Aralsk 7: The USSR’s Anthrax Island

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Credits:
Host - Simon Whistler
Author - Morris M.
Producer - Jennifer Da Silva
Executive Producer - Shell Harris
Business inquiries to [e-mail]
Source/Further reading:
www.bbc.com/future/story/20170...
www.theguardian.com/science/2...
(interviews with former workers): www.nytimes.com/2003/01/12/ma...
(some cool video and photos): www.ozy.com/good-sht/your-cha...
www.news.com.au/travel/travel...
Compound 19 anthrax outbreak: arstechnica.com/science/2016/...
Compound 19 anthrax outbreak: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p04...
US Anthrax letters: www.history.com/news/anthrax-...
UK Anthrax Island: news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/sc...

[@toledo152]

Anthrax Island from the people who brought you Chernobyl.

[@deleteduser87]

Lol

[@pambansangbayaw4718]

coming soon on your nearest cinema

[@ericstamps4717]

One Union to rule them all, and in the darkness, infect them.

[@joseluisrw]

Introducing or new promotion: free vacations on the idilic land of Siberia.

[@TKinfinity01]

And Cannibal Island

[@MrShanester117]

“Hey I’m Simon whistler. The host of every show on KZbin.”

[@grannykensbest2939]

He's the advertising slave that we can't get enough of

[@LowfDog]

@@grannykensbest2939 Actually, there are three Simon Whistlers on KZbin, it's just that two of them are fakes who stole his identity before he started using DASHLANE. O.o

[@maggiemae7749]

A clone. Lol

[@ArakDBlade]

I for one welcome our new British, KZbin Overlord.

[@WildStar2002]

I've got no problem with it!

[@ra-rarasputin210]

“Rebirth island...The source of Dragovich’s poison”

[@JesusFriedChrist]

Dragovich.....Kravchenko.....Steiner.....ALL MUST DIE.

[@vincentmalab3289]

The Rebirth island is loosely based on this former island, or it is.

[@VonArmagedda]

That's it! Gonna reinstall Black ops and play the heck out of it! Edit: Never mind, it was already installed

[@Journey_Awaits]

Killing me will not stop Nova!

[@byproxivods9904]

THE NUMBERS MASON FREEDOM FOR YOU MASON NOT FOR ME STEP 1 SECURE THE KEYS

[@ex-navyspook]

I used to be on the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases email list because of some of the work I was doing, and the Aral Sea was just one area that gave me nightmares. My worst scenario was someone walking into the bush somewhere in central Africa or the rainforest of South America, coming into contact with a hemorrhagic, not knowing it, then getting on a plane and flying back to a large population center (like happened in 1972 with Marburg...dodged a bullet with that one) and not even realizing they're infected. If it happens at the height of cold and flu season, people just assume they're coming down with the flu. Then they start leaking blood from everywhere. Most areas with Marburg, Ebola, Hanta Virus, or any of a number of other nasty diseases and infections (to say nothing of "Anthrax Island") are all about three hours, or less, from international airports. Welcome to my nightmare. Sleep tight.

[@naphackDT]

People tend to overhype anthrax and overlook the really scary stuff. Anthrax was developed into a weapon precisely because it's easy to handle, easy to store and most importantly, the infection vectors can be locked down rather easily. If someone comes down with anthrax, there is a very high chance they are dead but there is also slim chance they will infect other people. Just cremate the corpse and there is not much to worry about. In a way, dealing with anthrax from a military point of view is more similar to dealing with chemical weapons than any other germ based bioweapons. This makes it perfect as a weapon but also not that scary on a global scale. The scary stuff would be a disease highly infections from person to person during the incubation period or even during early symptoms and only severe in the later stages when large parts of the population have been infected. Stuff like that definitely existed on Anthrax Island, but it's not all that likely to still be around. Not every disease is as forgiving as anthrax regarding its environmental conditions. As you said, most of the scariest scenarios involve South America and Africa.

[@ex-navyspook]

@@naphackDT Anthrax is nasty but the one that concerned me was the weaponized smallpox; US contractors went to the island to make it safe but, considering the treasure grove which was just lying around, you KNOW that some of that stuff ended up in laboratories in the West; it's inevitable. Nobody's going to let "good research" like that go to waste.

