Skybound / 2017
#Russia

Aleksey Maresyev was a Soviet pilot during World War II. He was shot down in April 1942. His plane crashed in a forest, but Maresyev miraculously survived. Bleeding from wounds, it took him 18 days to reach safety in the nearest village of Plavni.

By the time he was taken to hospital, his injuries were so bad - both his legs had to be amputated. Nevertheless, Maresyev learned to use his prosthetic legs and returned to combat. The legendary pilot completed 86 combat flights and downed 11 Nazi planes.

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Granny Blade / 2021
#Russia

Galina decided to take up knife throwing at the age of 57. She checked coats at a local swimming pool when she heard a knife-throwing club had opened in town. Just one year of hard work earned her the world No. 1 noscript in 2008. She also became European Champion in 2013. She’s won more than 50 medals in France, Italy, and Czechia over the years. The local knife-throwing community considers Galina a legend and has great respect for her.

Today Granny Galya, as her fans lovingly call her, has left the professional sport. Instead, she leads a quiet life and throws a knife or two just for fun in her backyard.

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Syrian Tango / 2019
#Syria

Is there something you’d like to do, but something is holding you back? Rawnak from Latakia dares to dance despite conservative attitudes in Syrian society. Even though many frown upon their activities, she and her dance group organise flash mobs on the city streets. But Rawnak insists they have to do what they like.

The documentary, Syrian Tango, shows the creative scene in post-war Syria and tells stories of artists reviving it.

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Arctic Family: In Love With Cold / 2015
#Arctic

Franz Josef Land is the northernmost part of Russia. Included in the "Russian Arctic National Park", it boasts incredible wildlife - with walruses, whales, seals, and polar bears in abundance. The archipelago’s climate is severe, with temperatures falling as low as -52°C. Thick mists and strong winds are common all year round. In winter, the polar night lasts for 128 days, while in summer the sun doesn't set for 20 weeks. Those working here say there is no real colour in the Arctic - just different shades of white. Yet, the rough, monochrome glory and serenity of this remote place are captivating.

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Happy Never After / 2016
#UK

If you’re a Brit and married to a non-Brit, it could be difficult to bring your spouse to live with you in the UK. The British spouse must earn £18,600 a year for their other half to receive a working visa. Less than half of Britain’s population earns this much.

The laws are particularly tough on women with young children, with mums often having to choose between caring for their kids and attempting to earn enough to bring their husbands to the UK.  People based outside major cities also struggle to find work that pays well enough to meet the government’s threshold.

The documentary tells stories of four couples battling the UK Home Office.

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Cold War Weapons | Anti-Satellite Weapons: Episode 1 / 2022
#USSR #USA

Missiles capable of turning enemy into cosmic dust, interceptor satellites able to knock out any spacecraft, systems designated for warfare in and from space, orbital capsules with top-secret intelligence information – all these were tested by the superpowers during the Cold War. The more projects the American government launched to destroy the USSR from space and stay invulnerable, the more sophisticated was the response from Soviet scientists.

What was the original purpose of the creation of orbital stations? And why were satellite weapons more important than nuclear ones?

Watch the new episode of the Cold War Weapons to see satellite fighters and find out who won the space race. New episode comes out on Monday, stay tuned!

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Wildfire Warriors / 2021
#Russia

The Russian taiga forests have been hit by devastating wildfires for several years in a row. Wildfires are spreading at a critical rate because of climate change and the collapse of agriculture. Extensive areas are covered with grass over and easily catch on fire. This is why the Russian Aerial Forest Protection Service is out fighting the fires on some of their longest tours on the job.

Firefighters get parachuted to directly to the site and begin their treacherous work. They have to act very quickly because there is always a chance of the fire quickly spreading. They dig firebreaks and set up backfires. It’s a dangerous job, but they soldier on.

🌍 Wildfire Warriors on rt.doc

Something remotely reminiscent of roads appears there only in winter... 🚗

▶️Click here for the full view

Secret Hermitage Helpers / 2013
#Russia

Did you know that one of the world’s largest and most prestigious museums, the Hermitage, has a ‘cat house’? About 65 cats live in the Winter Palace basement, the former Russian Tsars’ official residence and the Hermitage Museum.

