Together with Maxim Katz, he co-founded the City Projects Foundation, focused on promoting urban improvements in Russia.

Varlamov began his blog on LiveJournal under the username "zyalt" in 2006, initially focusing on photography.

[11] His work covers various topics, including urban planning, Russian politics, and global events.

The show debuted on his YouTube channel in 2017 and achieved considerable popularity, gaining millions of subscribers.

[16] In 2024, a criminal case was initiated against him for alleged violations of "foreign agent" regulations, specifically for failing to properly label his social media posts.

[17] Varlamov extensively covered the 2013-2014 Euromaidan protests in Kyiv, providing firsthand accounts, photographs, and live streams from the scene.

[18] His documentation of the events gained significant attention from both Russian and Ukrainian media outlets.

As an architect and urbanist, Varlamov has traveled extensively, documenting and critiquing urban environments around the world.