RT Documentary

"We're shooting a film here, but this is no movie," says Sargon Hadaya, half Russian, half Syrian. He is a war correspondent who has dedicated his life to revealing the truth behind the conflicts in Ukraine and the Arab world. The war correspondent finds himself in the midst of hell: in the phosphorus-burned forests of Kremennoy, in a combat helicopter above Bakhmut, and during the attacks of paratroopers in Svatovo. He openly admits that this kind of job isn’t enjoyable, but it's necessary. Sargon has filmed in Afghanistan, Iraq and Africa. But after the war in Syria, according to him, everything changed - journalists became targets. Sargon reports in Arabic, fluent in Russian and prays in Aramaic, the language of Christ. Watch our new documentary to learn more about this challenging yet indispensable profession.

How easy is it to fall into the cunning trap of microloans? Tatyana's apartment in Moscow was fraudulently sold at auction. Sergey was forced to sell his apartment to pay off a $75k debt that has been pinned on him. Svetlana found herself tangled in loans, low receipts, and debts. What do these individuals have in common? They are all victims of the dubious microloan scheme. It has proven to be the most common stratagem for seizing people's assets nowadays. How can one avoid falling prey to such schemes and protect themselves from losing everything they’ve worked for all their lives? Find out in our new documentary!

In 1994, about one million people were killed in Rwanda in just 100 days. Two decades on, a classical ballet school for young girls in the Rwandan city of Kigali has come to symbolise just how far the country has come in recovering from the trauma inflicted by the inter-tribal conflict. Children from the Hutu and Tutsi tribes were once seated on opposite sides of the classroom in Rwanda and taught that they were different, even in appearance. Tribal differences were also often emphasised by parents at home. This has radically changed since the genocide, however. Government initiatives in both schools and communities now teach, “No one’s a Hutu or a Tutsi, everybody’s Rwandan and that’s it,” as one aspiring young ballerina put it. Weekly reconciliation meetings are still held in every Rwandan village to reinforce this concept. Though the families of the genocide victims are still full of pain and can’t forget those they lost, they harbour no resentment and don’t promote anger, as “we can’t hate our neighbours, because we must all live together,” one woman said. Related: The Curse of the 'conflict minerals' in Congo The fresh voices and attitudes of the young ballerinas in this film attest to Rwanda’s success in dealing with its brutal past and preparing its new generation for a peaceful future. As one young dancer said, “We can’t let this happen again… we can’t go back to where we were; we have to keep growing and expanding on that.”

The Moiseyev Ballet is a world-known and loved folk dance ensemble, which has played an important role in establishing Russia’s international cultural ties since its inception in 1943. Its dancers are under constant pressure to do justice to the legacy of its visionary founder, Igor Moiseyev, and to keep proving the Ballet’s leadership among folk dance groups of the world. They undergo gruelling rehearsals and have to accept the inevitability of injuries and health problems – all in the name of art. Yet they are always trying to reach perfection, no matter the cost. They give the dance their all and, unlike in classic ballet, are prepared to share fame with each other, rather than stand out as lead dancers. Related: The hard path to becoming professional ballerina: a look Inside Russia's most famous ballet academy In 1943, the visionary Russian choreographer founded the Moiseyev Ballet, which showcased traditional dances from various cultures not just from around Russia and former Soviet republics, but from around the world - from English arrangements to Cossack dances. His ballet exists and performs to this day, still using his original choreography. The Moiseyev Ballet is grueling for the young dancers who perform there. Hours and hours of rehearsal, scores of injuries and high emotions are all par for the course on this stage. As they say, being polite and soft with people won’t get results. But in the end, the result here certainly shows. Related: What it takes Russian rhythmic Gymnasts to keep Russia's leadership in this beautiful and demanding sport The Moiseyev Ballet is at its heart an ensemble, and to that end so-called “superstars” have no place here. The dancers must all share the stage with one another, and work and perform as one flowing unit. This famous ensemble has been travelling all over the world for decades. They were among the first Russians to go to America after the Cold War, and were on the first Russian flight to Israel after a long hiatus in relations. However, they also make sure to travel around Russia’s vast territories. During the course of the film, one young dancer suffers a debilitating knee injury, and must undertake surgery. It’s heartbreaking, but he takes it in stride. It’s understood by all in the Moiseyev Ballet that these things happen, and at any rate the career of a dancer is bound to be short. For the time being, though, these young stars shine brightly on the stage, and work tirelessly to show their own and others’ culture all over the world.