[@chriskoutroulis4531]

Your poor grammar makes your post suspect. I bet you have a lot of cool stories to share, but they are probably imaginary.. Still, for after hours entertainment, i'm up for some stories. Care to share?

[@troyesivan4416]

@@naphackDT Makes me wonder where prion diseases came from

[@ToddHowar.d]

naphackDT hey, I noticed your comment is 2 months old. Funny how the new novel Coronavirus is quite infectious, has killed a lot of people, and is infectious during the long incubation period. You kind of predicted this

[@FreshwaterNautical]

Getting those Call of Duty: Black Ops vibes from the mission “Rebirth”

[@keremayhan3687]

My name is Viktor Reznov and I will have my revenge

[@timparish2002]

Now I feel stupid for not thinking it was a real place 😅

[@zues2011]

NOVA 6 GET YOUR MASKS ON

[@rbblackmoore5960]

Yea the island has tons of creepy history to base vid games on. So dang scary. :(

[@blackblurable]

Remember no Russian.

[@KMACKTIME]

Nova 6.. you don’t know what they did to you

[@MrTobilive]

My name is Viktor Reznov... and I will have my revenge!

[@mjuneoginn]

One drop, one sniff- you're dead before you can even reach the ground...

[@juaquimgustavo4712]

@@mjuneoginn do you thing that stuff just desapaeared??? you keep inhalating some biological weapons and dyying in suffer and pain.. good luck

[@Lorant1984]

The production quality of these videos have been skyrocketed. Well done Simon.

[@geographicstravel]

thanks :)

[@Andrewlang90]

Is it just me, or does the Soviets have a terrible habit of creating killer creations, then abandon them, hoping nobody asks about them?

[@vesical7952]

The US is the same way though... If you dont think the US experimented with this stuff your crazy. They just had the luxury of being able to go anywhere in the world and you know not collapsing. UK France hell even Canada took part in testing in remote lands.. Canada still somewhat does it with selling asbestos and last time I checked Quebeck refuses to acknowledge the ban on sale... Something that is responsible for the deaths of literally millions on millions.

[@Number1FanProductions]

@@vesical7952 i dont think he mentioned the us bruh

[@vesical7952]

@@Number1FanProductions i did just letting people know it's not just the Soviets it's literally everybody.

[@vesical7952]

@Wolf Among Sheep the us sprayed harmful chemicals and bacteria in inner cities just to test bioweapons on poor populations. Sterilized millions with mercury most died or became seriously ill. Put radioactive isotopes in oatmeal contaminated infant formula. Us alphabet agencies were twice as effective as the soviets in testing. If you were alive In the 50s to 80s chances are you were an unwilling test subject.

[@99smite]

@@vesical7952 Don't forget the Bikini atoll. THere used to live people and it was a sovereign state, not part of the USA. US forces came, lied to the folks there taht the tests would leave the islands inhabitable for only a short time, but here we are, 70 years away from the famous bikini nuclear tests and BINGO! still unsafe... Remember the time US scientists left blck male patients suffering from syphillis untreated to see how much damage ut does in the final stadium? All this is exactly as immoral and evil as Mengele's experiments on poor jews at Auschwitz.

[@tripnorton2020]

"Rebirth Island", eh? I remember that place. Nova 6 is some rough stuff man

[@kekistanihussar1160]

Anytime you click on a random "informative" video, there's a 90% chance of this dude being the narrator.

[@skyfever111]

simon runs like 6 or 7 channels

[@bradlemmond]

r/suspiciousquotes

[@mickeythemaltipoo3756]

This dude has a name and it's Simon

[@blackblurable]

Mickey The maltipoo exactly put some respect on his name

[@Dangic23]

He is likely paid by the c I a.

[@thedungeondelver]

"Here's something you might not know about Anthrax: it's _really_ hard to kill." Well, is that before or after Scott Ian left the band?

[@adamfrazer5150]

Hahahaha brilliant !

[@sussekind9717]

I used to sport an Ian beard. So did my girlfriend. However, she called it a runway... ...lol

[@MF-LXRD]

Ha not bad my dude \m/

[@nothuman3083]

If you read the u s and joint Russian cleanup reports, they sprayed it with acid, then bleach, then covered it with toxic soil, and covered with salt.

