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 Elephant Boom COVID Gloom 12:39 It might seem like Africa wasn’t hit by Covid-19 as hard as other countries. But, unfortunately, fewer infections don’t mean a smaller impact. While travel restrictions and the subsequent collapse of tourism might have contributed to an unprecedented elephant baby boom in Kenya, many locals found themselves in a desperate situation. For Kenya, no tourists mean no work. So, will Kenyans manage to deal with this significant crisis?

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Добавить в избранное Girl Power: Hindi Style 25:01 3 Women in India still have little or no rights and are frequently abused and raped by their husbands. So Sampat Pal, an activist and a local hero, created the Gulabi Gang, which welcomes women in difficult situations and offers them protection and assistance in solving their family problems.

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Добавить в избранное Down in the Dumps 24:42 2 Landfills around Moscow remain a cause for concern despite a government promise to shut down all of them by next year. Environmental activists are pointing out issues that need to be tackled right away, including the material leaching from municipal toxic waste landfills seeping into the groundwater, resulting in contaminated drinking water.

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Добавить в избранное My Wild Family 13:41 2 A Russian couple says they’re mum and dad to scores of wild animals they look after at a private rehabilitation centre. The Phoenix Centre in Central Russia takes in injured animals from across the country. Meet the wild and diverse Phoenix family to see how a former school teacher’s idea, became one of the best-known refuges in Russia.

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Добавить в избранное Back to Fukushima 27:13 3 Eight years after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, former residents of nearby Okuma, evacuated due to high levels of radiation, have been allowed to move back to parts of the town. RTD visits wrecked homes with former residents and meets some who have recently returned. The choice between going back and staying put is not an easy one, however.

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Добавить в избранное Black Lives Series 25:407 Racial disparities and inherent biases are still alive in many American towns and cities. In St. Louis, Missouri, the black-and-white divide is palpable, affecting many aspects of life for African-Americans. The first episode offers an insight into St. Louis' black neighbourhoods through the eyes of activists, still forced to fight for justice and equality.

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Добавить в избранное Big Sister 26:24 1 Kristina was 19 when she and her brothers and sisters lost both parents within a year. She had no time to grieve, though, as her family of six could have been taken into care. Kristina put her studies aside and moved back to her home village to become her siblings' legal guardian. Big Sister is in charge, but the kids all play their part in running their hectic household. They milk cows, care for their numerous pets, chop wood, mow, fix, build, and they still go to school. They even find time to play. Find out how Kristina handles being a Mum and the head of her big family.

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Добавить в избранное Kidless 21:59 2 The childfree movement represents those who are not infertile but are defying convention and choosing childlessness. American couples and singles, straight and gay, tell RTD the environmental and personal reasons for this choice. They also share how their lives have been enriched by investing in other areas.

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Добавить в избранное Ebola: Surviving Survival 26:58 3 In Sierra Leone, the deadly Ebola virus continues to take its toll on people who beat it. After being cured, former patients often face ignorance and stigma within their communities. RTD shares the stories of survivors, struggling to rebuild their lives while fighting to be accepted by society.

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Добавить в избранное Iraqi Safe House 48:46 3 The US invasion of Iraq in 2003 left countless widows and orphans in its wake. On seeing how many ragged children were living in the streets of Baghdad, one man decided to do something about it. Hicham Zahabi founded the Iraqi Safe House for Creativity – an orphanage and school for boys with no viable families. Now these kids learn to read and write and take field trips to theatres rather than join criminal gangs or terrorist groups.

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Добавить в избранное Yakuza. Good for nothing. 26:21 2 Members of Japan’s feared Yakuza crime syndicate are often portrayed as grim-faced professional killers in sharp black suits and dark glasses, but the reality is somewhat different. Meet Mr. Makoto, a tubby tattooed Yakuza mobster and ‘old-fashioned guy’ who shows how the life of a gangster in modern-day Japan ain’t what it used to be.

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Добавить в избранное Congo: Cycle of life 25:38 1 In the shadow of an active volcano, crushing poverty, and sporadic wars, Charlie Makongo founded a cycling club in the Congolese city of Goma to give its youth a beacon of hope. Concentrating on training distracts the boys from their harsh everyday lives and keeps them from joining armed groups. But a menacing cloud hangs over the project: Nyiragono is due for another eruption.

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Добавить в избранное Love Commandos 27:43 2 Much like Romeo and Juliet, Indian couples who have married against their parents’ wishes often face violence or even death. This is where the ‘Love Commandos’ come in. This volunteer group helps young people in love stay together and enforce their legal rights despite societal norms.

