Post-Pravda

He is a Canadian who is addicted to Georgia and visits at least once every year, at the very least to update his list of the best places to get drunk. In addition, Patrick Dooley is well versed in Kazakh photographers, Ukrainian electro-pop divas, the punk heirs of Croatia, the modern sound of Lithuania, Belarus, Slovenia, Ukraine, Albania and all sorts of interesting artists from the wider post-communist region. Apart from the contemporary art and culture of this little-studied part of the world in the media, he is also interested in social justice. He is interested in precisely those details of the area that literally surrounds us and that distinguish it from everything else. The stories of his journeys together with like-minded people he brings to the online magazine Post-Pravda. He and his friend Michael Fai founded it a few years ago, driven by a mutual love of travel and discovery. Despite the initial impression, Dooley says he sidesteps the snobbery that other travelers like him are prone to.

What attracts a real traveler to Eastern Europe

I would struggle to call myself or anyone a real traveler. I have traveled a lot but I would never want to consider my travels anymore “real” than someone else’s travels. I think people that travel as much as I can be prone to a certain snobbery and I’d like to avoid this.

What exactly constitutes Eastern Europe is vague like is Hungary Central or Eastern Europe? Polish friends get mad at me when I call them Eastern European! However, among post-socialist countries, you find extremely dynamic and interesting places. I think particularly among people my age that were raised after 1991 are trying new ideas, yet not entirely dismissing their history. What emerges is an amazing art and social culture. Each and every country has their own unique contribution but I never ceased to be amazed by the creative talent and charisma of the region.

What you do NOT have to do so that you experience something different on the road?

Christ, stay away from tour guides. In fact, don’t even plan too much. You now can find any information you want about a country. Nothing is a secret. The consequence is they everyone is just replicating each other’s travels. A lot of the time, traveling becomes an act of confirming your expectations instead of discovery.

If you want to have a unique experience then you need to put your expectations aside and embrace the uncertain. Be open enough to engage people and try new ideas. Lastly, leave your stereotypes, racism, and selfie-sticks at home.

Kyiv, Ukraine / Photo Credit: Ihor Hora

What someone needs to know when he goes on a journey in Eastern Europe? Is there some kind of a survival kit which would be useful only in this part of the world?

Know that trying to outdrink your Moldovan friends will just lead you to be in the hospital and accept that you need to say a prayer before you take a marshrutka. Other than that, this is generally a safe place where people are always keen to help you. I think it is important just not to be a prick. Sometimes places are poorer but that does not make them any less knowledgeable or sophisticated. The only thing I can really suggest is that people listen a lot.

Is tourism some kind of an escape and from what? And what about real adventure?

There is a certain fantasy to travel. For all the romance of travel, the truth is that a lot of it is just bull shit. However, if you travel with some purpose and ask yourself some serious questions then travel can enable a lot of self-discovery. How can you really know who you are as a person if you never step into the unfamiliar? I think travel should be escaping the obvious and monotony of life. What that familiarity is dependent upon each person but the disruptive nature of travel can be very positive. You can only understand the center when you explore the margins.

Minsk, Belarus / Photo Credit: Masha Svyatogor

Tiksi, Russia / Photocredit: Evgenia Arbugaeva

What are you most often looking for when you prepare your next journey?

I really enjoy exploring different bars, cafes, and different spaces. I’m always interested to see how these places are different in each city and what I’ll stumble upon.

For me, I am always looking for seemingly small details to identify in each city. What defines us is not there massive differences but the little peculiar qualities that often go unnoticed. Stuff like how people hug each other or write on walls. Exploring these aspects of life really reminds me how innovative and special people can be. Despite the homogenizing aspects of technology, each city, country, and community still has its own unique magic.

Does preparation help or hinder real adventure? Why?

Download a wireless GPS, know at least one good bar, and never stay in an old town. Leave enough space for the random but don’t set yourself up for failure

The most interesting things - do they happen when you travel alone or with a company?

Traveling alone is far harder and it can get lonely. I understand it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. However, people tend to close themselves off while with other people. There is less of a reason to engage a random person in conversation if you’re with other people. Group travels never lead to anything special. I think it is really healthy mentally to travel by yourself if you want to have some adventure. It affords you the ability for something a little crazy.

Baku, Azerbaijan / Photo Credit: Elshan Baba

Moscow, Russia / Photo Credit: Ekaterina Anchevskaya

How do you get a good story out of a journey? What is your formula?

Ask a fuck load of questions, accept everyone within a hundred square kilometers know far more than you, and wait till you’re on the ground before you start exploring. What is being written in major papers tends to reflect only one small aspect of society. When speaking to different people, you need to understand their perspective and accept they don’t speak for everyone. You’d also be surprised how much you can learn from Tinder!

What is the special requirement to the authors in Post Pravda that distinguishes them?

My preference is a writer that has a unique voice and personality. You can help people with their grammar but you can’t teach originality. We have a particular ethos in Post Pravda of social justice and a desire to always do something different from other presses. We’re willing to help people and give them a chance but we’ll never publish something that we wouldn’t want to read ourselves.

Azeri girl singing during the harvest Agdam, Azerbaijan / Photo Credit: Nihad Ari Gulamzada

Belarus, Minsk / Photo Credit: Evgeny Kuroedov

The music that will accompany your journeys this summer?

SiR x Rejjie Snow x The Internet x Patrice Rushen (repeat)

Why should we keep on following you?

Truthfully, I don’t even know if I care people do or not. I started Post Pravda with my best friend Michael Fahey with zero intention of ever becoming rich, popular, or influential. Both of us share an unadulterated joy in travel, art, and social justice. Running this magazine became our means of combining them. It is our labour of love and our desire to promote those artists we admire, tell the stories that leave us curious, and show to people that the post-socialist region has so much to educate the world. Our greatest asset is that we actually write about what we love and what amazes us. If people sympathize with that, then we might interest them.

postpravdamagazine.com