[@djohanson99]

hahahaha, i know what you mean.

[@kostikoskela375]

Seeing the ussr's track record we are lucky that non of the diseases escaped from the island.

[@jrt818]

There is a suspicion that one of the more modern influenza viruses might have escape from that island.

[@michaelb1761]

You mean other than small pox and anthrax

[@kostikoskela375]

@@michaelb1761 i mean if there was like a major outbreak

[@erivanel]

@@kostikoskela375 well at least they didnt do what the americans did *cough* HIV

[@kostikoskela375]

@@erivanel hiv came from africa just stop beliving in shitty conspiracy theories.

[@Fullychargedevil]

"Soviet Union" and "Decades of mismanagement", name a more iconic duo

[@trevorday7923]

"Communism" and "mass death"?

[@rickslick3842]

High Explosives and Gross incompetence

[@AmericanBadger87]

China and nothing bad ever happened in (fill in blank)

[@88cobalt]

"Unated States of America" and "Democracy/Peace"

[@Bufoferrata]

The whole concept sounds eerily similar to Unit 731 headquarters at Pingfan in Manchuria. Except that the Japanese WERE testing their bio-weapons on humans.....

[@johnathanblackwell9960]

Hmm I seem to be low on logs, better get the MPs to round up some more for me.

[@caleblarsen5490]

Do a vid on the Aral Sea. That sounds interesting.

[@williamjeffersonclinton69]

I think there was a Today I Found Out video on it. Don't quote me on that. Oh and Epstein didn't kill himself.

[@manahawkinhickjones6714]

@@williamjeffersonclinton69 Epstein didnt kill himself

[@williamjeffersonclinton69]

@luca kro nope. He was a good friend and philanthropist to the world, I would never do such a thing. Now that crazy bitxh Hillary........

[@p51mustang24]

@@williamjeffersonclinton69 Epstien was an Israeli blackmail agent that got burned.

[@johnathanblackwell9960]

Basically the soviets were assholes who diverted the rivers that fed into the Aral to grow cotton, cotton that destroyed the soil on a side note. Then the inland sea dried up causing lovely carcinogen filled dust storms that poisoned large swathes of the local population. Now one group wants to try and recover the Aral and the other wants to get rid of it entirely to drill for natural gas.

[@Legitpenguins99]

"My name is Simon Whistler and i will have my revenge!"

[@spacetoast4874]

Legitpenguins69 hi gun Jesus how are you today

[@soerenwizard]

How clever to put such a lab on an island in the sea they were draining.

[@AvoidTheCadaver]

In Soviet Russia, island poisons YOU

[@NefariousKoel]

In Soviet Russia, sea swims in YOU!

[@johnathanblackwell9960]

Hehehe check out their habit of dumping nuclear vessels in the north.

[@kimthesslund4801]

@@johnathanblackwell9960 Or Lake Karachay. It is the most polluted place from radiation in earth.

[@dillonc7955]

I mean the Soviets drained the Aral Sea, a huge source of fish just to divert river water for temporary farming. Their decision making was based more on reckless politics than logical science.

[@resileaf9501]

This non-island could literally kill everyone on Earth. Sleep well tonight!

[@blackblurable]

Resileaf I never sleep well but this is sure to lull me to sleep. Enough times to kill the world 10 times over or so

[@Number1FanProductions]

@blackzed not true

[@djohanson99]

i don't man could do that. we boast about it but to kill everyone on earth, i just don't think we have the power to do that and how would you verify it? you know some homeless slug still be alive somewhere in his sewer pipe shelter. if we haven't killed ourselves off yet i doubt we can. we've already would have done it.

[@kanesmith8271]

Naw

[@Bamiyanbigasf]

blackzed yea well it’s the ocean... it’s so vast and big that all the chemicals and radiation dumped into it is pretty meaningless

[@oldmech619]

I saw a man meany years ago with the scars of smallpox. You see it, you know. Thank God it is no longer with us.

[@ixlatif]

Have you done an episode on the US chemical weapons demilitarization plant at Johnston Atoll? It would be interesting, for sure.

