Ilya Varlamov

Back in the day, everything was so convenient… I had a blog where I’d drop my photos and write text. Do any of you guys remember LiveJournal? I still use my old posts to this day to recall various stories about the different countries I’ve visited. But text-based blogs are dead. Now we have YouTube for videos and Insta for pics. Yet, both services are completely inconvenient. Just try finding something you wrote on Insta 5 years ago. Or try quickly showing someone that one specific clip from your trip to Africa.
It’s paradoxical, but the evolution of technology and social media has actually made my personal life less convenient. Now, dozens of photos are just sitting on my computer, and I have no clue where to post them. My trip to Oceania, for example. The way it went: I started in Brisbane, then Auckland, the Solomon Islands, Fiji, Samoa, and it all wrapped up in NY. Any advice on what to do with them?

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1 hour ago | [YT] | 7

Ilya Varlamov

There is a strange magic to driving along a cobblestone road carved 1,500 meters high into a volcanic ridge, watching clouds roll over the pass like a waterfall. In Cape Verde, the landscapes shift from Martian red deserts to lush pine forests in under an hour. It is a place that forces you to slow down, leave your anxieties behind, and just look. Watch the video about Cape Verde!

2 days ago | [YT] | 14

Ilya Varlamov

Two weeks ago almost nobody could find Cape Verde on a map. Then a 40-year-old goalkeeper named Vozinha made seven saves against Spain and went from 32,000 followers to over 28 million. Half a million people live on these ten islands. Portugal ran slave ships out of here until 1864, and for most of the last century the only export was people — six of the eleven players who took the field were born abroad. I was there before any of this, filming what the tourist brochures leave out.
My new video is out now — watch it here: vrlmv.com/a4z9s0

3 days ago | [YT] | 49

Ilya Varlamov

There is a strange, poetic beauty in the way Buenos Aires refuses to give up. The old tram tracks are still buried under the cobblestones, and people sit on concrete sofas molded to look like real fabric. Even in the depths of a historic crisis, the city holds onto its soul. Watch the new video about Argentina now!

1 week ago | [YT] | 17

Ilya Varlamov

9 defaults, a black market exchange rate that doubles the official price, and a $5 postage stamp. Argentina is a land of infinite natural resources where citizens still wait in endless lines at the ATM just to withdraw cash. My new video is out now — watch it here: vrlmv.com/fpnoeq

1 week ago | [YT] | 38

Ilya Varlamov

In rural Lesotho, a single healthy cow can cost over $2,000. It is more than just livestock—it is a family's savings account, their social status, and the mandatory price a groom must pay to formalize his marriage. My new video is out now ⬇️

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 18

Ilya Varlamov

Lesotho makes $200 million a year selling clean mountain water to South Africa. Yet, in the villages just below the giant reservoir, locals are forced to drink from contaminated streams. Just dropped a new video on this unbelievable paradox — watch it here: vrlmv.com/fof5so

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 94

Ilya Varlamov

They built a massive capital city four times the size of London with empty 20-lane highways and manicured golf courses, yet 40% of the population lives below the poverty line. In Myanmar, the military junta rules through fear, and filming a simple protest can get you sentenced to 10 years in prison. I went inside this closed nation to see the reality they hide from the world. ⬇️

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 7

Ilya Varlamov

Despite the constant fear, the checkpoints, and the extreme poverty, the people of Myanmar still smile. I watched families share their meager meals with passing monks, and children laugh while throwing ice-cold water during the Thingyan festival. It’s a tragic paradox: a land of incredible warmth and beautiful traditions held captive by a cold, brutal regime. The new video out now! vrlmv.com/fs1wt9

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 72

Ilya Varlamov

One must live luxuriously, darlings! But living luxuriously is an art form. At first glance, it might seem as easy as drifting with the tide, but oh, how wrong you are! I don’t know about you, but I refuse to rot away in a world of dull gray. I am going to buy up every scrap of silk, every roll of velvet, and drape myself top-to-bottom in the most expensive, vibrant, and loud things one could possibly snatch from this tedious reality. Banish the bleak and boring interiors, I say!
Go ahead, let some of you wrinkle your pedigree noses in disgust. I know the truth: you’re just green with envy! You’re aching, trembling to the tips of your fingers, wishing you owned this magnificent furniture set. But alas, you simply lack the spine. Meanwhile, I’m taking it all. I’ll be lounging in these armchairs, looking down on you with utter disdain! Bwahaha!
But it’s not too late! Tear off those drab rags of decency and follow me! I hereby declare a total mobilization of glitter and gold! Hugs and kisses, my precious golden ones!

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4 weeks ago | [YT] | 107