Donbass Cowboy Goes to Moscow

Well, the Russian Knowledge Society sounds quite intelligent and interesting, and going to Moscow is always an adventure, and so, as patriotic Russian citizens, we were glad to accept.

I was asked to give a one hour interview about why I came to Donbass in 2014, about my experiences as a soldier, war correspondent and human aid volunteer, and why Donetsk is now my home. Within the framework of the educational program of the forum, special attention is paid to historical and patriotic subjects. Events devoted to this subject are in demand, by both live audiences and viewers of the Znaniye.TV channel. My presentation was a great pleasure and success, facilitated by the highly professional staff and crew, who made sure everything ran flawlessly, even down to my hair and make-up. And I don't usually wear make-up.

Among many other excellent presenters at the Forum were Major Ivan Dodosov - legendary tank battalion Commander, and Hero of the Russian Federation. Ilya Vasyunin - military correspondent of RT, Dmitry Steshin - military correspondent of "Komsomolskaya Pravda" Publishing House, Egor Grigoriev - military correspondent of VGTRK, all of whom also spoke about patriotic education, values and the historic heritage of our country. It was a real honor for me to be counted in the company of such heroic soldiers in the military and information wars.

The VDNKh cultural/educational complex in central Moscow is massive, high-tech, and absolutely amazing. There are pavilions devoted to almost every subject, from the cosmic expanses of space exploration to the microscopic details of atomic energy, and everything in between, including the biggest oceanarium in all of Russia (the 5th largest oceanarium in the world). It would take weeks to see everything offered here, but we did our best with the time we had, and hope to return again when we have more free time, to soak up all the history, culture and knowledge such a complex can impart.

As for the rest of Moscow, it is beautiful, very well maintained, and impressive. Truly one of the great cities of the world. I have been to New York City, London, Chicago, Munich, Mexico City, Los Angeles, Seattle, Dallas and Houston, all huge metropolitan areas, rich in history, architecture and culture, and I can tell you from my own experience, Moscow beats them all, by the proverbial country mile. Beauty, cleanliness, safety and security, efficient transport and infrastructure, from the palatial metro subway that moves over 7.5 million people per day, to the shops that offer everything in the world, at reasonable prices that are better than anywhere in the USA or Europe, or even Donetsk.

Personally, I have never been a big fan of mega-cities, and while I'm still not, Moscow is such a city where even I, a country boy from Texas and Donetsk, can feel safe, comfortable, and at home. If you have never been here, you don't know what you're missing. Donetsk is my home, and I will be glad to be back there in the next few days, even if under shelling, and with water running only every other day, but I look forward to my next trip to Moscow, and invite you to come and see it for yourself too. Tell 'em "Texas" sent you. You'll be glad you did.