"Donetsk has earned a little peace. It has been subjected to shelling for almost ten years now. The civilians have become so accustomed to the shelling that they do not believe it might ever end," says Callsign 'Lawyer', soldier of the Archangel Michael Battalion. 'Lawyer' grew up in a family of engineers, where his parents nurtured his passion for model-building and designing from a young age. When the Special Military Operation began, he saw how his civilian skills could be useful in the military and decided to help out. The soldiers of the Archangel Michael Battalion are not only operating FPV drones but also manufacturing essential military hardware needed for the frontline. They do this just a few kilometres away from the enemy firing positions. Watch our new documentary to see the Battalion's innovative developments and training firsthand.

After the Gaza strip was heavily bombed in 2014, all that remained in many areas were ruins, which became a training ground for young free runners. The sport, also known as parkour, is particularly dangerous in debris strewn Gaza, but the young men say that, as Palestinians, they’ve become accustomed to danger.

As the cost of living and inflation rises in the US, the quality of life for a wide spectrum of Americans declines. The lack of affordable housing, combined with inadequate policies to address the issue, has left vulnerable individuals in dreadful conditions. A tsunami of evictions has swept across the US as the nation struggles with runaway inflation. The state of New Jersey, for example, provides a grim picture of the harsh reality, with rent prices hitting record highs. As a result of the broken housing system, many people have resorted to sleeping in tents, parks, cars, and abandoned houses. Ocean County is one of many places in the US without a full-time shelter structure for homeless people to turn to. Minister Steve Brigham describes the situation as "a terrible shame," emphasizing that "there is no shelter for them to go to...that they have to sleep out in the woods." Homelessness affects people from diverse backgrounds, whether it is inherited poverty or individuals who were once wealthy. The lack of security and loss of dignity is a common factor among the people who confront such harsh conditions. Angelo, for example, was once a Harvard student, but is now barely surviving in a muddy homeless camp. RT Documentary’s new film, ‘US Homeless: The Fight for Equality,’ highlights the stories of the marginalized and their struggles of having their voices heard.

A significant portion of Bosnia and Herzegovina's population adheres to the Islamic faith, yet recently, the country has witnessed an alarming surge towards radicalisation. This documentary sheds light on the birth and spread of extremism within the state. What has the policy of division between Muslim and Orthodox societies led to so far? "The war in Bosnia and Herzegovina was a turning point in the growth of global jihad," says Jevad Galiyashevich, Social Relations and Counter-Terrorism Expert. With other experts, he explains how both the West and Arab countries' ambition in Islamizing Bosnia and Herzegovina has transformed the country into a potential military base for radical Islam, casting an ominous shadow over the region. Watch the film to explore the roots of this radicalization, including the impact of Western intelligence agencies and their connections to the rise of extremist ideologies.

Almost two kilometres of ice covers Antarctica, the coldest and emptiest continent on Earth. Humans and wildlife can cohabit in a peaceful, international brotherhood because the 1959 Antarctic Treaty protects the region from mineral exploitation and militarisation, and preserves it for science. RTD joins scientists on a dangerous trek to Vostok base at the magnetic South Pole and finds out what draws some of them again and again to isolation in Antarctica for months on end.

The US has a highly developed pharmaceutical industry offering treatments for all kinds of mental disorders. Millions of Americans are being medicated with psychotropic drugs for ailments as diverse as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and many others. Even young children are being put on psychiatric drugs. If parents decline such treatment, social services may intervene. Many patients, who’ve been taking these pills for years, insist that they do more harm than good. They have experienced disturbing side effects such as suicidal thoughts, addiction and even neurological damage. A lot of patients were put on their medication as children and by the time they were legally old enough to decide for themselves, they had already become addicted. They testify that breaking their dependency on the drugs is extremely difficult because, like any habit forming narcotic, they cause severe withdrawal symptoms. RTD meets some of the sufferers to hear their stories of battling to shake off prescribed medicines. Father of 5, Josh, was given anxiety medication, it caused Akathisia and Dystonia. Both are physical disorders causing involuntary and uncontrolled body movement and have left him disabled. Olivia’s son was prescribed psychiatric drugs to treat Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD). Olivia soon noticed side effects and refused to continue giving him the pills. He was taken by social services and hospitalised. Denis from Russia used to work for a pharmaceutical company in the US but after meeting his wife, who had suffered from the side effects of antidepressants for most of her life, he started questioning the necessity for such widespread psychiatric prescribing. Their claims are supported by lawyers and medical professionals. Psychiatrist Dr. Peter Breggin is a vocal critic of psychiatric medication. He is adamant that the drugs are toxic and that many problems people talk to physiatrists about can be treated without resorting to drugs. His book on how to stop taking psychiatric medicines has helped thousands of patients who have struggled with the challenge. RTD meets a few of them.