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Добавить в избранное Sudanaesthesia 52:17 2 South Sudan in Africa has been in a state of civil war since 2013. Hundreds of thousands of people have fallen victim to the ongoing hostilities. The desolation of war has brought famine to this normally fertile land. In this drastic situation, an international team at a Red Cross hospital in the town of Kodok fights to save the lives of those wounded, ill, or starving, as well as help reunite families separated by the conflict.

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Добавить в избранное The Happiest People on Earth 51:47 4 Every year, a few thousand tourists are allowed a glimpse inside North Korea, the world’s most isolated country. RTD visits the land of the “Great Marshall”, Kim Jong-un, as the nation celebrates the birthdays of his predecessors, supreme leaders, Kim Jong-il and Kim Il-sung.

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Добавить в избранное Granny Fight Club 27:37 5 In one of the most poverty-stricken slums in Kenya’s capital, elderly women are increasingly preyed upon by young men who believe that raping them can cure HIV. Things are starting to change, however. With the launch of self-defence courses, women are learning physical and psychological techniques to thwart predators, empowering victims to venture outside again.

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Добавить в избранное Cry of a River 25:12 1 According to a World Health Organisation report, a whole third of the world’s population lives without access to proper toilet facilities. This causes natural water reserves to become contaminated with human waste, which in turn causes disease. India is just one of many countries in which rural populations suffer acutely as a direct result of poor, or no sanitation.

Добавить в избранное Dangerous Music 27:08 For years, music was banned in Afghanistan as sinful, but now one school for children is planting the seeds for traditional Afghan music’s rebirth. Conservative views have left their mark, however, and the school and its young musicians face threats from some elements in society.

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Добавить в избранное Inferno Village 26:56 17 For 100 years, Jharia town in India has lived on top of a perpetually burning coal field. Once green and beautiful, the region is now scorched and barren, many houses have been devoured by the ever-growing pit, while its people are suffering from a wide range of respiratory diseases. Despite the danger, most families daren’t relocate because coal provides their only means of income.

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Добавить в избранное Project Duterte 48:11 4 In 2016, Rodrigo Duterte was elected president of the Philippines. He’s promised to crack down on crime and has achieved infamy by urging citizens to kill drug addicts. Since his term began, it’s alleged that numerous extrajudicial executions of supposed drug dealers have been carried out. While death squads strike terror into the people’s hearts and public faith in the police is waning, President Duterte washes his hands of vigilantes waging war on drugs.

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Добавить в избранное Bride Trade 26:10 2 In Tanzania, the tradition of child brides is still prevalent. Despite strict laws against this practice, promising harsh punishment for grooms and parents, young girls are still married off to much older men. In exchange, the family of the bride receives cows that it considers more useful than their daughter.

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Добавить в избранное The Virgins 26:35 2 In modern-day Albania, a medieval tradition has survived to this day in which a woman can take a man’s place as the head of a family. Surprisingly, a few women still observe the custom, they’re known as sworn virgins. Under the strict rules of a centuries-old code, they sacrifice their own identities to stand in for brothers who have died. Most had to make the choice at a very early age. They did it to help their families but it comes at a price, they can never have children of their own.

Добавить в избранное A week with Lakota (Part 2) 25:06 "We live to survive." That is what many of them say. In the 19th century, the Lakota people were among the most successful fighters for freedom in the USA. But their land was eventually stolen, their language for years was forbidden to be taught in schools, and their freedom existed only on paper. This story was filmed during the first week of August in 2011 on the territory of Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota. This is official land of the Oglala Lakota Nation nowadays.

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Добавить в избранное A week with Lakota (Part 1) 26:31 1 Every August the Pine Ridge annual powwow is held to celebrate the culture and traditions of the Lakota people, but it looks like a feast in a time of plague, as most of them have lost all hope of getting through the dire straits.

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Добавить в избранное US Veterans: Not Forgotten 48:09 1 They joined the army driven by a desire to serve their country and its people. However, the wars they were sent to made them re-evaluate everything they believed in. Now, US veterans are trying to come to terms with their past and learn how to live among civilians again. It turns out, they’ve no one to rely on but each other.

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Добавить в избранное H2WOE 25:21 2 The Indian state of Punjab is undergoing a severe water crisis. Once an agricultural leader in India, it’s now turning into a desert. Farmers and other rural dwellers are going bankrupt over the need to pay for water delivered from other regions. In this drastic situation, the number of suicides has skyrocketed, but the authorities deny that people are killing themselves over the water shortage.

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Добавить в избранное Kidney Valley 26:13 1 In peaceful Nepal a sinister black market is flourishing. Kavre province has become infamous for the shocking numbers of people who have sold a kidney. Poverty and lack of education about the potential impact on health mean villagers are easy prey for unscrupulous dealers. Tricked into undergoing risky surgery and paid a pittance, donors are often left with debilitating and lifelong consequences.

