Seven Seas of Ice

North Koreans say they’re the happiest people in the world. Their great leader is like a father who takes care of them and all their needs. They’re told that he’s made their country the most powerful and economically developed on the planet. A quick look at the World Wide Web or any international media might lead to a different conclusion but in North Korea, they’re banned. 

The Maasai tribe in Kenya proved a very welcoming host for professional traveller and photographer, Olga Michi. During her time in Africa, she stayed with them to learn about and photograph, their way of life. She later invited a few members of the tribe to go with her to snow-shrouded Moscow, a world they could never have imagined.

As international interest in the Arctic grows, Russia is resuming development of Franz Josef Land, its polar territory 900 km from the North Pole. Take a look at the lives of the people laying the foundations for a new town here, while living next door to curious polar bears.

“Keldysh” is Russia’s famous research vessel. She’s heading towards the Arctic Circle on a mission to collect important underwater samples. One of the scientists aboard helped draft Russia’s Arctic shelf claim, submitted to the UN. He explains the science behind it.

Often described as a mystery, Moscow reveals yet another of its secrets; beneath its ancient streets lies a little known underworld of dark catacombs and underground rivers. It provides a bottomless pit of adrenaline for the small army of volunteers who compete to be recognised as the ultimate digger.

Hoping to inspire disabled children to aim high, three men with physical disabilities take on the challenge of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. At a towering 5895 m above sea level, the Tanzanian peak is the highest mountain in Africa.

On the icy island of Spitsbergen in the Arctic Ocean, people are outnumbered by polar bears and snowmobiles are used rather than cars. In addition to the Norwegians who maintain nominal control of Spitsbergen, the island is home to the Russian mining community of Barentsburg, a "company town" that is run by Arktikugol, a Russian state coal mining company.

For one month a year, the Arctic becomes home to a floating research camp. Located on an ice floe, the “Barneo” station assists with various projects. RTD travelled to Earth’s northernmost part, in order to see to what extremes some researchers – as well as tourists – are willing to go.

Although most people think of the Sahara as a vast, open expanse, it offers many surprises to those intrepid enough to visit. 

When Valery Malkov fell off a train in -40 wearing nothing but slippers and joggers, he could only survive if he ran for miles, as fast as he could, to the nearest station. A minute's delay and he could freeze to death. In this documentary we follow his story and look into how our body adapts to extreme temperatures.

The diesel-electric ice ship Akademik Fyodorov travels to Antarctica, where two of Russia's research stations will receive enough supplies to last them until next summer as winter quickly approaches.

'My name is David. I used to be from France but now I am from the world'. Meet David and other people who travel the world in a very unusual way.

Freediving champion Natalya Avseenko is seeking inner peace in the depths of the Orda Cave in Russia's Perm Region. Join us as we travel with her as she attempts to become the underwater legend known as the Mistress of the Orda Cave.

Artist Sergey has turned his life into one big journey. He travels around the world, paints people and they give him goods in return. He calls it a game and the mission is to survive without money. We join him on his travels and see how his enterprise is getting on.

Travel to the sea of Okhotsk to visit the islands where a human population of just seven live cheek by jowl with 200 bears. Meet the killer whales and brave a climate so severe that icebergs linger through the summer and September sees the first snows.