[@rwaitt14153]

Or Umatilla Army Depot.

[@jennylee9278]

There are chemical weapons stashed in my home county of Madison Kentucky. Some kind of nerve and mustard gas rockets--very old rusty rockets.

[@jennylee9278]

@Brad Viviviyal Is life cheap in all the other places the military has made a mess and left it? Was life cheap in the Bikini Atoll? I wonder what state you live in, do you have any present or former military bases there? Did you ask for them? Are you somehow lacking as a person to live where you do? You insinuate that every human who lives within the confines of the present political boundaries of Kentucky think life is cheap. Just tell me where you are from so I can draw unfair and uninformed judgements about it, you, your family and your fellow citizens.

[@jennylee9278]

@Brad Viviviyal as cheap as your mom?

[@randomthunk]

The phrase "if you didn't live through it" about 9/11 reminds me that even to myself, not yet 30, it was a long time ago.

[@bradlemmond]

I was grown then. It was almost half my life ago. 😳 Also, there are men and women fighting in Afghanistan now that _hadn't been born then._

[@dorrisgonnawreckyou7111]

we are old bastards

[@JayVee53]

False flag

[@LiliLovesStuff]

I grew up in the DC area and I still have to go thru security checkpoints n my commutes to and from work.

[@justafellowbrother7263]

@@JayVee53 bogus banner

[@charlesmartin8454]

Thank you for bringing up the Scottish island of Gruinard. The British government infected the island in 1942 as a counter step study for fear that the Nazis were doing the same. It was a topic of discussion in a microbiology college couse I took. What many people don't realize is that anthrax spores naturally occur in the soil (chances are you can can come in contact with some tilling your back yard garden). On occassion some cattle and cattlemen get infected with lesions but rarely get infected in the respiratory tract. The infections are probably due to cattle pawing up and wallowing in dirt of a field. The rancher then gets infected by physically coming in contact with the infected cattle. Quite large and nasty lesions can occur on both.

[@theftmoxi5]

Britsh empire: your copy cat nazis: you- oh okay I copy and take over your land

[@susanrobinson910]

Another great video, Simon and crew. I continue to be amazed at the amount of work everyone has to do in order to keep all of your channels operational and educational!! Thanks for doing what you do 🙂🙂

[@kane101985]

Absolutely fascinating video, great detail & just your voice alone does this video justice. Very well done & keep it up!

[@AndruComedy]

I didn't think I'd like geographics, but it's amazing.

[@plushman3685]

I love this channel. Should do a couple on famous battlefield sites...Gettysburg, The Somme, Waterloo etc. Keep up the great work fam.

[@d4mdcykey]

"Soviet mismanagement". In other words, standard Russian protocol throughout history and including the present day.

[@d4mdcykey]

@The Names AK ~ I never suggested they were the same thing; apparently you did not watch the video, ironically a foolish rookie mistake.

[@d4mdcykey]

@The Names AK ~ Are you seriously this daft? USSR: the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. Notice the word RUSSIAN there. The USSR lasted from 1917 to about 1991 while Russia continued from that point in time (hence my statement "including the present day"). Except for economic progress, the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation are the same in terms of people and culture, although the Soviet Union has more ethnic diversity because of the inclusion of Asian states such as Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. Soviet Union, or the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic, is a defunct union of countries that spans over Europe and Asia. It had a single-party political system and closed economic policy. Russia or the Russian Federation is the successor of the Soviet Union and consists now only of Russia and Siberia for the most part. The video, which you either did not watch, or did not understand, referred specifically to "Soviet mismanagement" during that era which is well-documented, I mentioned this and the fact that Russia, as a country, is still poorly managed. Which part of this is over your head, comrade?

[@paytonthornberry1382]

@The Names AK Like a majority of the Soviet Union was Russion thought.....

[@22steve5150]

@The Names AK Yet when all those republics, many of whom were originally annexed into the Russian dominated USSR against their will left the USSR one by one in the 90's, Russia was what was left over. That makes Russia the direct inheritor of the legacy of the USSR.

