RTDoc features original series and films on the most intriguing cultural, historical, environmental and human interest stories from around the world, as well as exclusive documentaries about Russia, produced in-house by RT.
RTDoc’s creations have won international prizes such as Media Excellence and New York Festivals Awards, and gained a strong following amongst cable providers worldwide.

Добавить в избранное China to Russia: Ice Tales 26:36 Anything is possible! If you’re brave enough, but if you can find the perfect mentor, that seals the deal. ‘If the athlete has no fear, but has faith, the only thing left to do; just work, work, work,’ says the trainer working with Moon, Nancy, Elsa, and Run-Run, aspiring figure skating stars from China. While figure skating is considered more of a hobby in China, Russian approach to is quite the opposite. ‘I try to bring in some of our Russian limitless way of thinking’, says coach, Anastassia. They do have to pass the tests, but the real goal is to master the art of skating. The documentary tells the story of little girls with big ambitions in their sporting passion, for big achievements, and, who knows? Maybe even an Olympic podium? They all have many more steps to take on their journey to success, but these first baby ones are a significant stage on that road to success. For one, they now can proudly say they attended a training program in St. Petersburg!

Добавить в избранное Russian Marriage Quest 54:12 From the mountains and steppes to the tundra; from cities to remote villages—what do Russian weddings look like? Why was it once common to abduct the bride at traditional Russian weddings? Why does one see a growing interest in reviving ancient wedding customs today? And what meaning do the most puzzling traditions convey? In the documentary, director Natalya Kadyrova spent nearly a year exploring weddings across seven Russian regions, from the Caucasus to Chukotka, one of the world's northernmost inhabited areas. Discover the diverse wedding rituals and learn why couples are reviving nearly forgotten traditions. And while you're at it, try to figure out what lies behind the rituals that people unconsciously reproduce.

Добавить в избранное Chasing Stars 40:05 This documentary is an interview with cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov. Seven years ago, he left behind a successful career in pursuit of the distant dream of becoming a cosmonaut. That’s when we began filming his story. We documented his training, the changes in his life, his preparation for the mission, and we also featured his family, who supported him throughout these years. The 2023 film How I Became a Cosmonaut tells the story of the journey our hero undertook. Konstantin spent nearly seven months aboard the International Space Station. When he returned to Earth, we invited him to the studio to talk about his experience, how he adjusted to Earth's gravity, and what he plans to do next now that his dream has come true.

Добавить в избранное Family Saga 26:14

Добавить в избранное Nobody but You 25:17 See how Special Military Operation soldiers help a 16-year-old boy with cerebral palsy pursue his dream of joining the Airborne Forces. Also, discover why Roman, a veteran paratrooper, is dedicated to helping injured veterans find new purpose.

Добавить в избранное Return to Egypt 27:30 Victor Yakushev was 22 years old when he first arrived in Egypt as a military translator in 1971, accompanying Soviet military specialists and pilots tasked with defending Egyptian airspace from Israeli air raids. Now, fifty years later, Victor returns to Egypt. Throughout his journey, he reflects on the deep ties between Russia and Egypt and analyses how the country has changed through these years.

Добавить в избранное Men of Salt 27:30 Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flat, has been the source of livelihood for generations. Though working on a salt flat can be bad for their health, they still stay, go to work every day and use the salt to build houses and make art pieces. So how does it feel when salt is your whole life?

Добавить в избранное Alienated Love 27:44 Lyosha has a rare genetic disorder called ablepharon-macrostomia syndrome. There are only 16 people with this disease in the world. People have mixed reactions to his striking looks. Regardless, Lyosha tries to live an everyday life with his loving adoptive family, playing with his brothers and sisters and has his own Tik Tok channel like any regular teenager.

Добавить в избранное Our Big Russian Family 27:10 Over the years, Tatyana and Artyom Falin fostered 30 children. These kids came from dysfunctional families, children’s homes and even straight from the streets. For every one of them, the Falin family found food and shelter and the right words to heal their traumas. All children came to love Tatyana and Arten as their parents and even wanted to return to them. So what’s it like to be foster parents to 30 kids?

Добавить в избранное Good Deed Heroes 13:51 Moscow's volunteer Rescue Reserve is made up of all kinds of people and even some furry four-legged responders. On weekends, they respond to domestic emergencies, some involving surprising animals getting trapped in extraordinary spots. RTD shadows a crew to find out why its members are happy to sacrifice their free time to help those who are stuck.

