Monday, October 17, 2016 – Moscow, Russia.
Yesterday evening, Riley Waggaman, an American Journalist living in Russia stopped by to sit for this interview and then took me out for a traditional Soviet Era dinner, with a sampling of two different kinds of vodka. This restaurant is a restored Soviet Era living quarters wherein three families shared common kitchen, living room, and bath.
Later in the evening, Riley’s friends Vadim and Nastya joined us at a Hoohah Bar. Vadim and Nastya are both journalists. Vadim is a producer and cameraman for Press TV and Nastya is a journalist for a business media outlet. Such wonderful people who shared openly and answered all of my questions.
I met Riley back in May 2016 in Odessa, Ukraine. He was one of several international journalists who were invited to be present for the second anniversary of the massacre on May 2, 2014. It was the trip to Ukraine and meeting Riley that convinced me I had to visit Russia to finish my film, Thirty Seconds to Midnight.
In this interview, Riley talks about how Russians view President Putin; what Russians think about US/NATO aggression on their borders; what they think about the threat of nuclear war with America and the conflict in Syria; the issue of gay and lesbian rights in Russia, and more.
I think you will find this interview of interest because it reflects what Riley has learned in the two years he has been here in Moscow. Riley currently works for Press TV and Russian Insider.
