Taken from JRE #1916 w/Jon Bernthal:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/5PQuuviPU7xHqcqZOuCFxM?si=a7ee4e53b4a54218

I think my third day there was my birthday.

And you know, again, I lived in a place called Park Kultury, which is Gorky Park.

And my translator, Max, came and picked me up where I was living.

the Moscow Art Theater, which is on Tverskaya, right across the street from Red Square.

It's a few subway stops in a couple different directions to get there.

And once we got there, the 1 thing that they tell you that's absolutely essential at all times, you always have to have your papers back then.

At that point, the mayor ran the mafia, the mayor's police, they didn't really have a salary, they made their money by what they could sort of shake people down for.

So we get to the theater, you know, on my birthday and my first day of school, and I think like I'm actually making something of my life.

I'm here in Russia, but me being the fuck up that I am, I forgot my papers,

because I'm just a, just, you know, unadulterated asshole.

And I said to Max, man, I'm so sorry, man.

You know, and he said, okay, well, we got to go back and get them.

And I said, nah, man, let's just go into school and we'll do it the next day.

He said, no, they're not going to let you into the school without your papers.

And then again, me being the asshole that I am and everything's in Cyrillic,

I make it back to the school, but now I've missed the first day.

It's like completely dark and I'm on the wrong side of Tverskaya, which is like this main street about 16 lanes and I got to get to the other side to get to school and I just start kind of like like Frogger I'm like dodging cars like a

total asshole like I can't get to the other side as soon as I get

to the other side boom AK-47s in my face Russian police are right there they get me for crossing.

And so I do what any good American would do.

I go and treat myself to a meal at McDonald's, right?

So I go and I get myself some McDonald's.

Then I'm going back that night and I'm back in Parkle Torrey and I'm walking down the street.

in front of me and these 2 guys get out of the front seat and they reach into the back seat and they grab something out and I see it's this woman with beautiful red hair, and she's in like a beautiful cocktail dress,

And I'm the only 1 on the street, and they clearly don't see me, but this woman sees me.

She makes like direct eye contact with me.

out of the side, they're pulling her out of the backseat.

She's just, like, completely limp and just being dragged.

And they take her over to this building, and they just start, like, opening her head up against the side of this building and start smashing her

was and like I ran at this guy and I grabbed him and in English I'm like man what the fuck are you doing what are you doing And he just pulled out a gun, he just put it like right to my forehead, and he said in English, he's like, go away, like that.

And, you know, Joe, I knew like in an instant, man.

I knew in an instant that like, it was like I was a bug, like I was a bug.

Like that was a different, I'd met, I'd seen guns before, I'd seen stuff before, I just knew that this was a completely different level.

And so I walked away listening to that, listening to what they were doing.

But I think conversely on the beauty side of it, you know, there's just, it was a culture that I found like completely free of pretension.

You know, if you have a conversation with somebody you really have a conversation conversation you look you in the eye And there's no hey, how you doing?

There's no bullshit It wouldn't be strange or weird for to have somebody Break down in tears in your first meeting and talking to them and not because they're sort of like emotionally fragile or weak, but because they're just so honest and in the moment.

I saw this unbelievable national appreciation for the arts.

I saw people who, You know, you go on the subways and people weren't reading, you know, Us Weekly.

And yeah, it really, you know, Alma and that place really saved my life.


Speaker 0: The Jorogin Experience.

Speaker 1: I think my third day there was my birthday. And you know, again, I lived in a place called Park Kultury, which is Gorky Park. It's kind of a pretty rough, sort

Speaker 0: of shitty area in Moscow. And I had a translator. I spoke no Russian

Speaker 1: at all when I first went over there. And my translator, Max, came and picked me up where I was living.

Speaker 0: And he took me to

Speaker 1: the Moscow Art Theater, which is on Tverskaya, right across the street from Red Square. It's a few subway stops in a couple different directions to get there. And once we got there, the 1 thing that they tell you that's absolutely essential at all times, you always have to have your papers back then. At that point, the mayor ran the mafia, the mayor's police, they didn't really have a salary, they made their money by what they could sort of shake people down for. So we get to the theater, you know, on my birthday and my first day of school, and I think like I'm actually making something of my life.

