This is the second in a new series called the “Russia-America Exchange”. On 12/19/21 we were joined by an incredible Kin’s Domain Settlement founder from Russia in a Q&A style discussion for 3 hours with 40+ live participants.
This is a masterclass in starting a settlement. If you are curious to know more about starting a successful Kin’s Domain Settlement, and learning from a master, this video is a must-watch. There is not another video like this in the English language.
Andrey shares priceless gems from his 20+ years of experience as the founder of a Kin’s Domain settlement.
🎤 About the Speaker:
Andrey is the founder of the settlement “Svetlie Rosi” (Light Dew) near Ivanovo city, northeast of Moscow. It is a nearly 20 year old, large and successful Kin’s Domain settlement with lots of families that has launched many businesses, profiting several million roubles. Andrey is passionate to share his insights from founding his settlement; how they select people to join, important points to note, and more. He sharSummary of the video and timestampses how to create strong economics within a settlement.
Detailed Summary of the Video and Timestamps
Please make sure to read this! A lot of insight from the video is captured below.
3:15 The conference begins.
4:04 Andrey introduces himself and the settlement.
8:34 Building a settlement is different for everyone.
9:52 How settlement organizers are communicating. Using VKontakt (Russia), Telegram and WhatsApp and such.
11:50 The Ringing Cedars of Russia books talked about the ideal locations for settlements in Russia, which haven’t been realized.
13:23 Working on ponds and such can be easy and even joyful, yet human relationships can sometimes be problematic.
14:17 Reading a chapter from the Ringing Cedars of Russia book series.
17:29 Having a detailed blueprint is the key to building a successful settlement.
17:53 Potential problems, like noise from a lumber shop, needs to be communicated early.
18:57 For example, the width of the road needs to be agreed upon in the blueprint.
The design should include space for future development.
20:00 First step in starting a settlement is to agree upon the image and details of the settlement as a blueprint in as much detail as possible and create a set of ‘house rules’.
20:51 For example, discuss what kind of materials to use on the road, when to build the road, where to put the materials, and how to manage the noise levels from the constructions and such.
21:54 It’s important to plan ahead. 35 to 50 percent of the total land space is used as a community area.
22:48 For example, what kind of building materials to use and discussing the process of decision making.
23:30 Every settlement is different when it comes to making decisions.
24:22 The most painful thing is when some didn’t join the settlement to create their Kin’s Domain but for business gain, or they bought the land but are not building their Kin’s Domains with others.
25:12 Such problems affect how the settlement is built.
26:15 It’s problematic when some have too many expectations or their behaviors are causing problems.
27:08 It’s important to learn from the experience of oneself or others.
27:55 There are examples of easy and happy processes of building a settlement, as well. And they did it by taking time to discuss and agree upon the blueprint and the rules of the settlement.
28:50 And they made the agreement (of joining the settlement) enforceable by law, by creating documents people sign when they join.
29:17 Even among like-minded people. They see life in the settlement in different ways.
29:45 Q: What would be involved when signing the agreement mentioned above?
30:24 Centralized electricity. Some people want or don’t want a centralized source of electricity.
Also, building roads, how to manage water, questions of how to finance community projects.
33:00 The community agreement could be about mindsets, diet, raising animals for meat or not, etc.
34:13 One thing that’s important to discuss is the building of houses. To have restrictions on when to complete the building of a house and when to become a permanent resident.
35:12 Whatever isn’t discussed and agreed upon will eventually come up in one to three years and may cause conflict.
35:50 It’s not about being right or wrong. It’s about differences of vision and methods.
36:58 When the agreements are made, such as payments for building the infrastructure, then the settlement is prepared for success.
37:54 While not everything is decided completely, the frameworks that are created in the early
stage help continue the discussion on further development for the next 70 years and beyond.
39:00 It’s so much more important to co-create a clear image and detailed agreements than finding a beautiful space.
39:40 Making agreements as legal documents to protect everyone involved, that people sign when they join.
40:57 Some Kin’s Domain settlements decide to work on agreements as issues come up.
41:26 Anton and Vika’s settlement. Their image/blueprint is described in more general terms.
42:52 Anton and Vika’s settlement was created with the support of the law on Kin’s Domains in the Belgorod region in Russia, which is the only region to have such a law so far.