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Добавить в избранное Angels of Death 26:23 1 In Israel, where serving in the army is compulsory, there is a special military unit whose sole task is to inform relatives when a soldier is killed in action. RT Doc meets some of the officers who knock on doors to deliver the most devastating news any parent can hear. They have come to be known as, Angels of Death.

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Добавить в избранное My Homeless Christmas 25:45 5 James Brown explores what it’s like to be homeless on the streets of the UK. Christmas is all about being with the people you love and enjoying life but this time, James joins thousands from all round the country who are forced to sleep rough and beg for money.

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Добавить в избранное The Afghan Lady Cab 26:08 3 Sara is Afghanistan’s first and only woman taxi driver. Some people admire her, others condemn and a few even threaten but she doesn't care about what people think. This strong-willed woman is used to having no one to rely on but herself.

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Добавить в избранное ToxiCity 25:54 2 E-waste, the term given to discarded electronic appliances, is often shipped by developed nations to poorer countries such as Ghana. RTD visits the country's most infamous dumping ground, Agbogbloshie. Its air and soil are polluted with toxic chemicals, while extreme poverty, child labour and criminal gangs are also rife.

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Добавить в избранное The Invisible Women 25:53 3 In the poorest regions of India, widows are a burden. Formerly, they would be burnt alive while their husbands were cremated. Today, many widows are made to leave their families and forced to beg in the streets. Fortunately, some Hindu monasteries are able to offer shelter and hope to these betrayed women.

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Добавить в избранное The Untamed Shrew 49:15 3 When Sisa Abu Daooh’s husband died, she had to find a way to provide for her daughter's basic needs. Rejecting the option to remarry, she decided to completely change her identity. Sisa started living as a man which allowed her to find a job in the conservative Egypt. After 43 years of such lifestyle she doesn’t regret her choice.

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Добавить в избранное Raft to Freedom 26:55 2 Minister Steve, founder of “Tent City” for the homeless, lost his battle with the authorities and the makeshift settlement was torn down. Now he's built a raft to sail the perilous waters of the Intracoastal Waterway and raise awareness of the problem of homelessness in America. Flying a 13-star Betsy Ross flag, and with conquistador statue for protection, RTD's Aleksey Brazhnikov joins him as he embarks on his odyssey.

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Добавить в избранное Scrapped 26:13 3 Bangladesh has no metal resources of its own, so the shipbreaking yards in Chittagong, its largest second city, generate high profits for their owners. Workers though, enjoy none of the benefits of that profit; wages are barely enough to live on and there are no health and safety regulations to protect them. Injuries are a frequent occurrence and even death is not uncommon.

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Добавить в избранное Wombs for Rent 25:48 3 RTD crew travels to India to investigate its booming surrogacy industry. Surrogacy for profit is a controversial issue, due to fears that it may leave vulnerable women open to exploitation. However, those at centres such as the Akanksha Infertility Clinic in Gujarat are convinced of the benefits for all involved. Dr. Nayna Patel has so far helped over 500 childless couples become parents to their own offspring, while providing surrogate mothers with a life-changing sum of money.

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Добавить в избранное The Passengers 25:38 2 It all started with a trolleybus that served as a meal station for homeless people. Now, a small trailer park has grown around it. It’s a place that welcomes anyone who has nowhere else to go, offering them the chance to get back on the right track.

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Добавить в избранное Europe's Last Barbarians 48:58 3 They are often called Europe’s last barbarians. Photographic and video images recording their centuries-old activities have shocked people. Despite the international controversy that surrounds their traditional and bloody slaughter of pilot whales, the Faroese claim they have the right to continue doing it. But why?

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Добавить в избранное Fishing Wars 25:57 1 The Atlantic Ocean near the coast of Western Africa has been one of Russia's fishing grounds for decades. But these fish-rich waters also draw a lot of international competition, which gets fiercer every year. As the number of fish dwindle and local laws get stricter, the fight for a prize catch can often cross the line of being legal.

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Добавить в избранное Crimea for Dummies 26:14 9 Miguel Francis, a Los Angeles film school graduate, travels to Crimea to discover for himself how life there has changed since it was reunited with Russia. He explores the beautiful Peninsula’s history and cultural heritage and takes in some of Crimea’s tourist attractions while talking to local people about their attitudes to becoming Russian citizens.

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Добавить в избранное The Young and the Brave 26:01 2 They’re only children, but they already have medals for bravery. They saved someone else's lives while risking their own. A burning house, a frozen river, or a bullet. There is no threat big enough for the young and the brave when others are in danger.

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Добавить в избранное The Choice 25:52 2 A thought-provoking documentary discussing the controversial and ever-relevant subject of unplanned pregnancies and the tough choice they pose for women. An organization called the Cradle is there to listen to the women's concerns, provide them with information, and, hopefully, help them to abandon thoughts of abortion.