"I serve in the Orthodox Dmitry Donskoy Battalion now, as a soldier. I used to walk around here in a cassock, and now I'm in camo. When you're in military fatigues, at least the hems don't get dirty," says Ivan, a priest from the Moscow region. Despite being a clergyman, Ivan has taken up arms out of sheer determination to protect Donbass civilians. Like many others who volunteered to defend Donbass, Ivan believes every effort made brings victory closer. Watch the documentary to discover unique individuals who decided to join the ranks on the Donbass frontlines. From musicians to engineers, regular people became soldiers, putting their lives on the line to ensure a peaceful future for their region.

The manual, authored by emirs for the new generation of jihadists, was discovered amid the ruins on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria. It contains specific instructions on how to turn an ordinary person into someone who would then set off explosions in the subways. The film crew, shocked by the unearthed methods of terrorist recruitment, initiated their own inquiry. Their goal was to explain how not only neighbouring regions but also tens of thousands of people worldwide, are drawn into jihadist networks. Why do people often fail to recognize terrorists recruitment attempts? Survivors of the horrors of the so-called caliphate, who managed to escape, offer their perspectives on the issue. Evidence of crimes, terrorist testimonies and accounts from their wives and children, contribute to finding answers to this question.

Twenty-five years ago, the skies over Yugoslavia were ripped apart by relentless NATO bombing, scattering waves of contaminated dust infused with depleted uranium, a component found in armour-piercing munitions. However, it was the local civilians who suffered the brunt of the devastation, facing increased cancer-related deaths due to the toxic heavy metal. “Bombs were raining down on Vranje. They were bombing non-stop. But not with conventional bombs! Instead of classical weapons, they used depleted uranium bombs,” recalls Gradimir, a survivor of NATO’s bombing in Serbia, his life forever marked by the scars of that tragic event. For over three decades, the US Army has utilized depleted uranium shells in various conflicts, leaving behind a trail of devastation similar to that witnessed in Yugoslavia. The tragedy resounded tragically in Fallujah, Iraq, in 2004, where Mouaid, among others, suffered unimaginable losses. “I’m one of the victims of the Americans. My eye is damaged. I also have traumas on my body, legs, and my back after the violent bombings. My brother and my niece died,” shares Mouaid. Even in Italy, protests emerged from families of Italian soldiers who suffered as part of the ‘peacekeeping mission’ upon their return from Kosovo. Investigative journalists Jacopo Brogi and Alessandro Fanetti shed light on the concealed dangers of depleted uranium munitions, and the toll it exacted on soldiers deployed in conflict zones. From the streets of Serbia to cemeteries in Iraq and Rome, this film serves as a poignant reminder of the human cost of warfare and the pressing demand for accountability.

A cathedral founded on pure faith and its creator who’s dedicated more than 50 years of his life to building it. 91-year-old Don Justo, of the small Spanish town of Mejorada del Campo, is a former monk. On a whim and a dream he decided to build a monumental house of God and since 1961, he’s been doing just that using scrap, recycled building materials and as much good will as he can find.