44:05 It’s so important to establish a good relationship with the government, especially in the beginning.
44:45 Anton and Vika’s settlement is protected under the law, and because of that their settlement is protected from factories being built close by.
45:35 Most of the other Kin’s Domain Settlements in Russia are not protected under such laws. Because of it, dealing with the government can be difficult.
46:25 Andrey’s settlement has something that the Ringing Cedars books mentioned that others may not. His settlement has tourist attractions and a medical center.
47:43 As mentioned in the books, most settlements in Russia don’t have the infrastructure to accommodate tourists.
48:30 To integrate tourist attractions into the settlement, it’s good to build Kin’s Domains in the center and the tourist attractions on the perimeter of the settlement.
49:18 It’s good to have the roads and the waterways on the perimeter, as well.
49:50 It’s good to have 20 to 30 masterful entrepreneurs join your settlement who are ready to launch businesses.
50:40 Anton and Vika had their entrepreneurial projects well-planned in advance.
51:30 Anton’s settlement also had entrepreneurial projects planned but didn’t work.
51:50 Most settlements also had the challenge of creating a sense of unity within the settlement.
52:32 Some ways to create a sense of unity are festivals, bard concerts, shared meals, the
Khorovod (traditional Russian circle-dance) and others.
53:38 In the Ringing Cedars books, Anastasia inspired the revival of the ancient traditional Russian ceremonies.
54:20 Andrey recommends learning the Khorovod (hand-holding dance) meant to help create a sense of unity within a settlement.
56:30 Successful settlements need to have a detailed image, a set of agreed upon rules and strong emotional connections between people.
57:56 Gabriel promotes a future Russia-America Exchange involving bards and their music.
58:44 Alonya shares how she feels that they alway feel supported by the Universe even through difficulties.
59:27 Gabriel and Svetlana share how they also feel supported by the Universe through challenges.
1:01:43 Doing inner-work is an important part of building a settlement.
1:02:55 Q: Wondering if Andrey could speak a little in regards to the mental, emotional, spiritual states/skills he has experienced and feels it important to have to begin and maintain a successful kin domain.
1:03:53 Most important skill is deep and clear communication in relationships.
One needs to develop both spiritual and practical skills involved in living in a settlement.
People need to create an image/visualization for the settlement and a detailed plan involved in building a settlement.
Q: Could you give examples of successful businesses launched from a settlement?
1:07:38 In the beginning, the settlement now offers organic food, festivals and events. Examples of businesses one can launch from a settlement.
1:11:40 The three most successful business ventures in a settlement are: Growing organic food, family events, and festivals and markets.
1:13:07 Q: I would like to hear your thoughts about how to find the balance between private/family space and community space.
1:14:07 A: In Andrey’s settlement, the most beautiful areas are the common areas.
When the size of a settlement reaches 700 to 1000 people, the community may split into smaller groups of people of like-mindedness.
1:18:00 Andrey says the type of gatherings depend on the number of settlers.
1:20:13 Q: Does everyone have a voice to express their concerns and their ideas to improve the settlement?
A: Every month, they have a community gathering for the settlers. Everyone has the right to speak about the topic they want to discuss.
1:22:00 Q: So, what has worked best for your settlement and what hasn’t worked so well?
Andrey: Before joining the settlement, the newcomer must sign contracts/agreements.
The agreements are protected by law. It gives accountability to the agreements made, and it protects the integrity of the agreements. It’s a way to prevent people from buying the land and joining the settlement to sell the land later on for profit.
1:25:46 Some people join a settlement based on a speculation of what the Ringing Cedars of Russia is, and to be watchful of the people who buy a piece of land in order to sell it later on.
1:27:10 In terms of what hasn’t worked well. Expecting people to volunteer to work together on public constructions doesn’t always work. It’s because people might have other tasks and considerations to take care of. It’s very important to describe each person’s contributions in detail such as labor, money, material, time and such early in building a settlement.
1:29:20 Q: What have you found that works well to keep the humans/people in a settlement all on the same page or getting along?
A: In my experience, spending more time creating a collective image (doing visualizations) together as a settlement. Also, we do visualizations of our neighbors.