Добавить в избранное Directed by Neural Network 25:51 How does a director choose the main protagonist for a documentary? There are lnumerous techniques and life hacks to help young filmmakers find the answer to this question. But are they relevant today? The protagonist of this documentary is selected by artificial intelligence. Watch the documentary to decide if the AI managed to create an authentic film?

Добавить в избранное Torn From The Tundra 49:06 People living in the tundra are accustomed to the nomadic lifestyle. Every couple of days, they pack all their belongings and move to a new place, covering up to 600 km in the wild Tundra per year. Their children help care for the reindeer herds and build sledges, but when they leave for school, some of the kids opt to remain in the comforts of the city. Will their choice put an end to the ancient Nenets tradition?

Добавить в избранное How I Became a Cosmonaut 1:15:16 What trials must one endure to come close to flying into space? Our new documentary will tell you Konstantin Borisov's story. It wasn't always smooth sailing for him. Yet, the convergence of opportunity and desire enabled Konstantin to achieve his cherished dream. Discover his journey to the stars and the challenges he faced.

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Добавить в избранное Aviator Girl 27:30 4 These young women chose an unconventional path for themselves. Katya is an aerobatics pilot, and Maria captains a Boeing 737. They fly different planes and have various reasons for joining aviation. But what they have in common is the love of the sky and what they do. Regardless of all the hardships, busy schedules, physical work, extended training and the constant risk of getting into a fatal accident, they say the feeling of freedom and a chance of seeing the sunrise from the cockpit trump any predicament. Find out more stories told by girls who decided to join aviation.

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Добавить в избранное Price of Vice Series 26:444 Most women are pushed into prostitution by poverty and social issues, while some join the ranks of ladies of the night in the hope of making quick money and capitalising on their youth and good looks. Calling themselves “escorts” rather than prostitutes, they hope one day to meet a prince or marry a sheikh and leave the trade behind. Others turn to careers in porn, seeking recognition and fame. But both professional paths come with a myriad of social consequences, like alienation from friends and families, health and psychological issues. For some women appearing in the documentary, their work experiences cost them their freedom and almost their lives.

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Добавить в избранное Granny Blade 25:39 2 Galina Chuvina lived quite an ordinary life until, on a whim, she decided to try her hand at knife-throwing. That was seven years ago. Fast forward to today: she has over 50 titles under her belt, including a world championship. But despite her astounding success, she lives in a crumbling house in the small town of Sasovo with only cats to keep her company.

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Добавить в избранное He Traded a Paperclip for a House 27:32 1 In 2006, Canadian Kyle McDonald conducted a series of trades and exchanged a simple red paperclip for a real house. Likewise, Ruslan Chistyakov, a Russian blogger, decided to start a new life and do the same. But was he just as successful?

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Добавить в избранное Freegans of New York 27:08 3 These New Yorkers have money to buy food, but they think it’s a good thing to dumpster dive for food that goes unsold and uneaten. They are called freegans and they save food from waste. An astounding 100 million tons of food is trashed in the US every year. So why let a perfectly edible bagel go to waste? New York’s freegans rummage in garbage bins and show how much good food is thrown away just because it doesn’t look perfect, or it’s approaching its expiry date. Check out how to eat in New York for free, and help curb the US food waste problem.

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Добавить в избранное Cinderfella 27:18 1 Yury led a simple life as a street cleaner in the Russian city of Ufa until one day, his photographer friend posted photos of him on Instagram. Then Yury’s life changed completely, as he became the city’s most famous model.

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Добавить в избранное Tundra Wonder Mums 26:43 1 Pavla Nikolaevna is a ‘chumworker’, a housewife in the tundra. Together with her husband, they continue their family ideal of driving reindeer herds in the far north. Here in the tundra, being a housewife means having a regular employment status. Pavla Nikolaevna receives a pension, but the tundra is not letting go. Despite having a flat in a nearby city, the family keeps returning to the tundra to continue the ancient herding tradition.

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Добавить в избранное Good Deed Heroes 13:51 1 Moscow's volunteer Rescue Reserve is made up of all kinds of people and even some furry four-legged responders. On weekends, they respond to domestic emergencies, some involving surprising animals getting trapped in extraordinary spots. RTD shadows a crew to find out why its members are happy to sacrifice their free time to help those who are stuck.

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Добавить в избранное I am John Kopiski, a Russian Farmer 25:28 1 John Kopiski, a native of the UK, is an unlikely farmer. He's been the proud owner of a dairy farm not far from Moscow for some 20 years. The former business executive with no background in farming decided to pursue a completely new life after visiting Russia back in the ’90s. After converting to Orthodoxy and marrying a Russian, he gradually morphed into an archetypical farmer worthy of a Tolstoy novel.