The furry museum workers are on mice-catching duty. They’ve been keeping over three million artworks, including Rembrandt, Michelangelo and Van Gogh, safe from mice.

Have you ever been to the Hermitage? Check out this documentary to find out more about the secret Hermitage helpers and volunteers at the second-largest museum in the world.

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If you already like our films, you might like them even more now - we’ve got some news!

Our subscribers from India can now enjoy documentaries with their friends and family - in Hindi! Follow this new channel!

See how people live in the inhospitable vastness of Russia’s Far North in one of the top documentaries - Tundra Wonder Moms!

On Top of the World / 2012
#Russia

These daredevils spend their free time climbing construction sites and towers – all in search of adrenaline and extreme angles for their photos. The higher they get, the better they feel. Rooftoppers don’t use protection or any safety equipment. They never get permission to climb the building.

Their videos on YouTube get millions of views, horrifying parents while inspiring peers. They are called urban climbers or roofers, and they may be looking down on you.

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Philby’s Choice / 2012
#USSR

Kim Philby worked for Britain’s Intelligence Service. He received decorations from Spain’s dictator Francisco Franco and Queen Elizabeth. But the whole time he was Moscow’s spy in London leading a cell of Soviet spies. Many sought to unravel the Kim Philby enigma during his lifetime and, a quarter of a century after his death, it's still a subject of continuing debate.

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Lost Kids / 2019
#India

A child goes missing in India every eight minutes, according to some estimates. More than 59,000 children disappeared in India in 2020, the National Crime Records Bureau reported. The missing children are made up of runaways, and those who are kidnapped to be sold into domestic servitude, while others are lured into forced labour. The documentary takes a look at one father’s quest to find his missing son and the story of a teenage girl sold to a family.

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Baikal Babushka / 2019
#Russia

Lyubov Morekhodova became an internet sensation at the age of 79 after a video of her ice skating on Lake Baikal went viral. She’s been skating since she was little. Her father made her first skates so she could take a short cut to school across the ice.

Lyubov is a true Siberian. She lives alone on Olkhon Island, taking care of her cattle. Lyubov gets water from an ice hole and skates on her rusty ice skates. She prefers her old-fashioned blades attached to valenki to modern ones.

Hear more about Baikal's famous babushka in the documentary.

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Cold War Weapons | Anti-Satellite Weapons: Episode 2 / 2022
#USSR #USA

Is there a chance to steal a space station from orbit? Soviet scientists believed this was the case with the American Space Shuttle, which was created in 1969. Shortly after the Shuttle launch, the Soviets equipped their station with a cannon. But was it even possible to fire a cannon in outer space? Is there a way to protect the space station from being knocked out of orbit due to recoil?

Watch the new Cold War Weapons episode to find the answers and witness the testing of a weapon of the same caliber as the one scientists were going to put on the Soviet space station. What is it capable of?

Stay tuned and follow a new episode each Monday.

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Tangier: Vanishing Island / 2013
#USA

Tangier Island, Virginia, is so tiny it’s hard to spot it on a map. Located in the middle of Chesapeake Bay, it is home to less than 500 people. It’s among the most isolated communities in the US. Some say the residents have preserved the style of speech from the island’s earliest English settlers.

Generations of Tangier residents have earned their livelihood from catching fish, crab and oysters for nearly 250 years. However, their unique community is threatened by climate change and rising sea levels. With nine acres going underwater each year, Tangier Island is predicted to erode by 2050.

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The whole town was built in just four weeks! 😵

▶️Click here for the full view

Rwanda Women in Charge / 2018
#Rwanda

Up to a million people died in the Rwandan genocide in 1994. Women who made up the majority of the surviving population stood at the vanguard of rebuilding the country. Post-genocide Rwanda has made major strides in women’s rights and has even had a female-majority parliament since 2008. But female empowerment hasn’t reached all. Uneducated and poor women still struggle to find jobs and fear domestic violence. 

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