Alonya shares how festivals unite the people in the settlement. When we were organizing the festival, we had a concert, seminar and everyone had their own task. For example, some people were in charge of renting spaces for the guests and other people were doing excursions with guests. A common project united the settlement strongly. As a result of the festivals, two families joined the settlement after they observed how we worked together as a settlement.
1:34:05 Q: So how many people live in your Kin’s Domain Settlement? How do you deal with problems? Do you have a council?
A: We have a document titled “Order of Solving Questions in Settlement” and we follow such documents in a conflict situation. When a conflict comes up between two families, the first step is to try to resolve it between themselves. If that doesn’t work, the second step is the founders stepping in to help. And if that doesn’t work, they can bring the problem to the entire community to try to solve it together.
For the third step of conflict resolution, the people involved in the conflict share the problem on the community thread in a chat group, and then people who are willing and able step in. It’s very important that both parties trust the people who step in to help.
Most of the problems get solved within those three steps. When it does not get solved, at least people are aware of the problem and helps them solve it in the future.
1:39:08 Q: How does the Kin’s Domain settlement work financially? Who manages the finances?
A: We have three funds. One is cooperative fund which all the settlers are paying into that funds various projects. Another one is the entry fee. Last one is a yearly fee. They have a budget and plan of how they manage each fund.
We have membership fees. To collect the fees, it’s important to have legal agreements for the fees such as payment amount and due dates.
Q: What are the benefits of having membership fee requirements for the members?
A: When there is no membership, it’s so difficult to do public projects.
When it comes to project financing, each family decides which one they choose to finance.
Gabriel: In the Ringing Cedars of Russia book five, Anastasia talks about families pooling money together to buy arms factories to reduce the availability of weapons in the world.
1:46:10 Q: Can you share the most inspiring spiritual experience you’ve had since creating your settlement?
A: It’s hard to remember a specific one. Personally, the most spiritual experience was meeting my wife, my soulmate, and the wedding ceremony. Everyone from the settlement was there, and there was a special energy in the atmosphere. And there was a moment where there was a mystical wind blowing in the air. It was unforgettable.
Svetlana: I experience being at one with nature and with the people. Feeling as if I’m a drop of the ocean. I hope everyone who’s listening will have that experience.
Also, after a month of living on the settlement, Svetlana’s son said how he feels so special living on the Kin’s Domain because he also felt so at one with nature.
It’s not so hard to live on your Kin’s Domain. It just takes the willingness to live the life that Creator wishes for us.
1:51:10 Q: Can you/they describe more details of what is meant by creating an “Image”? And perhaps some examples of some settlement’s?
A: We humans have the ability to model his/her own future. When the image is about the lifestyle of an entire settlement, it’s not an individual thing. In my settlement, there isn’t a person who models the lifestyle of the entire settlement.
In the city, there are many companies satisfying our needs. When building a settlement, it’s important to get the details such as where supplies are coming from, straightened out.
For successful creation of the image, it’s important to have people of diverse skillsets and knowledge.
When a person is a part of the collective image-creation, then they are more willing to pay the membership fees because they see it as a means to manifesting their vision.
When it’s someone’s turn to add to the collective image of the settlement, he/she first reads what others have created so far.
1:56:00 Alonya: A settlement is like a human being. Some people are like the brain. Some people are like the hands.
It’s important to include the thoughts of the children in the settlement by creating a room for play, games, creativity and others, for example.
Andrey: When creating an image for the settlement, we write it down for future reference and for documentation.
Svetlana: When creating images, remember to use all your senses in your visualization as well. For example, imagine how it feels to be in that state when the desired outcome is manifested.
Andrey: Remember to find ways to involve, invite and attract other people and children into your creation, as well, so that they’d want to live on the settlement.
Think about spaces for children and for tourists, as well. It’s important to think of as many things as possible in your image.
Alonya: Every time you create a detailed image. Right people will come to you to help you manifest it. There are many examples of how visualization attracted the right people for specific visualizations.
2:04:40 Gabriel: For example, the students in Schetinin’s School used collective imaging/group visualization to do collective work. And the co-created image governed what happens in terms of getting collective work done.
2:05:28 Q: How often do you communicate with the government?
Andrey: It’s very important to include the government in the project as much as possible.
The easiest ways to deal with the government is to discuss economic or social projects like school improvement or creating festivals that are tied to national holidays.