[@Hipponugz]

@The Names AK and what about the accident and cover-up at compound 19? i guess that wasn't Russian mismanagement either huh. oh and don't forget the nuclear powered missile accident in 2019 that Russia tried to initially cover-up. seems like that is standard Russian protocol from then till now

[@upintheairstudio]

Sweet! Simon listened to my suggestion!

[@brendenmcnemar684]

HOW HAS NO ONE MADE A HORROR MOVIE ABOUT THIS PLACE!?!?!

[@noblesol6275]

Ever heard of call of duty black ops? There’s a mission on it

[@garricklopez1183]

Once again another great informative video and also very frightening.

[@ShredwardWizardhands]

That was a smooth transition into the ad. Well done Simon. Well done.

[@blackblurable]

Now I’m thinking of a unit 731 geographics or it’s own biography type like the Black Plague. Great interesting video as always. Not heartwarming by any means yet informative.

[@Wistful77]

Terrifyingly good . "a weird brown haze" Gak!

[@AWindy94]

Great one to watch before bed...

[@dambrooks7578]

This harrowing video made a surprisingly perfect connection to the older TV show I am currently watching, The Americans. The last few episodes have been about the CCCP's explorations into chemical warfare. 😨 thank you for worrying sleep away from me 👍🏼 Having watched another Biographic vid about Claudio earlier I will now watch about his successor, Nero here I come! Before I sign off I'd like to say thank you Simon for all your great information videos, I really enjoy them 😀

[@TinksiehTink]

Infected meat sold on a market...as a cover for a bioweapons lab... Where have I heard that before 🤔

[@gabbyt98]

Ahh yes COVID

[@HonestManUtdFan]

There is a level 4 bio lab in Wuhan… you figure out the rest

[@ignitionfrn2223]

1:30 - Chapter 1 - The vanished island 4:35 - Chapter 2 - On the testing grounds 8:00 - Chapter 3 - Legends of death 11:35 - Mid roll ads 12:55 - Chapter 4 - Anthrax island 15:25 - Chapter 5 - The specter of bio terror 18:05 - Chapter 6 - The island that's not an island

[@luxembourgishempire2826]

Do one on the Artic.

[@No-xw7mo]

A bioweapons test or a vid?

[@mrconch7238]

This was a really fascinating video. Thanks

[@burkitbayevarman5435]

Thank you for informing the world about this. I am from this region. Happy to respond any question about it.

[@hockeyprofit19]

This may be the best Geographics yet.

[@corrie6744]

You're the British version of Hey Vsauce, Michael Here. Love your videos ♥️♥️♥️

[@btetschner]

Very interesting. I did not know anything about that. Thank you so much for the video.

[@burnham7673]

I love your t-shirt, shirt and cardigan combo. 10/10.

[@zasli5118]

Playing c&c generals GLA missions payed out more than I expected.

[@georgewbushcenterforintell147]

Most underrated game of all time.

[@g_superson1c255]

as a Call of Duty player, hearing “Rebirth Island” made me perk up I’m not gonna lie 😂

[@ankyfire]

This is incredibly interesting. Thank you.

[@jackbridge5780]

The amount of channels Simon's on I'm starting to think that he watched multiplicity with Michael keaton one too many times

[@geographicstravel]

Wow, how have I never seen this movie?!

[@emilyfischer263]

Would you please consider doing a video on the valley of the kings? Thanks!

[@sunshinebowman-gibson1977]

Okay but I love this channel all of the sudden lol

[@DivineMind222]

I was not expecting Simon when I clicked on this video lol love it!

[@geographicstravel]

I am everywhere.

[@its_him562]

Operation Rebirth. Vozrozhdeniya Island 1984. Resurgence

[@tonydolvin6048]

Anthrax, Spreading the Disease; best metal album ever!

[@steveshoemaker6347]

THIS IS THE VERY BEST VIDEO I HAVE SEEN ON THIS KIND OF THING.....EVERY PERSON IN THE WORLD NEEDS TO WATCH THIS VERY VERY FINE VIDEO AND I MEAN EVERY ONE...Super well done...Well said....Thank for all of u.alls research on this...An thanks very much...!

[@andrewgoodall9979]

I enjoy stories from the former Soviet Union. I'd love to see a geographic of the Aral Sea, it's history, demise, and possible rehabilitation.

