Bloggers from the United States, Italy, France and other countries dispelled myths about the Caucasus.
A film is gaining popularity online in which social media stars learned national dances, baked Ossetian pies and performed Tchaikovsky as a piano duet.
Unique content has appeared on Runet. The films of the project "The Caucasus Beneath Me", which is being carried out by the blogger agency Bezgranichnye with the support of the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives, and the bloggers' responses to them have gathered more than 2 million views in less than a month.
As part of the project, whose name was inspired by a famous poem by Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin, seven bloggers — from the USA, Italy, Iran, Russia, France, Bangladesh and Peru — introduce audiences to the culture and traditions of the North Caucasus. Each episode focuses on one of the regions: Stavropol Krai, North Ossetia, Chechnya, Karachay-Cherkessia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Ingushetia and Dagestan.
Filming took place in spring and summer 2025. Each episode required 30 shooting days and more than 100 locations were filmed. The premiere took place at the National Center "Russia" at the end of September.
Social media stars from different countries gained unique experiences. For example, Frenchwoman Gabrielle Duvouazen baked croissants and made cheese in Karachay-Cherkessia; Kristal Grecia from Peru learned a national dance in Ingushetia; Italian pianist Lorenzo Baniati performed a Tchaikovsky piece as a piano duet in Chechnya; Mikhail Krylov from Armenia visited the site of Lermontov's duel and built balancing stone towers in Kislovodsk National Park; and American Sasha Yost prepared Ossetian pies.
Local students helped the bloggers in each adventure.
"The uniqueness lies in the fact that the guides into the region's traditions, culture and customs are local residents, namely students. We have not yet seen such a tandem where an experienced blogger and a local student interact on camera. The project is, without doubt, aimed at breaking stereotypes and demonstrating the true face of Russia's regions," project director Maria Dudko said at the premiere screening.
There, three of the seven bloggers also shared their impressions:
— Lorenzo Baniati, a pianist from Italy who is also a TV host on the Pyatnitsa channel, on the shows "Forbidden China" and "Forbidden India";
— Gabrielle Duvouazen, a biotech engineer from France who runs a blog about life in Russia;
— Russian-American blogger Sasha Yost, who currently lives in our country.
They were all delighted by the hospitality of the local residents and the beauty of the North Caucasus, and also admitted that they had imagined these regions very differently.
Sasha Yost noted that participating in the project helped break stereotypes about the Caucasus: contrary to prejudices, Vladikavkaz turned out to be a very safe city. And the region amazed her with its beauty and the friendliness of its people.
"I dreamed of going to Ossetia because I do horseback riding myself. I was struck by jigitovka — I've never seen anything like it anywhere. And I must note that we were welcomed so warmly! Most Americans don't know what the Caucasus is. When I showed them, they were stunned by the beauty," Yost said.
"I was very impressed by Karachay-Cherkessia, where the culture is so different from the rest of Russia: majestic mountains, national dances, brave riders, delicious croissants... There is so much to discover and explore here! What I liked most is that people here value traditions, for example, teaching how to weave carpets. It was also surprising for me how they make cheese. Although I'm from France, I never thought my first time making cheese would be in the Caucasus," Gabrielle Duvouazen shared.
And Lorenzo Baniati even received an invitation to return from the Chechen Philharmonic. "All the locations are incredible! We made a Caucasian rug, tried Caucasian dishes that are even tastier than Italian pizza. I would gladly go back there, but this time with my own concert. I made a good friend there, Aslan, who served as my co-host," the Italian concluded.
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Bloggers from the United States, Italy, France and other countries dispelled myths about the Caucasus.
A film is gaining popularity online in which social-media stars learned national dances, baked Ossetian pies, and played Tchaikovsky four‑handed. Unique content has appeared on Runet. The films of the project “The Caucasus Beneath Me,” produced by the blogger agency Bezgranichnye with the support of the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives, and the bloggers’ responses to them garnered in less than a month...