In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce Russian propagandist Sergei Tsaulin. He’s best-known for spreading pro-Kremlin narratives in Estonia, fleeing to Russia after breaking several laws in Estonia, and almost getting blown up by a bomb in St. Petersburg.

For years, Tsaulin was known for organizing marches and events glorifying the Soviet Union. Under the excuse of “remembering history,” these events were nothing more than Kremlin propaganda, wrapped in a red flag with a hammer and sickle.

One of his most infamous events was the “Immortal Regiment” march, held every 9th of May, where people carried portraits of Soviet soldiers. These marches are used by Russia to push the idea that the Baltics owe their existence to the Soviets.

May 9th AKA Victory Day and the “Immortal Regiment” are one of Russia’s biggest celebrations which commemorate the victory of the Soviet Union over Nazi Germany. Incidentally, the Soviet Union invaded Estonia while allied with the Nazis.

Rather than acknowledging the brutal Soviet occupation and deportations, these marches frame the USSR as “liberators.” For Estonia, which suffered under Soviet rule, this is an insult. But Tsaulin kept organizing them, pretending they were about “unity.”

Like all Estonian Kremlin puppets, Tsaulin also spreads anti-Estonian, anti-Western narratives, repeating Russian propaganda about NATO being an “occupier” and Estonia’s government being “Russophobic.” These people are so uncreative my soul hurts.

He’s also been in collaboration with Aivo Peterson and other pro-Kremlin vatniks involved in the creation of the KOOS party. He was already involved with the party in its early days. Like flies circling around shit, vatniks always seem to find each other.

Tsaulin has been arrested multiple times for violating public gathering laws and spreading extremist content, and he’s often mentioned in the State Security Police KAPO’s yearbook. After KAPO revoked his residence permit, Sergei ran away to Russia.

Once in Russia, he reinvented himself as a “persecuted activist.” Russian officials and propagandists were more than happy to use him as proof of the so-called “oppression” of Russian speakers in the Baltics. They even invited the chief propagandist Maria Butina to help!

Butina worked as a Russian spy in the US, infiltrating the country’s NRA gun lobby groups. In 2018, evidence of ties to the FSB was found in her home, and she confessed to being a Russian agent. After returning to Russia, she became a face for Kremlin’s propaganda.

Tsaulin, eager to be useful to the Kremlin, also positioned himself as a martyr. He claimed Estonia was “dangerous for Russians” and the West was behind attacks on Russian activists. Laughable, considering he was only arrested for breaking the law.

But in Russia, he was treated like a hero — a perfect tool for the Kremlin’s propaganda. Maria Zakharova and other officials showered him with sympathy, calling him a “victim of NATO-controlled Estonia.” Butina even organized a fundraiser for poor Mr. Tsaulin.

Moscow needed a new face to sell the lie that Russian speakers in the Baltics were oppressed. Tsaulin, desperate for relevance, happily played along, appearing on state TV with dramatic stories about life in Estonia.

For example, he attended a press conference for the Russian state news agency TASS. Another pro-Kremlin puppet, Maksim Reva was also present at this event. During the event, the director of the St. Petersburg Department of Foreign Relations, Sergei Markov, welcomed Tsaulin.

Remember when a bomb blew up in a cafe in St. Petersburg, killing Russian warblogger Vladlen Tatarsky? Well, Tsaulin was there and was hurt badly. But Tsaulin’s big break came in July 2023, when he was invited to the UN Security Council, a useless organization currently…

…presided by Russia. During his speech, Sergei complained about how horrible Estonia is & how traumatic it was when the “Ukrainian special services tried to kill him” in St Petersburg. After the event, Russia was criticized for “consuming resources” of the council.

Today, Tsaulin is still organizing propaganda events blaming Estonia and praising Russia’s “heroes,” apparently for their ability to kill, loot and rape in Ukraine. He’ll be used as long he’s useful, and eventually discarded — just like Russia does with most vatniks.

Big thanks goes to @Martinlaineolen for helping me brew this soup.

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