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Добавить в избранное AMAZONKA: The Iron Pumping Queen 13:58 4 Natalya Kuznetsova is a Russian bodybuilder who could easily be mistaken for an Amazon woman. Known as ‘Amazonka’, she can bench press 175 kilograms and deadlift 240. Her stunning muscles have earned Natalya the nickname ‘Amazonka’, as well as internet fame. She has half a million followers who enjoy checking out her selfies and intense training sessions on Instagram. Natalya is considered Russia’s heaviest female bodybuilder, and some refuse to believe she’s a woman when they see her. The powerlifting champion pays no attention to derogatory comments, however, and says everyone should follow suit and do what they’re good at.

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Добавить в избранное Grave Games 12:29 1 Some may consider the gravedigger’s craft macabre, depressing, and just plain unappealing, but the Hungarian Undertakers’ Association is trying to improve this image with a national contest to dig the neatest grave in the shortest period of time. The bizarre competition aims to attract new recruits by demonstrating that this underrated profession is actually a rewarding occupation. RTD goes to Hungary to support the country’s best diggers and get an insiders’ look into their craft. What’s it like to encounter death on a daily basis? How do they keep up their spirits? How do they picture their own funerals? Hungarian gravediggers share their take on these questions and more, in Grave Games.

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Добавить в избранное So, You Want to Be a Shaman 46:38 2 It's said that Shamans are conduits between the spirit world and our own. Shamans can heal, protect from evil and advise on important decisions. They work through rituals, offerings, animal sacrifice and a trance. No one can decide to become a shaman; they must be chosen by ancestors. An RTD crew visits the Republic of Buryatia in Siberia, where shamanism is undergoing a revival with a growing number of shamans. Exclusive access is granted to an initiation rite for a would-be shaman, as locals explain the meaning of a trance and communication with the spirits. We also learn of how the shamans' lives have changed since consecration.

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Добавить в избранное Freeze Divers 26:35 2 Freediving is a challenge in itself: diving into the deep, pitch-black abyss on a single breath, enduring water pressure and keeping a deeply calm state of mind to stay in control while diving. But some go even further and brave the cold by freediving under ice, which is even more difficult and a lot more dangerous. For Andrey Matveenko, a seasoned freediver and multiple Freediving World Championship medalist, freediving under the ice is unexplored territory. Matveenko takes the plunge and decides to go deeper than anyone ever has before to beat the current world record of 75 metres below the Arctic ice.

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Добавить в избранное Сome Drift With Me 47:43 3 Drifting competitions involve drivers vying to perform hair-raising turns at top speed before judges. In the Russian winter, when competitors slide on the snow, drift car racing comes close to a motor enthusiast’s version of ice-dancing. RTD follows three racers around the country in the Russian Drift Series to understand the appeal of this crazy, fun motorsport with few rules and maximum creative freedom.

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Добавить в избранное Farming for Likes 27:13 6 Anton and Alevtina are Russian farmers who film and publish their daily lives online. They're always filming to make videos about rural life to cultivate likes and subscribers. Follow the couple as they develop their video blog hoping to make enough money to buy their own farmhouse.

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Добавить в избранное I Want My Sex Back 27:22 9 Billy, Rene, and Walt were born and raised as men, but they felt uncomfortable with their birth sex. After years of confusion, they each underwent surgery to change into what they thought were their true selves. However, sex change brought no relief to what they had believed was gender dysphoria. While Billy and Walt decided to go back to being men, Rene remained a transsexual woman. I Want My Sex Back! tells their stories of change and disappointment.

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Добавить в избранное Substitutes 26:38 16 A growing number of Japanese people are giving up on relationships with living humans and turning to silicone sex dolls for company. Many use their dolls for sex, but also treat them as real-life companions. RTD follows some of the owners to find out what it’s like to go out on a date with a silicone doll.

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Добавить в избранное Free to be Yourself 27:40 2 Arseny had been a sports enthusiast for years when he lost his leg in a motorcycle accident. Determined to hold on to his passion, he turns to a Zen surfing instructor in Bali for help, both spiritual and physical. He hopes learning to catch a wave will give him back the sense of freedom he always got from sport. Arseny’s persistence and surprising results even inspired his surfing teacher to work on overcoming fears in pursuit of his own dreams.