Добавить в избранное See me, hear me 25:59 Autism is a fast-spreading illness. No scientist is certain where it comes from or how to cure it. One thing is clear: people with autism are intelligent individuals who don’t have the mental capability to stand their ground. As such, their well-being depends a great deal on the people around them. Join RT to see what it takes to live with autism in Russia.

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Добавить в избранное Albino Africa 26:15 6 People fear them. They are outcasts, treated with contempt. They are frequently beaten and murdered simply because they are not like other people. Their skin is a different colour. This is not a film about the African-American civil rights movement in the mid-20th century. These twenty six minutes tell the story of those with the misfortune to be born an albino in Africa today. In Tanzania, on the East coast of the continent, the number of people born with a total absence of the skin pigment melanin is 8 times higher than the global average. To date, there is no definitive scientific explanation for this anomaly.

Добавить в избранное Cold turkey in Kyrgyzstan 25:59 Located in the vast, far-off steppes of Kyrgyzstan, the Nazaraliev Medical Centre offers hope to drug addicts who must overcome their physical and psychological dependencies on controlled substances. The Centre offers both traditional treatment, shock therapy and even therapeutic pilgrimages where patients are able to come face to face with their inner demons. Follow the stories of several recovering addicts who hope to get clean.

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Добавить в избранное Save our souls, Mama! 25:19 3 Alyona was an unmarried 34-year-old editor for a glossy magazine. She had enough money but felt unfulfilled, so she left St. Petersburg and started working in a village that had been established for children in need of a family. In the village, unmarried women care for children who have had to flee abusive or neglectful parents who were often alcoholics or drug addicts. How is it different from a traditional orphanage? How does the village's director, former naval lieutenant Sergey Yakovenko, run everything and obtain funding? Do they see him as a director, or as a dad? Do they think of Alyona as their mother? What happens when the women in the village fall in love or when couples want to adopt the children? Can raising five children that aren't your own be as fulfilling as taking care of your own family?

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Добавить в избранное The last generation of shepherds 25:30 2 Every year, the shepherds of Dagestan take their flocks to cool, distant mountain medows so that the sheep may graze. However, many Dagestanis see no future in this traditional lifestyle and many children are tempted to leave their shepherd fathers' professions in the past. Shepherds must spend months on the road, subsisting on simple diets of meat and bread and living in makeshift accomodations. These days, the cost of wool is too low for the profession to be considered worth the effort. RTDoc gives you a look at the shepherds and their families, as well as the sheep, the dogs, the clothes and the food.

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Добавить в избранное On women's shoulders 22:35 2 Most able-bodied men leave the poverty-stricken former Soviet country of Tajikistan to seek employment in Russia, where they can earn eight times as much as at home. This leaves the small, mountainous landlocked country's tough-as-nails women to eke out a living tending cattle in the mountains. Join RTDoc as we explore the lives of these women as they work collectively to take care of the cows, make dairy products and look after children. We'll also meet men who have been compelled to work abroad but whose hearts remain with their families and simple pastoral lives.

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Добавить в избранное Brides by force 25:39 7 It will hardly surprise anyone that bride-snatching is illegal in Kyrgyzstan, but when you look at sentencing, the reality paints a far different picture. A sheep's life is worth four times more than a young woman's. The custom – in which single young men kidnap their bride of choice and pressure them to agree to marriage – is very common in this country. But as RT’s team has found out, this centuries-old tradition surprisingly has its passionate proponents as well as harsh critics.

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Добавить в избранное Fragile people 26:20 2 A day in life of someone who lives with osteogenesis imperfecta – or brittle bone disease – is fraught with risk. Even the tiniest movement can lead to serious fractures. This documentary gives an insight into the strong community of those with the disease, and how neither young nor old are held back by their disability.

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Добавить в избранное The face of war 26:05 1 This man has always loved his profession. He liked helping people. When war broke out he was forced to work under horrible conditions and sometimes even help terrorists… Surgeon Khassan Baiyev has survived, and is still helping people, but his face has changed forever.

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Добавить в избранное Republic of Texas 26:33 2 We travel to the Republic of Texas and meet Texans who are proud of their heritage, embrace self-reliance and are ready to live by what they preach, even if it strays from the norms of mainstream American society.

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Добавить в избранное Imprisoned by insanity 26:11 5 Prisoners of a psychiatric ward. They are criminal offenders suffering from mental disorders. Can art therapy relieve their troubled souls and minds? Artist Alexandr Semyonov gives them a chance to change and get better.

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Добавить в избранное A home for the homeless 24:43 1 When people are released from jail they have nowhere to live, no jobs and no opportunities to start over, so they are in danger of ending up behind bars again. Having been in their shoes once, Yury Potapenko knows just how much they need another chance and gives them one.