Lake Baikal is one of Russia’s greatest natural treasures. The ancient lake holds 20 percent of the world’s fresh water and has high endemic species diversity. In recent years, however, scientists have been raising alarms over pollution, invading non-native algae and shrinking fish stocks. RTD’s James Brown heads to Baikal to first join a group of researchers and see what is happening to the pristine lake he last visited seven years ago. The expedition will sail Baikal by catamaran to gather water samples and show James the green slime, or scientifically speaking, Spirogyra, that is clogging parts of Baikal. Next stop is Olkhon Island, where tourism thrives and volunteers come to clean up rubbish left by vocation-goers. James talks to ecologists about the harm of phosphate detergents. He also hears from locals who used to rely solely on fishing, but now have to deal with the lack of it, especially the endemic Omul fish, a favourite speciality on Lake Baikal. Is the majestic lake under ecological threat? What causes algal blooms and a decrease in fish stocks? Can people help Baikal stay a unique clean lake? Find out in Baikal Blues.

10 years after its reunification with Russia, Crimea has undergone significant transformations. The region now boasts new infrastructure, a modern energy system, scientific centres, renovated museums, advancements in winemaking, and breakthroughs in medicine, all shaping the new reality for its residents. Grandmaster Sergey Karyakin, yacht captain Anatoly Maikov, director of the Balaklava Museum Complex Pavel Plekhanov, and other Crimeans share insights into how their lives have evolved over the past decade. Watch the documentary to witness firsthand the pristine beauty of the peninsula and the breathtaking infrastructure projects aimed at reshaping Crimea's future.

"They were deliberately imposing the Catholic Church here, the Catholic way of life. And the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth did just that—they were destroying the Orthodox faith. They were closing churches, not allowing people in, just like now," says Archpriest Pyotr Gritsenko, Chief Priest in the Special Military Operation Zone in charge of Visiting Clerics of the Synodal Department for Cooperation with the Armed Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies. Since the coup d'état in Ukraine in 2014, he frequently travels to cities in Donbass ravaged by the Ukrainian army, providing humanitarian aid. The Priest believes that the current events in Donbass echo events of the past. Who is behind the creation of the state of Ukraine? Who devised the language for the new nation? Why and how was an entire state formed to counter and curtail Russia? Why does Poland continue to wage proxy wars against Russia till this day? The project of Ukraine as an anti-Russian state got a reboot in the early 1990s. In a geography textbook for the 8th grade, it is stated that "American scientists consider Ukrainians to be the oldest nation in the world." Raised in hatred towards Russia and convinced of their own uniqueness, the country's youth have massively joined nationalist battalions. Watch the documentary to witness firsthand how the Ukrainian myth, sown 300 years ago in Poland, began to sprout.

The Giant Panda has long been famous as a symbol of conservation and wildlife protection. China is now the only country where pandas still live in the wild. The government has worked hard to prevent its national pride, this adorable bamboo eating bear, from becoming extinct. It has put extensive resources into restoring the pandas’ forest habitat and reintroducing rescued animals to the wild. The panda breeding centre in Chengdu employs highly qualified Chinese and international specialists. The pandas live safely here and are provided with conditions conducive to successful procreation and cubs are taken care of to ensure they survive. Captive breeding programs are essential if the giant panda population is to be sustained, birth rates in the wild are dangerously low. 1963 saw the first ever panda cub to be born in captivity. Now, up to 25 cubs are born each year at the Chengdu Centre. Panda researchers and carers seek to develop the best diet for their charges, protect them from parasites and raise cubs rejected by their mothers. They also give Sex Ed classes and arrange romantic dates for panda couples. They even claim to speak panda! All that hard work eventually bore fruit. In September 2016, the Giant Panda was taken off the endangered species list; a significant achievement for the conservationists who have spent over half a century saving the black and white wonder. It also offers hope to all animal specialists who are working hard to conserve other critically endangered animals. However, pandas are not completely out of the woods yet; they still have to be able to breed in the woods without being killed by poachers or losing their food to deforestation.

For 50 years the authorities of Flint in Michigan, US had bought the city’s water from a trusted source. In 2014 however, the corporation switched to a cheaper water supplier. The former industrial city was now getting its water from the local river. Before long though, residents were complaining about the colour, taste and smell of the tap water but their concerns were dismissed. Even the local manufacturing giant, General Motors stated that Flint River water wasn’t even fit for making cars, but still, those in power adamantly insisted the water was safe. Paediatrician, Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha was the first doctor in Flint to recognise the problem. She conducted a study and proved that the number of local children with elevated levels of lead in their blood had doubled since the switch. Dr. Marc Edwards of Virginia Tech, spent more than $200,000 of his own money on analysing Flint’s water. When his initial and alarming findings were brushed off by the Environmental Protection Agency, he set up a website to tell the townsfolk about his research. Thanks to their work, the Flint water crisis finally came to light and the city was forced to admit that the new water was unsafe. By then, thousands of residents had been exposed to lead poisoning, carcinogens and the deadly Legionnaires’ disease bacteria. RT Doc’s Miguel Francis-Santiago visits Flint to meet victims of the crisis, the heroes who helped expose it and former authority members who are now accused of a cover-up. Miguel asks how such wide scale poisoning of Americans happened to continue unchecked for so long and why it was allowed to happen at all.