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Добавить в избранное Dragon of Afghanistan 27:24 7 People on the streets of Kabul call Abbas Alizada the “Afghan Bruce Lee.” After his striking resemblance to the Chinese martial arts icon made him a social media star, he took a year to work on himself and become even more like his hero. His makeover was a smashing success. Today, Abbas uses his celebrity to inspire other young Afghan athletes, but fame has come with a price – he now must be wary every time he leaves his house.

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Добавить в избранное Little Miss Kung Fu 27:28 4 The schoolgirls of Shaolin Epo Wushu College have little time to play with dolls. In their boarding school, they live by a tight schedule and strict discipline. Every day they train to fight with knives and swords. Living a Spartan lifestyle, they work hard to make their teachers and their country proud but only students who pass the exams are allowed to continue their education.

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Добавить в избранное The Long Road To School 27:31 3 Like most students in rural Nepal, Durge Kami is a diligent pupil who tries to listen to his teachers. He differs from his school mates in just one respect, he is 69! At such a ripe old age, he was determined to realise his life’s ambition to complete his education. With no nearby adult learning centres, he has to go to a regular school. Not everyone supported him at first but by doing what he loves he’s become an inspiration for kids and adults alike.

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Добавить в избранное Madman of the Cathedral 27:25 3 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. For his single minded determination some say he’s a madman and others a saint.

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Добавить в избранное The Shegué, the Sorcerer and Che Guevara 49:30 2 When kids are accused of witchcraft in Africa’s Democratic Republic of the Congo, they’re thrown out of their homes. They beg and steal in the streets, where might is right. The aim of the country’s first centre for homeless children is to bring them back to their families. But superstition in Congolese society is hard to combat.

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Добавить в избранное My Crazy Russian Vlog 25:38 14 Where can you take to the snowy slopes in a bikini? Welcome to Russia! RT Doc’s Peter Scott explores some of the craziest things to do in Russia: from festivals on snowy mountains to a smash room ready to be destroyed. Nothing gets in the way of his madcap fun, not even a broken leg!

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Добавить в избранное Fishing for Herself 27:06 4 Sometimes we all feel like keeping a distance from everyone else, retreating to a remote corner of the world and living like a hermit. Few of us ever actually do it though. This young fisherwoman from the icy island of Sakhalin has opted for a life of solitude but was it really a choice?

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Добавить в избранное Pregnant Together 26:55 4 Can a man really understand what it’s like to be pregnant? As Miguel Francis-Santiago prepares to become a father, he decides to try to share his wife’s experience by wearing a pregnancy suit. Watch him suffer.

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Добавить в избранное The Congo Dandies 26:00 4 “La Sape” is a unique movement based in Congo that unites fashion-conscious men who are ready to splurge money they don’t really have on designer clothes. Dressing in stark contrast with their surroundings, these elegant ambiance-makers become true local celebrities… but this fame comes at a price.

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Добавить в избранное Migingo: The Iron-clad Island 25:56 2 Tiny Migingo is one of the most densely populated islands in the world. In the middle of Lake Victoria, it’s home to Ugandan and Kenyan fishermen and their families. RT Doc’s Peter Scott paid a visit to find out how more than a thousand people live on a rock half the size of a football pitch.

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Добавить в избранное Ready, Steady, Goat! 25:25 1 Kok Boru is an ancient sport played with a dead goat. Similar to hockey or polo, two teams on horseback compete for control of its body and are rewarded for scoring goals at either end of a large field. While other games have evolved into sanitised modern versions, this ancient nomadic tradition is still thriving in the central Asian republic of Kyrgyzstan.

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Добавить в избранное Life without Litter 26:20 2 These days, we are all becoming more aware of our impact on the environment, and most of us do what we can to reduce it. Some things are toxic, others never decay, everything comes in packaging and when it doesn’t, it tends to cost more. In Moscow, where recycling has only just begun, James Brown embraces the challenge and plans to live for 2 weeks without generating any waste, none! But it’s harder than he thought. He learns which plastics can be recycled and which can’t and he finds out about making his own domestic products like shampoo, toothpaste and dishwashing liquid. James knows he can’t save the whole planet alone, but learns a lot about how we could all find ways to reduce our own eco footprint on the planet.

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Добавить в избранное Fed to Wed 24:31 4 From a very young age girls in Mauritania are put on a strict diet. Its intention is to help them achieve a certain standard of beauty to ensure that they can find a good husband. The reality of this means force-feeding. Leblouh, as the tradition is called, may be fading away in the cities but it’s very much alive in rural areas. This variety of beauty though comes at a price, the diet can be very dangerous.

