Russia 1985-1999: TraumaZone

.... But after watching this, I realise I knew virtually nothing.

I was born in 1971 in the UK. I studied modern history. I lived through the of the Cold War and vividly remember the Berlin Wall coming down. I remember the attempted coup in Russia. I remember the joy at the Cold War ending and Russia emerging from communism

Watching this, I now realise all I had was a hideously narrow view of things. You can't help but feel utter sorrow for the Russian people as the world collapsed around them and the wealth of the country was stolen. It's heartbreaking

This is a horror film. It was aptly named.

Trauma zone is profoundly affecting, It's a series that is so disconcerting, chaotic, unsettling and surprising that I found I couldn't binge watch it. I had to take my time to digest what I was seeing. I lived through the period in question and had literally no idea of what was really happening in Russia. This is more a work of art or perhaps an "emotional history" than a straight history (and looking at some of these reviews some people have not appreciated this). It's aiming to reflect what it was like to live through this and frankly I am surprised if anyone in Russia retained 100% of their sanity with everything that happened. This series is stupendous in its breadth and the footage it includes provides a disturbing insight into a turbulent and almost hallucinogenic period of recent history for Russia and the former USSR. It's brilliant basically.

Adam Curtis made an excellent choice not to narrate Russia 1985-1999: TraumaZone. Although at times I've almost heard his voice and it would have fitted perfectly, the images were so strong and speaking for themselves that narration would've just spoiled them.

In fact it would be very difficult to summarize in one review what this documentary tried to convey. We saw a lot of extremes one associates with Russia, probably intensified because we're observing a country partially rooted in European culture.

It was inevitable that Russia 1985-1999: TraumaZone offers some insights in the former Soviet republics, as well, even some satellites of the Warsaw pact. I'm pointing this out since it still puzzles me why a lot of people use the terms Russian and Soviet interchangeably.

Russia 1985-1999: TraumaZone was very good, both in terms of content and delivery. Even the inevitable bias, given the footage stemming from BBC archives, was so slight that it didn't ruin the objectivity of the documentary.

What an unexpected jem. I can't thank the various BBC journalists that shot this enough for the almost unbelievable insight it gives into the Russian past and also what's happening today.

To be able to see things from the top political levels right down to what it was like in day to day Russian life on the ground is brilliant.

Having visited Moscow and Ukraine I found it a shocking insight into what was invisible to a casual tourist but lurking beneath the surface.

Just a pity that my current favourite BBC correspondent Steve Rosenberg doesn't seem to have had any involvement so far.

Truth must prevail !

An amazing series, filled with extraordinary first-hand archive footage presented without audio narration that provides viewers with unique and often highly-intimate perspectives on life in the USSR and Russia during this period. Overlaid only with basic English text, it provides an unfiltered and graphic visualisation of the often-appalling world that Soviet citizens endured - and then how dark malignant forces took root. Watching this series helps one to better understand why Russia and her neighbours are the way they are today, to appreciate the immense pain and endless hardships endured by generations of people across a vast stretch of land. It feels epic and is epically insightful in the process. Brilliantly presented, compelling TV. Living history at its best.