'I Love Baku': Azerbaijani YouTubers and Citizen Diplomacy
This study analyzes how Azerbaijani YouTubers leverage Russian-language vlogs to act as informal cultural ambassadors, fostering citizen diplomacy and enhancing Azerbaijan's international image through authentic narratives of daily life and culture.
Original paper licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). This is an AI-generated explanation of the paper below. It is not written or endorsed by the authors. For technical accuracy, refer to the original paper. Read full disclaimer
In the modern world, how a country is seen by the rest of the planet is no longer decided solely by government press releases or official tourism campaigns. A new field of study has emerged to understand how ordinary people, using the tools of social media, are reshaping international relations. This practice is often called "citizen diplomacy," where individuals act as unofficial ambassadors, sharing their daily lives to build bridges between cultures. Instead of polished speeches from state leaders, the focus shifts to personal stories, local customs, and the unscripted moments of everyday existence. When these stories are told on video platforms like YouTube, they can reach millions of people, offering a sense of intimacy and authenticity that official channels often struggle to achieve. The question researchers are now asking is simple yet profound: how do regular people, simply by filming their lives, change the way the world understands their home country?
A recent study by Narmina Abdulaev, a researcher at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, explores this phenomenon through the lens of Azerbaijan. The research focuses on a specific group of content creators: Azerbaijani YouTubers who produce vlogs, or video blogs, in the Russian language. While Azerbaijan has its own national language, Russian remains a widely spoken and understood language across the former Soviet region. By choosing to speak Russian, these creators are not just making videos; they are strategically opening a door to a massive audience of neighbors and former compatriots who might otherwise view Azerbaijan through a lens of stereotypes or political tension. The study asks how these influencers use their videos to promote a positive image of their country and foster understanding among Russian-speaking viewers.
To answer this, the researcher examined eight different YouTube channels created by Azerbaijani influencers between July 2025 and July 2026. The analysis involved watching and translating their videos to understand the themes, stories, and interactions they shared. The findings reveal that these creators are not acting as traditional diplomats. They are not giving speeches about national achievements or promoting specific tourist landmarks. Instead, they are building a picture of Azerbaijan through the mundane, the ordinary, and the deeply personal. Their videos are filled with scenes of walking through local supermarkets, checking the price of fruit, riding the subway, or cooking dinner at home. One creator might film a trip to a grocery store to show how much a kilogram of cherries costs, while another might share a moment of confusion after accidentally taking the wrong train. These small, unpolished details are the core of their message.
The study suggests that this focus on the everyday is what makes the content so powerful. By showing the cost of a cup of coffee or the layout of a neighborhood market, the YouTubers make the country feel accessible and real to someone living thousands of miles away. They transform abstract ideas of "Azerbaijan" into concrete experiences that a viewer can imagine themselves living. When a creator discusses the price of a pastry in the city center, they are not just sharing a number; they are offering a glimpse into the economic reality of daily life. When they explain the steps of a traditional wedding or the ingredients of a local dish like qutab, they are translating culture into a language of personal experience. This approach humanizes the nation, replacing distant, formal images with relatable, human stories.
Authenticity plays a crucial role in this process. The videos often include mistakes, awkward moments, and spontaneous reactions that would be edited out of a professional news report. A creator might stumble over their words, get lost in a subway station, or admit that a certain local custom feels outdated to them. The study found that these imperfections do not weaken their message; rather, they strengthen the trust between the creator and the viewer. The audience perceives these flaws as proof that the content is real and unscripted. This sense of "calibrated amateurism" allows the creators to function as informal cultural ambassadors, offering a perspective that feels honest and unfiltered.
Furthermore, the relationship between these YouTubers and their viewers is deeply interactive. The creators do not just broadcast information; they engage in a two-way conversation. They read comments, answer questions about local prices, and even incorporate viewer feedback into their future videos. In some cases, the connection moves beyond the screen. One creator in the study described being recognized by a viewer while shopping in a store, an encounter that was then turned into the subject of a new video. This blurring of lines between the digital and physical worlds creates a sense of community. The viewers feel like they are part of the creator's life, and the creator feels supported by the audience, creating a cycle of mutual recognition that strengthens the bond.
The research proposes a model to explain how these simple videos accumulate into something larger. It suggests a process that moves in three stages. First, there is the documentation of daily life, where creators simply film their routine activities. Second, these activities are transformed into cultural knowledge as the creators explain the "why" and "how" behind what they are doing, helping outsiders understand local customs. Finally, over time, the accumulation of these shared experiences builds a broader perception of the country in the minds of the audience. This is how everyday digital storytelling evolves into a form of citizen diplomacy. It is a decentralized way of shaping a nation's image, driven not by a central authority but by the collective voice of individuals sharing their lives.
The study concludes that these Azerbaijani YouTubers are successfully practicing a form of soft power. They are influencing how their country is perceived not through force or money, but through attraction and connection. By using the Russian language to share stories of hospitality, local traditions, and daily struggles, they are fostering a sense of familiarity and understanding among a vast audience. While the study cannot measure exactly how these videos change political opinions or travel decisions, it clearly demonstrates that these creators are building a new kind of diplomatic bridge. They are showing that the most effective way to understand a country might not be to read its official history, but to watch its people buy groceries, cook dinner, and navigate their daily lives. In doing so, they are proving that the smallest, most ordinary moments can carry the weight of international understanding.
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