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Добавить в избранное Interview with my Mother 26:34 3 An homage to “women of a certain age”! Their beauty is much more than skin deep, enhanced by wisdom, life experience and achievements. A beauty pageant for women over 50 inspires RTD writer and director, Alyona Simikina, to document her own mother’s life. Her story may be personal but the remembered hardships and joys of an older woman’s life will resonate with many around the world.

Добавить в избранное Music of the Street 49:30 Music is their life. It’s their best friend that cheers them up in difficult times. And it's their gift to others. They perform in the streets and on the trains. They sing in bars, often for free, and dream of a big break. Meet the happy-go-lucky street musicians of Moscow.

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Добавить в избранное Ice Maiden 23:59 3 Galina is often called the “Ice Maiden”. While everyone else layers up in winter, she walks around in a beach dress and sandals. She insists she is not cold and that freezing temperatures help her stay young and healthy.

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Добавить в избранное I am Hunter 24:42 2 The Chukchi, an indigenous population in Russia's far northeast, have hunted marine mammals for centuries. RTD travels to the largest ethnic settlement on the remote Chukotka peninsula to meet the whale hunters. They learn what it takes to land a big catch and why their job is crucial to the survival of their community.

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Добавить в избранное Gender Madness 26:16 3 “Gender roles limit a person to stereotypes.” “Equality gives children a fantastic opportunity to be whoever they want to be.” These principles are the basis of the gender-free pedagogy taught in Sweden that eliminates any reference to gender completely. Gender-free toys, books and even gender-free words. Meet Tanja Bergkvist, a Swedish blogger who sees that this process can reach absurdity when taken to the extreme. A trumpet became the symbol of her protest against “Gender Madness” as she discovered that state-funded Swedish Science Council had granted $80,000 for a research into “the trumpet as a symbol of gender”.

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Добавить в избранное CulTiVating Society 26:28 2 What do small village news broadcasts look like? Slow-paced? Funny? Unsensational? Perhaps, but for the viewers of the state TV company “Metronom”, which broadcasts from a TV tower in Raisa Soboleva’s back garden, these programmes are important because they not only inform but also unite them. Life in their village gets better with each aired programme.

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Добавить в избранное Tent City USA 52:18 3 Like most Americans, Steve had a home, a good job and a hobby—helping homeless people. Now Steve is the minister of 'Tent City', and his home is a little tent in the woods of New Jersey. All sorts of people live in this community. Some are homeless because they lost their jobs. Others are employed, but still couldn’t afford to keep their homes. Nevertheless, they haven't lost their hope for a better future. They’re fighting to protect 'Tent City' against the local government that wants to demolish it. Find out more about those living on the poverty line with RT.

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Добавить в избранное Tokal 26:01 3 A Tokal is an additional wife in a polygamous Kazakh marriage. Only a decade ago, to have a tokal in Kazakhstan was considered shameful. Nowadays though, polygamy is gaining popularity throughout the country, becoming a more common-place and accepted practice. Some see it as normal matrimony that’s blessed by God, others as a mutually beneficial marriage of convenience. Even though polygamy is technically illegal in Kazakhstan, having more than one wife is a widespread practice among the rich. They see it as a right enshrined in the Koran and will often decide to take an extra wife, a tokal, without consulting the first. Usually a younger woman, a Tokal is expected to bear children for her older husband, a capability that the older first wife may have lost. This documentary focuses on the stories of people who had a first-hand experience with the practice of polygamous marriage: a husband dreaming of having over 30 kids; a mother, looking for a man to help raise her children; a proud wife, refusing to share her husband with his new tokal. And together with Kazakh writer Ayan Kudaikulova this film tries to determine whether a polygamous marriage can also be a happy one or two or more!

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Добавить в избранное Big ballet 26:02 3 They don't turn young men's heads or vie for the covers of top fashion magazines. But once they take the stage, they're the most beautiful big buttercups on God's green Earth, according to their choreographer. Meet a troupe of plus-sized dancers who entertain crowds while challenging traditional notions about Russian beauty.

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Добавить в избранное True Love 26:07 8 Grigori was born with a disease that left his body severely crippled; he cannot move or eat without assistance. From childhood, his dream in life had been to establish a normal life and get married like everyone else. Against all odds, he was able to find his true love Anna on the Internet. Anna, an attractive Russian girl from Kazakhstan who saw herself as plain-looking, comes to Russia and despite the odds, their love blossoms. RTDoc shows the couple as they celebrate their wedding.