I totally agree with you!
I think he has some form of Parkinson, and it happens a lot that people are fully conscious and in a clear mind, but unable to move or speak properly.
This video actually made me question my morals and my perspective on life. Especially when Kolya said "To be human, can be hard at times." Kolya, stay strong.
He is never weak, never in his life
Those are very wise words from Kolya. It's rather sad that he is unlikely to see this video or the follow-up.
This is just pure gold. God bless the old man.
When the video ended, I just realized something : for the last 15 minutes, I had been so totally immersed that I literally forgot that I was watching something going on on a screen. I think I haven't been so absorbed in a story since I was a child.
Imagine not knowing about this channel
It's pure gold!
I am sad I did not discover him earlier
Bald: "Hurry up Kolya"
Kolya: "Goodness Gracious"
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Still one of my all-time favorite RUclips videos!
Everyone: “I’m an honest guy”
Belarusian old man: “hold my beer”
More like "hold my Vodka!"
this made me sad💔 a man who lost everything, still lives on memories.
It hit me hard
It's so sad
this is standard for many old ppl even in America very few ppl care about the old.
And in a dark old little house, in the middle of nowhere. Very sad.
If I had a lot of money I'd love to travel to a lot of small forgotten towns to bring some joy to poor lonely old people like that poor old fella.
May good bring some light into his life.
I sift through a lot of bullshit on RUclips. And then very rarely do I stumble on true gold. This is one of those. What a beautiful video you shared. Something that many of us would never have seen without this video. Bless you and bless Kolya.
Foyaz Ali I agree
This was beautiful, Bald. This video is a fantastic example of why you make the best travel content on RUclips.
This video will go down in history as one of the most iconic videos made in the Chernobyl zone.
He has no one to talk to, he hasn’t seen a doctor in years.
This is true sadness.
Sapphire Rose yeah, you’re right. You’re also a nice girl
Looks like he's suffering from Parkinson.
I would say he's doing alright on the doctor front. He's already outlived most doctors lol. Doctors dont live very long.
@@johannesk4884 I doubt he receives the drugs that causes the shaking
I don't know that he is unhappy. His life has meaning to him. He sees himself as part of a greater story and a greater community. That community for him extends beyond this life, hence his care for the graveyard. He has things to live for. I would even say good, worthwhile things, better than many much wealthier people here in the city of Toronto. As Victor Frankl pointed out in his book on how he survived the holocaust and the war often it wasn't the young, the strong, and the healthy who survived the camps. Factoring out things like luck, it was those who had a profound reason to live. Kolya has many reasons to live and his knowledge of them has been illuminated by his faith and honed by the hardship he endures.
I felt really sorry for Koyla living there in the middle of no where with no electricity or anything. Just think he is sitting there right now in the dark unaware he’s on RUclips with thousands of people watching him 😐
Forgot to mention he lives in a radiation zone.. poor guy
Gah, please stop. My heart Can't take it.
Jade I’m Scottish too we don’t really have reclusiveness like this except maybe in the highlands. But not near a radiation zone, I feel proper bad for him. Hopefully Bald goes back and visits him one day !
As sorry as we all feel bad for him, hes the type that would prob say dont. I lived an honest life, work to survive, have a pension food and shelter and air in my lungs and can still walk and tinkle on my own without help. Therefore, life is GOOD. I dont feel pity for the man, I feel envy in a positive way. Because, hes lives thru what he has, is still standing and independent and isnt jaded still inviting strangers into his home and proud to show the little he has. Most ppl couldnt handle that in such a positive manner. Some would say well it isnt a choice....But...it def is. I'm proud of this man and envy his spirit and wish him the best. Bless him.
Oh, but he has memories and shared. Can't pay for a memory, just share.
@Jade Memories can be soothing. Why leave to what you do not know.
You know, I’ve been following a bald for at least 5 years now. I’m only 25, but everything to do with Kolya makes me beyond happy. I’m Irish, butI understand Isolation in a city full of people. Kolya understands it in its more literal form. I’m always delighted watching bald and Kolya. Although it was originally intended as a gag or whatever. It was actually very heart filling.
Jesus Christ that was DEEP!!!!
I love how proud these Belarusians are of their graveyards. And rightly so - they're so well looked after. Amazing video, Bald!
It's like that in Eastern Europe. However, some people joke that people only start caring about their relatives when they're dead, and it's often true. Old people live alone in bad conditions, but when they die, they have beautiful graves. It's bullshit. When you're dead, it doesn't matter how your grave looks.
I was going to say the same! That cemetery was so neat and well tended, the flowers were bright. It was such a juxtaposition to everything else. I am so glad you stopped to give him a ride Bald, you are a good man 👨🦲 !
@@Dziugenonas - it does matter - the grave offers no refuge. If someone comes to visit and says nice things in your merit how do you know its not good. How do you know ?
@@subchan6595 What? Of course it's good for people to remember their dead relatives or friends fondly. It's not good to ignore and neglect them while they're alive and to only start caring once they die. Do that while they're still alive and can still feel that someone cares about them.
@@Dziugenonas of course - I was just saying a well kept grave is nice too
Very powerful expose of that poor man. I swear I'll never complain about anything as long as I live. The cemetery is so beautiful and well kept, hopefully he will be interred there with his loved ones some day.
I was impressed as well about the cemetery, was expecting it to like the other one, un kept and lost. It seems people still come there, ar least once a year to tend to the graves of the relatives. In eastern orthodox Christianity the next Sunday after Easter is dedicated to the dead. God bless that old man, Kolya, that is a hard life!
Kolya has put such an effort on keeping the graveyard beautiful and clean... Much respect for his love.
I wonder if he does that alone. There are some volunteer groups in my country that go and take care of near-abandoned graveyards.
People like Kolya are tough ones, I'm happy you managed to make his day (and return to see him)