This is blood.
And there's something about it that's just firing up my brain right now.
Vodka! There's lots and lots of different kinds.
-I like this bottle aesthetically. -No, no.
It's disgusting!
Okay, something good. Something good that won't make us sick.
Whoa. That's an amazing shirt.
I'm getting this.
We live in nuclear times.
Not long ago, the mushroom cloud was an antiquated fear.
Something that belonged in the age of Kissinger, cold wars, Reagan,
and your grandparents.
But now it's back.
With Trump and Kim both publicly
flirting with the mythical red button,
is it time to learn to stop worrying and love the bomb?
We're on a mission to confront this nuclear reality.
And to do it, we're heading to the Polygon, the birthplace of the
Soviet Union's deep relationship with the doomsday machine.
It's a place of destruction on a biblical level.
A place where life was worth little more than atoms.
Where people were destroyed.
And governments transformed a landscape to hell itself.
The Polygon is located at Semipalatinsk
in northeast Kazakhstan.
And was the site of over 400 nuclear tests.
During these tests, the people who lived there were exposed to the most
terrible long-term effects of nuclear science.
And the place remains highly radioactive, even today.
On our quest to see the Polygon, we'll drive across Russia
through Siberia and into Kazakhstan to learn about the former Soviet Union
and the present day effects of their nuclear past.
I'm traveling with my two co-workers, Dina and Danielle,
who luckily for me both speak Russian.
Our first stop was Novosibirsk.
A city once built around a single bridge,
but is now Russia's third largest.
We arrived on Russia Day.
A holiday that does exactly what it says on the label.
Russia Day is a relatively new holiday.
We didn't have it when I was growing up.
So, I guess we're going to find out more
today what this holiday really is.
But it seems like it's very patriotic.
Oh, this is intense.
The speakers ranged from Russian military
to new wannabe imperialist groups,
while some of the crowd carried anti-US signs.
Much like in America and Western Europe,
Russia's nationalist sentiment has been growing over the last decade.
And today, the nationalist message also carries with it
a strong anti-American sentiment.
On the face of it, not a great day to be an American in Russia.
We were due to hang out at a compound deep in the Altai mountains
where nationalists and military veterans barbecue together
and bond over patriotism.
We wanted to bond too.
So we brought some vodka.
Because if there's one thing Americans and Russians can bond over,
it's getting wasted.
We don't exactly know what to expect.
Or how they're going to perceive us for that matter.
Which is a little bit scary.
I'm not sure how they feel about Americans or Jews or Muslims
which is what we all are.
I'll bet you money I'm the first Pakistani guy who has ever set foot
in this place.
I'm from America.
From America?
From New York.
But don't worry, we're friendly.
Our tour guide, Sasha, seemed like a pretty chill guy.
And he hospitably invited us to have dinner with him and his friends
to learn more about their mission and the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.
To the ladies!
To our lovely ladies.
Cheers to you.
Awesome. Is this pork?
-Oh, this is fucking good. -It's good, right?
Little haram, little haram.
Sasha says he return from the war in 2015.
News reports indicate that this was when the Russian military was trying
to repatriate Ukraine.
Although the United States
officially condemns Russian's invasion,
Sasha believes America has played a role in inciting the conflict.
What's the next frontline after Ukraine?
I can't speak the lingo,
but Sasha and Danielle seem to be getting along pretty well.
So through the haze of a hangover, they went for a boat trip.
We're going to die like right now!
What's over there?
My time with Sasha was surprisingly moving.
It was apparent that he's haunted by the realities of war.
And regardless of our conflicting beliefs,
as a person, I do hope the best for him.
Beyond the lines drawn by geopolitics, history, and war,
we'd all made friends.
We said goodbye and continued our long journey towards the Polygon.
We are at an antler blood farm.
Cheers!