{"page":"\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/resources-c03aa079.css\" /\u003e\n\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/lp_boclips_stylesheets-517835be.css\" media=\"all\" /\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-title='Former lawyer lives as \u0026#39;hobbit\u0026#39; in underground hut' data-url='/boclips/videos/5c54d301d8eafeecae1e637a' data-video-url='/boclips/videos/5c54d301d8eafeecae1e637a' id='bo_player_modal'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='boclips-resource-page modal-dialog panel-container'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='react-notifications-root'\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-header'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-type'\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fai fa-regular fa-circle-play'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\nVideo\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch1 class='rp-title' id='video-title'\u003e\nFormer lawyer lives as \u0026#39;hobbit\u0026#39; in underground hut\n\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-actions'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='mr-1'\u003e\n\u003ca class=\"btn btn-success\" data-posthog-event=\"Signup: LP Signup Activity\" data-posthog-location=\"body_link_boclips\" data-remote=\"true\" href=\"/subscription/new\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGet Free Access\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e for 10 Days\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e!\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-body'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-info'\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-label='Hide resource details' class='rp-hide-info' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u0026times;\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Expand resource details' class='rp-expand-info fai fa-solid fa-up-right-and-down-left-from-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Compress resource details' class='rp-compress-info fai fa-solid fa-down-left-and-up-right-to-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-rating'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='resource-pool'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-label'\u003ePublisher:\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-name'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='text'\u003e\u003ca data-publisher-id=\"30356011\" href=\"/search?publisher_ids%5B%5D=30356011\"\u003eCurated Video\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-description'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='short-description'\u003eLEADIN:A former lawyer who gave it all up to live in an underground hut in a forest has become known as the 'Hobbit' - thanks to the circular entrance to his woodland home.But Yuri Alekseyev says he's much more like a character from...\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='full-description hide'\u003eLEADIN:A former lawyer who gave it all up to live in an underground hut in a forest has become known as the 'Hobbit' - thanks to the circular entrance to his woodland home.But Yuri Alekseyev says he's much more like a character from Alice in Wonderland - and even has a white rabbit. STORYLINE:Yuri Alekseyev wakes up in the morning and walks to a nearby forest to collect wood to warm up his home. His faithful white rabbit Petrushka follows him. The round entrance to his underground hut has earned him the nickname \"Hobbit\" in the local media after Tolkien's famous novel. However, Alekseyev explains that the door is round purely because it was easier for him to cut it when he was building the hut.  Rather than being referred to as the 'Hobbit' he would much prefer to be likened to 'Alice in Wonderland'. But if you are thinking of the Mad Hatter, think again. F ive and a half years ago Alekseyev was a lawyer in Moscow when he decided to leave it all behind and build a hut out of clay, wood and straw under the ground. \"We can say Newton was the first one who got a patent licence for the apple falling onto the head plot. Because I think when the similar story happened to the one who came up with the Mendeleev periodic table, Mendeleev, I think there was a similar story. So, he thought the apple has already fallen onto Newton's head, so he should not be using the apple, so he said that he had a dream. I read 'The Cherry Orchard',\" he says. Anton Chekhov's famed book 'The Cherry Orchard' charts the rise of the middle classes and the decline of the aristocracy in Russia at the turn of the 20th century. Yuri puts wood in the stove, starts the fire and puts water on to boil to make some tea. \"I am homeless,\" Alekseyev says. He explains that most of the people who live in cities are effectively homeless too, since they don't own their homes, all they can afford is to rent a flat, or room, or a couch.\"I started to live like a vagabond and then I thought, well, I am homeless. I mean, it is hard for people to say that they are homeless, although there are loads of homeless like me. And there are 100,000 homeless like me in Moscow. And this is why someone who works 8 hours a day to have a roof over their head is homeless in one sense, she/he is renting somewhere and I am the same, so I thought, first of all I should acknowledge 'you are homeless, you simply don't have a home'.