Speaker 0: I'm here in Russia, but me being the fuck up that I am, I forgot my papers,

Speaker 1: because I'm just a, just, you know, unadulterated asshole.

Speaker 0: And I said to Max, man, I'm so sorry, man.

Speaker 1: I forgot my papers. You know, and he said, okay, well, we got to go back and get them. And I said, nah, man, let's just go into school and we'll do it the next day. He said, no, they're not going to let you into the school without your papers. Let's go back and get them.

Speaker 0: I said, look, man,

Speaker 1: I'm a grown ass man. Let me go back and get my papers. You don't have to come with me. You just took me here. So I convinced him to let

Speaker 0: me go by myself. And then again, me being the asshole that I am and everything's in Cyrillic,

Speaker 1: I couldn't read anything. I got completely fucking lost. And I just had no idea where I was. I'm 3 days in Russia. It's getting dark.

I'm screwing up. I finally make it back to my place. I get my papers. I make it back to the school, but now I've missed the first day. It's like completely dark and I'm on the wrong side of Tverskaya, which is like this main street about 16 lanes and I got to get to the other side to get to school and I just start kind of like like Frogger I'm like dodging cars like a

Speaker 0: total asshole like I can't get to the other side as soon as I get

Speaker 1: to the other side boom AK-47s in my face Russian police are right there they get me for crossing. You're supposed to cross below. I didn't know that. They're yelling at me in Russian. I give them, you know, 20 rubles.

They let me go. And I'm just like, just such an asshole. It's my birthday. I've missed my first day. I don't know what the fuck I'm doing.

And so I do what any good American would do. I go and treat myself to a meal at McDonald's, right? So I go and I get myself some McDonald's. Happy birthday to me. You're a fuck up, right?

Then I'm going back that night and I'm back in Parkle Torrey and I'm walking down the street. I'm all by myself. It's pitch blackout. It's cold as fuck. And I'm walking down the street

Speaker 0: and this Mercedes pulls up

Speaker 1: in front of me and these 2 guys get out of the front seat and they reach into the back seat and they grab something out and I see it's this woman with beautiful red hair, and she's in like a beautiful cocktail dress,

Speaker 0: and they're pulling her out

Speaker 1: of the backseat of this Mercedes. And I'm the only 1 on the street, and they clearly don't see me, but this woman sees me. She makes like direct eye contact with me. And they're pulling her

Speaker 0: out of the side, they're pulling her out of the backseat. She's not fighting them,

Speaker 1: but she's not helping them either. She's just, like, completely limp and just being dragged. And they take her over to this building, and they just start, like, opening her head up against the side of this building and start smashing her

Speaker 0: head so I like forgot where I

Speaker 1: was and like I ran at this guy and I grabbed him and in English I'm like man what the fuck are you doing what are you doing And he just pulled out a gun, he just put it like right to my forehead, and he said in English, he's like, go away, like that. And, you know, Joe, I knew like in an instant, man. I knew in an instant that like, it was like I was a bug, like I was a bug. Like that was a different, I'd met, I'd seen guns before, I'd seen stuff before, I just knew that this was a completely different level. And so I walked away listening to that, listening to what they were doing.

And it was like day 3. So that's on the brutality side of it. But I think conversely on the beauty side of it, you know, there's just, it was a culture that I found like completely free of pretension. You know, if you have a conversation with somebody you really have a conversation conversation you look you in the eye And there's no hey, how you doing? Hey, I'm doing great.

There's no bullshit It wouldn't be strange or weird for to have somebody Break down in tears in your first meeting and talking to them and not because they're sort of like emotionally fragile or weak, but because they're just so honest and in the moment. I saw this unbelievable national appreciation for the arts. I saw people who, You know, you go on the subways and people weren't reading, you know, Us Weekly. They were reading Bulgakov and Tolstoy. It's an unbelievably literate society.

Yeah, I don't know, man. I'm so grateful for my time there. And yeah, it really, you know, Alma and that place really saved my life.

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What Jon Bernthal Learned His 3rd Day Living in Russia