[@CdrChaos]

Spoiler alert from the future; he did a video on the Aral Sea.

[@theshadowman1398]

There will be tons of idiots who will actually take a trip there.

[@goodchessactor]

The problem is not that they will take a trip there, the problem is that they will return.

[@gowdsake7103]

Hopefully Evangelical missionaries

[@thegrayyernaut]

@@goodchessactor Well said.

[@CallieMasters5000]

They're too busy doing the Chernobyl tours.

[@archstanton6102]

@@CallieMasters5000 I have done a Chernobyl tour. There are no problems with it.

[@kellymoneymaker3922]

Imagine if we took all our ingenuity and worked at bettering our planet instead of engineering our own doom. 🤔

[@ian_b]

Virtually all the ingenuity in use is put towards positive ends. Far more effort goes into better products for ordinary people than into WMDs.

[@kellymoneymaker3922]

@@ian_b The optimist in me wishes for a Star Trek future. The realist in me thinks it will be more in line with the movie Idiocracy. I guess only time will tell 🤔

[@ian_b]

@@kellymoneymaker3922 Maybe we just bumble on somewhere on the better side of the middle like we have so far. That's not so bad :)

[@dorrisgonnawreckyou7111]

Nice idea, but as if that would EVER happen, humans are just not built that way, world peace, treating the planet properly, eradicating poverty etc. are all things that will never even be attempted to be fixed.

[@ian_b]

@@dorrisgonnawreckyou7111 You have a very negative view of the world. Yet the human condition is immeasurably better than it was even 100 years ago.

[@vincentmalab3289]

Another good video Comrade Simon, Call of Duty Black ops ( Rebirth Island ) flashback crawls in my veins.

[@goldenageflash5924]

Most interesting Thanks for sharing

[@mihailkondov4773]

Every time you see a video about the soviets on this channel you know it's going to be good. But in a bad way.

[@Dancingonthesun]

Finally a place I can get some peace and quiet

[@Ernomouse]

Until you start screaming by yourself. But that too will pass.

[@willdornan9929]

A geographics on Yester Castle and the goblin ha’ would be interesting. 👍🏻

[@Knifenrazer]

buttery smooth British accent and the man swallowed a whole thesaurus/dictionary combo, Its no wonder Simon has almost every host job.

[@andreirani6672]

The fact that people would carry out such experiments and think "this is ok" at all is pretty disgusting

[@adamfrazer5150]

I recommend reading Annie Jacobsen's excellent uncovering of Area 51 - specifically the last chapter, which involves certain US actions - I'm still and will always be bothered by those details...

[@teethgrinder83]

Well I guess when 1 country starts that then others feel threatened and start their own programs-here in the UK there was a pretty famous incident with the MOD, a herd of sheep and anthrax

[@the_kombinator]

You must understand - capitalist decadence must be swept away!

[@FedulAis]

@@teethgrinder83 well, i heard it was actually first attempt to weaponise anthrax, was aimed against nazi germany. Funny thing, bacterial weapons is banned for use, but not for testing. So pretty much any country can conduct such tests, but not one would dare to use it.

[@adamfrazer5150]

@Stephen Jenkins I think I know where your opinion is pointed man, maybe I should have explained that the book is more of a debunking affair - no aliens at Area 51. Ever. Just a whole lot of tech being tested and flown around, provoking certain kinds of people into thinking we've had visitors....we haven't.

[@MikeJones-cp6cc]

The Soviets be like... "it's a mad house"

[@tangobravo5752]

Or so they claim

[@DriftedDreams]

The smooth transition into the dashlane promotion was clean....

[@stevenwheat3621]

Such a smooth transition to a Dashline advert..

[@calichef1962]

You've just made me *very* glad that I'm genetically immune to small pox. My mother and her father were also immune to small pox. I remember being inoculated prior to starting kindergarten when I was four. The blister that was supposed to form at the inoculation site didn't form. I was inoculated again, and again I formed no blister. By my third inoculation with no reaction I had grown to fear and hate doctors. Every single time I saw any doctor I had to have either an injection or a painful procedure of some sort. I was always the only kid in any group who didn't have that nearly dime-sized scar on my upper arm/shoulder. More than 50 years later it still blows my mind that only after THREE inoculations did they decide that I was immune, just like my mother and her father. But I know where that immunity came from: that side of my family were pioneers, and the first of them to arrive in the new world got here before 1700. It's that same line from which I have received my 1/8th native American genes. Perhaps my native American ancestor had this immunity and was one of the few native American small pox survivors? I'll probably never know for sure.