Teacher Nikolay Milovanov knows how to help his students understand maths and physics. He comes up with short and cheerful rhymes that have made him TikTok famous! Nikolay’s viral videos attract thousands of views and comments. His followers wish they’d had a teacher like Nikolay at school. The TikTok teacher is convinced that boring lessons don’t produce results and that teaching means thinking ‘outside the box’, and abandoning academic stereotypes. At 70, Nikolay enjoys making TikTok videos. ‘It gives me a kind of energy boost’ and ‘add flavour to my life’. Watch Nikolay’s fascinating story about his vocation as a teacher. One of his rhymes is sure to get stuck in your head!

Although these people are sick, their illness is difficult to diagnose, and it’s even harder to convince others that it actually exists. Their symptoms include cluster headaches, nausea, chronic fatigue, a burning sensation on the skin, and a metallic taste in the mouth. Sufferers claim the cause is wireless technology. There’s no known cure, and the only way to alleviate the symptoms seems to be to distance themselves from electronic devices and the influence of omnipresent wireless networks. Electrosensitive people insist that Wi-Fi and cell phones are inflicting constant harm on humans, animals, and nature. Their testimonies are not the only evidence that non-ionising radiation may not be as harmless as we have been led to believe. Scientific studies that have been conducted on plants, insects, and mice suggest these electromagnetic waves may be damaging living organisms. Scientists from around the world have appealed to the UN, warning of the negative, long-term effects that electromagnetic fields could be having on animal and plant life. At the moment, electrosensitive people have no choice but to flee to the woods or distant rural areas that wireless technology hasn’t yet reached. This often means leaving their families behind. Such sanctuaries are not easy to find, however, and they are becoming scarcer by the day. Sufferers warn that they are just the first to have detected the problem, which they expect to get worse and affect more and more people. Their message is not to stop progress, but to proceed with caution, making sure new technology is really safe before it is made widely available.

Alina Milennaya, a resident of Volgograd, Russia, found herself on an unexpected journey when she encountered a charismatic man named Igor Belov on a dating app. Seduced by his promises of a joyful future, she sold her apartment and car in anticipation of their wedding. However, when the big day arrived, Igor was nowhere to be found. It was revealed that he was, in fact, Dmitry Frolov, a notorious marriage scammer with numerous aliases and countless victims. Despite the heartbreak and betrayal, Alina refused to give up. Alongside other victims of Frolov's deceit, she started her own inquiry. Their efforts led to Frolov's arrest in February 2023. The documentary follows how they finally succeeded in bringing the scammer to justice.

Many young girls dream of becoming ballerinas, but only very few are prepared to apply the all-out effort and make the sacrifices that this dream demands. The Vaganova Ballet Academy in St.Petersburg welcomes the most talented and determined young dancers, but it makes them no promises.

From the sun scorched Kenyan savannah to the snow-covered concrete jungle of Moscow – Russian traveller and photographer, Olga Michi, takes members of the Maasai tribe on the adventure of a lifetime. They have never even left their country before, let alone the continent. Braving an intercontinental flight and Russia’s sub-zero winter, the African adventurers never miss an opportunity to try something new and take every challenge they meet in their stride.

"There are women who are incredibly resilient, morally speaking. And it's often these very women who join volunteer movements and start helping out. So, they not only deal with their own pain, but also assist others in coping with theirs," says Daria, volunteer. Daria works together with Susanna Anikitina, founder of the medical centre network "Sovermed". These centres unite the efforts of hundreds of caring women all over Russia. They provide free medical treatment for the soldiers, who fight in Donbass, and their families. These women invest millions, sewing, packing, assisting, and travelling to the front lines. Discover about these brave women on the International Women's Day.