\"But far from being a hermit tucked away in the woods, Alekseyev has turned his home into a centre for education. He joined the BookCrossing movement and has registered some 4500 books so far. BookCrossing is the World's Library run by librarians and enthusiasts exchanging books all around the world.Anyone can take a book from Alekseyev's library and take it anywhere in the world. He points out that one of his books has ended up at a university in Brazil. Deeming himself quite an expert on 'The Cherry Orchard', Alekseyev also gives lectures on Chekhov's masterpiece in his hut. As well as his BookCrossing page and Big Booking site, Alekseyev runs his own Youtube channel and is an active supporter of the Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny.Alekseyev believes that Navalny has every chance to become the next president in Russia and thinks that he is capable of making positive changes. He talks about the changes he deems necessary to the Russian political system a lot. Perhaps one of the reasons he has moved to a hut in a middle of nowhere is the fact that his chances of getting his own place with such outspoken views in the current system are not high.From his hut, Alekseyev works actively to promote and support Navalny, not only with a huge sign outside his hut reading 'Navalny', but also through filling petitions supporting Navalny and giving away Navanly \"talents\" - little round souvenirs made out of clay reading \"talent\" on one side and \"Navalny\" on the other.The Russian Federal Security Service continues to keep an eye on Alekseyev and has visited the hut in the past. \"I became a headache for the local Federal Security Service, i.e. there is a dude (talking about himself) who is sitting on the federal road and who is socially active. And 10,000 cars pass this road. And he has a Navalny sign, it used to be \"Navalny, here is 5\" when he got 5 years in prison before. He is there and when people come to him he talks about politics with them. He talks about things like civic consciousness and other things, talks about the economic situation and when talking to people perceives information himself. It is a point, a sort of combat base of a hermit. I can say it again. So I am here at the combat base of a hermit.\"Navalny was sentenced to five years in prison for embezzlement in 2013 which was later suspended. A lover of play-on-words, Alekseyev views his hut as an information point, and says although everyone sees him as a hermit, he actually educates a lot of people from his 'hermit' base.With his hermit combat post holding strong, Alekseyev  and Petrushka walk in the woods, read hundreds of books and exchange those read for new ones. Petrushka has his book preferences too - which he likes to nibble on.Moscow, Russia – 22 January 20171. Yuri carrying a large piece of wood standing with his white rabbit Petrushka2. Petrushka exploring the wood3. Yuri goes deep in the woods to pick up some wood for his house4. Petrushka exploring the wood while waiting for Yuri5. Yuri carrying the wood6. Petrushka following7. Petrushka nibbling the wood which Yuri is taking home 8. Yuri picking up the wood and carrying it to the house9.  A tepee in front of the hut 10. Yuri and Petrushka welcoming guests UPSOUND: (English) \"Hello\"11. Various of Yuri lighting the fire and putting up water on the fire for tea12. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Yuri Alekseyev:\"We can say Newton was the first one who got a patent licence for the apple falling onto the head plot. Because I think when the similar story happened to the one who came up with the Mendeleev periodic table, Mendeleev, I think there was a similar story. So, he thought the apple has already fallen onto Newton's head, so he should not be using the apple, so he said that he had a dream. I read 'The Cherry Orchard'.\"13. Various of Petrushka napping 14. Various of Homeless Handbook with the front cover torn off which hangs in Yuri's hut 15. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Yuri Alekseyev:\"To put it shortly, I am homeless. One can ask, how did you became homeless? So, how did it happen that a Russian citizen, in a rich country, not that I am super highly skilled but I do have a few higher qualifications (bachelor degrees or higher) - I can do stuff -  became not in demand?16. Cutaway to Petrushka cleaning himself17. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Yuri Alekseyev:\"I started to live like a vagabond and then I thought, well, I am homeless. I mean, it is hard for people to say that they are homeless, although there are loads of homeless like me. And there are 100,000 homeless like me in Moscow. And this is why someone who works 8 hours a day to have a roof over their head is homeless in one sense, she/he is renting somewhere and I am the same, so I thought, first of all I should acknowledge 'you are homeless, you simply don't have a home'.\"18. Books piled up in Yuri's hut19. Books piled up in Yuri's hut while only Don Quixote's cover is turned to the front 20. Yuri showing a number on one of the books registered by him in the BookCrossing library 21. Various - Yuri shows on the website that one of the books picked up at his library ended up in Brazil, in a university22. Yuri and his gadgets 23. Various signs outside of the hut, yellow one reading: \"Take, read, forever\"24. Various of the Little Free Library outside the hut25. Yuri walking to meet guests26. Old Russian flag over a tent27. Big sign outside the hut reading \"Navalny\"28. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Yuri Alekseyev:\"I became a headache for the local Federal Security Service, i.e. there is a dude (talking about himself) who is sitting on the federal road and who is socially active. And 10,000 cars pass this road. And he has a Navalny sign, it used to be \"Navalny,  here is 5\" when he got 5 years in prison before. He is there and when people come to him he talks about politics with them. He talks about things like civic consciousness and other things, talks about the economic situation and when talking to people perceives information himself. It is a point, a sort of combat base of a hermit. I can say it again. So I am here at the combat base of a hermit.\"29. Petrushka sniffing around30. Yuri showing talents (old coins)  of Navalny which he makes and gives away to people visiting 31. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Yuri Alekseyev:\"I see how he (Alexei Navalny) is holding his political campaign. How he alone (is doing that), by the way, of course, he is not alone because there are us, me, people who are talking about Navalny, who are supporting Navalny, who are signing for Navalny, who are ready to vote for him. We are collective Navalny.\"32. Yuri petting Petrushka33. Petrushka sniffing around 34. Close-up of Yuri 35. Yuri and his violin with Petrushka eating paper36. Petrushka relaxing37. Yuri and his violin with Petrushka relaxing38. Yuri carrying Petrushka to go to the woods for a walk39. Yuri's car covered with snow outside the hut40. 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