[@tedmiller2334]

Interesting

[@incandescentwithrage]

Great story, thanks for sharing. Your resistance to the Smallpox modified by the USSR might not be the same though. Traditionally there was one smallpox. Whatever Genetic quirk which made you immune, may be irrelevant to the modified version (similar to the many variants of flu). Though only the big players had the resources to conduct research like this up to the 90s, makes you wonder whether rogue states could get involved with a much lower barrier to entry these days. Scary stuff.

[@calichef1962]

@@incandescentwithrage Well, that's a scary thought that I hadn't had before. I guess it's probably good for me to not feel so invincible. Never let your guard down, I guess. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@FallingPicturesProductions]

So you could still be a carrier though.

[@LeolaGlamour]

Falling Pictures Productions use your brain. 🙄😒 she would have given it to someone by now.

[@harrison6082]

0:36 This sounds like a metaphor for communism itself. Only those in the know really know what it means. Also, it looks good from afar, but up close...

[@myztklk3v]

jesus, this was recommended and I wondered why, how many fricking youtube shows/channels do you host Simon?

[@jonathanmimnagh8956]

Sort of makes me want to visit......Thanks Simon.

[@nathanfriesen2251]

Talking about Kazakhstan, you should do an episode on the kazak polygon.

[@greenlightning6971]

@Equinsu Ocha! aka P1 test site

[@winchesterchua7600]

"I DO NOT CARE ABOUT NOVA!" "MY NAME, IS VICTOR REZNOV, AND I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE!"

[@christophergregory1205]

This man is an amazing host/narrator.

[@peregrine1970]

Frankly, they have a solution. Tsar Bomba.

[@justincredible5406]

That's going to kick up too much dirt.

[@MyMothers-Son]

@@justincredible5406 but the radiation and heat would kill any spores still living.

[@justincredible5406]

@@MyMothers-Son Radiation doesn't always kill. Cockroaches and fruit flies are pretty resistant and radiation might kill off all but the radiation resistant spores and other pathogens. Blast wave will push whatever's in the sand away. Sounds like pathogens were spread around the island during testing so spreading it is quite likely.

[@ilpazzo1257]

@@justincredible5406 Solution: cause a nuclear disaster, cover the island with the wastest, no dust lifted, now there are some meters of radioactive soil on it. Win-win!

[@silvadossantos6803]

@@justincredible5406 tsar bomb have a lesser nuclear fallout, but exploding won't do no good eighter

[@otakuman706]

Going through rewatching various videos. Places like this are a fantastic example of one reason why I'm surprised there haven't really been huge attacks (or more accidents) involving similar materials. Luckily terrorists and people who actually want to do massive damage using such things seem to be stupid, because it's surprisingly easy to do some things, and it's only gotten easier and cheaper as time has gone on.

[@Jillworrell22]

I only watch these channels cause of Simon. Like the narrations 🤟

[@MrZimmerson]

It''d be interesting to listen to you talk about the Tsar Bomba, or just nukes in general, and the history of it all etc.

[@armoristif1410]

I guess this is why Metallica was so popular in Russia instead of Anthrax lmao

[@iqbalsinghmangang]

moscow 91 was nuts

[@ohsosmooth01]

Cost cutting and arse covering? Sounds like those who made Grenfell tower into a death trap.

[@juancarrera8397]

You guys have the best channels

[@geographicstravel]

Thanks :)

[@jrt818]

Imagine what they could've achieved without Lysenko to hold them back.

[@robm5008]

right

[@x0thorn0x]

Just when I think I’ve seen the deepest depth of human carelessness and stupidity, I find another set of stairs going down. There have always been stories of groups of people trying to destroy all life on this planet. With that kind of persistence, we will surely succeed one day.