Certain teams of people are always in close communication with the government. In that way, when certain issues arise, the government authority knows who to talk to in the settlement.
Alonya: For example, a person is in charge of road construction and another in charge of school. And they would be in touch with their counterparts in the government.
2:09:50 Q: What control does your state have, if any, on the activity on Kin’s Domains?
Andrey: Before the pandemic, there was no interference from the government. After the pandemic, the government is more involved in terms of social gatherings during festivals. Outside of that, the community is completely independent.
In terms of the use of the land, we work with the land zoning assigned by the government.
Alonya: Our land is agricultural land. Some people work with bees. Some have a nursery
of land for rare plants. Our use of the land is in alignment with the government rules.
2:13:33 Alonya: People in the settlement have diverse backgrounds, which helps us understand how the people in the government think and how to better interact with them.
2:15:00 Q: Most importantly, is state control a big concern for the settlements?
Andrey: There is no such thing as controlling people in settlement except for expectations
about the use of the land. It’s important to describe to the government what you’re trying to do and how it complies with the government regulation. Usually, the government helps so that a settlement will have a proper legal base as long as the government authority understands what the settlement is for.
Alonya: We tried to explain to the government the intention of developing a barren land into something beautiful, prosperous and productive.
Andrey: In Russia, you can buy or rent land from government or private owners. Andrey’s settlement is using all of the ways available to develop the settlement.
2:20:00 Q: Did they need government permits to create the settlement – to use the land in this way?
Andrey: There is no such requirement for such permits in Russia. It’s important to build proper relationships with the government from the beginning. At first, we had privately owned land, then it changed into a cooperative. As a cooperative, we began building the relationship with the government. Other settlements worked with the government sooner (such as getting paperwork done, making sure the rules are followed, etc.) established their settlement easier and faster with the help of the government.
Q from Gabriel: What should we keep in mind to make the first Kin’s Domain Settlements a success in North America?
Andrey: We initially began as Ringing Cedars of Russia book clubs, then became friends and then began building settlements together.
Also, we organized bard festivals and people get introduced to the books or the ideas in the books during the festival.
Alonya: I took many actions inspired by the Ringing Cedars of Russia book series such as joining book clubs and going to Ringing Cedars of Russia festivals. It took me 20 years to find land. There was a team of young entrepreneurs who created a detailed plan to start a settlement, and that was my time to join a settlement.
2:30:00 Introducing online community platform for Ringing Cedars readers https://anastasia.foundation/community
2:31:23 Svetlana introduces Natasha who is very experienced and knowledgeable. Natasha is Polina’s mom. Polina was one of the speakers on the last R.A.E call. Natasha’s been living on a Kin’s Domain settlement for a long time.
2:33:00 Natasha speaks: One of the most important things is to ask yourself “Who am I?” It’s so important to remember who we really are and remember who you were created to be from the beginning of the creation. Return to the beginning of the creation to remember who we really are.
It’s very important to read the Ringing Cedars of Russia book series repeatedly. If you read them a long time ago, how you were as a person back then may not be the same as the person you are today. As the person you are today, you’re going to understand the books in different ways.
You should experience the reality around you through your heart, and not be dependent on others to tell you what reality is. That is how you return to yourself. That’s the only way we can return to the new civilization of pristine origins.
Through such awareness, you can know what your role is in the settlement. That’s the role that’s unique, and only for you.
Natasha can feel the vibration through which people talk.
She sends greetings from the dolmen spirits to us in North America. She says she felt them asking her to do so.
She wants for everyone to return to themselves and remember why they are on this planet right now.
It doesn’t matter how things in the world are right now. The system is trying to separate and isolate us. It’s so important to feel as one. Don’t let it separate us.
In the way Anasta stopped the iceberg with her thoughts in book 10 of the series, we can also use our thoughts to create a bright future. We’re in a dark time right now because the system is nearing its end. We should focus on our happy future.
No matter what language we speak, we’re all one.
2:48:15
Andrey and Alonya: Sending our appreciations to everyone. Thank you for really good questions.
Gabriel: Thank you to our friends in Russia. Blessings to all of us because we’re following Anastasia’s dream, which is the Creator’s dream, which is our dream. The Universe is smiling on us and blessing us.