[@hristodamyanov]

Geographics suggestion: Mount Athos, Greece

[@LiliLovesStuff]

Man, living in the DC area during the autumn of 2001 was wild. First, we had 9/11, then we had the anthrax mailings (so we literally were down to getting mail 1 or 2 days a week at most), and then we had the two guys sniping people from the truck of their car. I had field trips canceled on 9/12 and another one in November due to the sniper situation, and we had bills that were late getting paid because of anthrax.

[@ltkreg]

11:25 the segway to the infomercial is hilarious.

[@erichuizar5881]

Did you guys play the black ops campaign to get inspiration for these videos? This is the second video uploaded recently that is about a location in the game.

[@BraceFace-ef1gd]

Whats the other one

[@johngalt2506]

I'd love to see an episode about Kolyma.

[@Garrettguy5]

Kevin Storms hes got it!

[@johngalt2506]

@@Garrettguy5 I saw it. 😊

[@matthewcasey5059]

So this place was the Soviet version of Racoon City... nice.

[@idontwantachannelimjustcom7745]

@14:30 sounds like an inspiration for Jurassic park being on an island.

[@derekblack2000]

Do you really think the UK and US really stopped working on bio-weapon then you have not learnt from history

[@chrism8180]

Thats the thing isn't it, a ban on biowarfare is only effective if honored, and the leaders of nations, and worlds severely lack in that trait

[@22steve5150]

Ah there it is. It's impossible to make a youtube video about some awful horror of the soviet union, particularly one of those horrors that still lingers on today ready to skullfuck mankind, without some cheesedick having to play the "whatabout the murricans and brits!" game. Here's the deal cheesedick, either the Americans and Brits got rid of their programs like they were supposed to, or they are very, VERY secret about their remaining programs (something that is very hard to do in open democracies with an independent press) and don't execute their programs with unbelievable incompetence like the Soviets did.

[@TheBenchPressMan]

22steve5150 - I wouldn’t doubt that research is very limited, these viruses and diseases have very little effective use in reality, and can they really be made any more lethal than they already are. You have to genuinely want to destroy humanity (including your own country) to continue researching this.

[@yoshi0k262]

@@22steve5150 Ah there it is. Some smart ass that has to complain about other people while complaining and being toxic then somewhat agreeing with that comment wow you really showed him brooo. Expecting that follow up comment saying your grammar and spelling sucks so I'm bot arguing with some one so dumb cheese dick ❤️

[@yoshi0k262]

@Dominic is it hard to make a actual argument that makes sence also BTW I was copying the guy who was being unoriginal and saying the same shit in every comment replys...

[@deadduckGDF]

Could you do one on “Unit 731”?

[@StevieSmith77]

Simon has got more channels than my sky box

[@adamreyes6816]

Dmitri, let's finish this final mission and we'll get home ~Viktor Reznov, Rebirth Island

[@trueslav7430]

I got flashbacks of Call of Duty Black ops mission in Rebirth Island

[@tmnt3998]

The name vozrozhdeniya actually means rebirth, so its full name is then rebirth island. ..... oh just 10 secs later he told it :D

[@trueslav7430]

@@tmnt3998 i know

[@kyleshuler2929]

The bioweapon escaped and they were quick to blame it on infected meat from a market.... Geeee, what else does this sound like?

[@TheBonecrusherz]

covid would be a pretty terrible weapon with its 2% mortality rate

[@kyleshuler2929]

@@TheBonecrusherz gee thanks captain hindsight!

[@bubblewrapvillain]

Covid most probably came from that Wuhan lab. But it's racist to think so, according to the WHO and the media

[@M0rshu64]

@@bubblewrapvillain although the chinese wet markets probably did help spread it though.

[@Iamthunderchild]

This was interesting however, I think I might have enjoyed it more if you'd gone on to explain why the sea had dried up. I love the weird history some places have

[@MrNascar1111]

Thank you otzi!

[@arturchmiel4821]

50k antelope? I'm yet to see any horde of this size

[@karankullar1302]

Nan do’s menu

[@TheKingtsmith]

Soviet antelope are a different breed

[@the_kombinator]

I went to Chernobyl in 2013. I will never go to Aralsk. Hell, I'd travel to India sooner.

[@przybyla420]

Yeah no shit. What have you heard about India lol