Schedule

The fighting in Donetsk, Ukraine, is getting closer and closer to the city centre. Paula Slier goes to the site of an artillery attack to report on the casualties. Meanwhile in Moscow, broadcast journalist Ilya Petrenko gives us a tour of RT's newsroom where he works, and talks about the demands of his profession.

Russia's icebreakers are a reliable and indispensable addition to any trans-Arctic ocean voyage. Join RT as we team up with the crew of one of these amazing nuclear-powered vessels as it traverses the top of the world.

Thousands of people die alone in Japan every year. Many are discovered weeks or months after they've passed away. The phenomenon of solitary deaths, or kodokushi, has become so common there is now high demand for services that clean out the apartments of the dead – something families used to do. With more elderly people living alone and their growing isolation in Japanese society, some say this grim trend is likely to continue. Find out more about lonely deaths and the industry that's sprung up around them on RTD.

Life in Tultepec revolves around pyrotechnics. Producing hand-made fireworks is a passion, an art form, and a source of livelihood for most residents of this Mexican town. But it’s also an extremely dangerous and unpredictable occupation, as those orphaned or widowed by fiery accidents will attest. Meet those willing to risk their lives for their explosive craft as RTD visits Tultepec’s annual pyrotechnics festival.

In ice speedway, motorcyclists race without brakes on frozen circuits. RTD goes to the European Individual Ice Speedway Championship Finals in Vyatskie Polyana, Russia with veteran Finnish amateur, Tomi Kirilov and daredevil vice-champion, Eduard Krysov from Russia. So, whose combination of grit, guts and tactics will prove the winning formula?

A new RT documentary tells the life story of Lev Zilber - a legendary Soviet virologist and immunologist who laid the foundation for many therapeutic approaches, including the plasma anti-body transfusions used to treat COVID-19 patients today. He was arrested three times and exiled to a Gulag. Not only did he survive, but made several breakthroughs while working in unbearable conditions in the forced labour camps.

China was the first country to recognise internet addiction as a clinical disorder. It has hundreds of rehab camps where concerned parents can send their web-dependent kids, who don’t always go willingly. The path to recovery isn’t easy but it is most effective, if the parents walk it with them.

Anna and Pavel are in the city of Vladivostok, the home port of the Russian Pacific Fleet. They join a group of marines known as “The Ussuriysk Tigers” in a bid to earn the right to wear their distinctive black berets. They’ll also learn the trick to keeping a large armoured vehicle afloat, as well as how to make a bed to perfection.

How did Notre-Dame Cathedral, the world’s most-visited monument, catch fire on 15 April 2019? French authorities quickly called it an accident, but many remain sceptical. A priest and organist at the cathedral share their stories of that night, while some Catholics fear for France’s soul.

The fighting in Donetsk, Ukraine, is getting closer and closer to the city centre. Paula Slier goes to the site of an artillery attack to report on the casualties. Meanwhile in Moscow, broadcast journalist Ilya Petrenko gives us a tour of RT's newsroom where he works, and talks about the demands of his profession.

This film focuses on life for gay men in America; they explain why it is important to them to be able to marry, go to church and be accepted by society without having to sacrifice their true identity.

All aboard! The legendary Kruzenshtern sets sail to take cadets from the Baltic State Fishing Fleet Academy on their first significant voyage. The group of boys and one girl gain hands-on training under sail and real life-lessons while they work as a team and overcome their fears. RTD follows the cadets on a passage that puts the young mariners through their paces.  

Greater Chongqing is China’s largest municipality and, according to some estimates, the world. Its total area equates to the whole of Austria and it has a population of around 32 million. Why then does the world know so little about this megacity? RTD explores the phenomenon of a rapidly growing metropolis. Discover Chongqing’s three main tourist attractions: its cuisine, magnificent nocturnal skyline, and impressive urban rail system.

Russia’s Prirazlomnaya oil platform in the Arctic is the first to produce a new type of oil, known as ARCO. Almost 200 people work around the clock to ensure the production flow never stops. Explore life on an Arctic oil rig with RT Doc.

Robin is a German sniper who went to fight Islamic State alongside the Kurdish militia. He was featured in the 2017 documentary, The Road to Raqqa. Director Anastasia Trofimova catches up with Robin in 2020 to learn what happened to him after Raqqa was liberated. 

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.

Every eight minutes in India, a child simply disappears. The problem of missing children has reached epidemic proportions. For thousands of boys and girls, the routine walk home is interrupted by being taken and sold into slavery or sexual exploitation. Too many children are never seen again. RTD travels to India to follow one father’s quest to find his son, meet parents who refuse to give up hope of seeing their kids even after months of fruitless searching and hear the heart-breaking story of a girl sold into domestic servitude.

Every day, dozens of elephants are killed by poachers seeking for their ivory, meat and other body parts. Elephant calves left without their mothers are sure to die as they lack survival skills and source of food. In Zimbabwe, there is a place where orphaned baby elephants can have a second chance at life. The Zimbabwe Elephant Nursery founded by Roxy Danckwerts on her family farm rescues helpless infants, providing them with care and love 24/7 in a bid to reintegrate mighty animals back to the wild.

E-waste (discarded electronic appliances) is often shipped by developed nations to poorer countries such as Ghana. Locals call its most infamous dumping ground, Agbogbloshie, “Sodom and Gomorrah” after the Biblical sin cities. Its air and soil are polluted with toxic chemicals, while child labour and criminal gangs are also rife.

Learn about the demanding profession of a lumberjack with James Brown who travels deep into the woods to meet the people who supply Russia with 2.5 million trees a year.

The International Tchaikovsky Competition, first held over 50 years ago, is a highly prestigious award in the classical music world. It attracts well-established and less well-known musicians from all over the world. They all come hoping for glory and international recognition though only one can win.

Veteran cop. John Mark Dougan left the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, appalled by endemic corruption within the force. He later started a blog for honest cops to expose criminal police activity anonymously. A fierce backlash eventually forced the whistleblower to flee the US and seek refuge in Russia. This is his story.

Anna and Pavel are in the city of Vladivostok, the home port of the Russian Pacific Fleet. They join a group of marines known as “The Ussuriysk Tigers” in a bid to earn the right to wear their distinctive black berets. They’ll also learn the trick to keeping a large armoured vehicle afloat, as well as how to make a bed to perfection.

Since its founding in 1948, the State of Israel has witnessed many wars and almost daily tension with Palestinians. Numerous rocket and terrorist attacks have made the word ‘security’ almost holy for Israelis. This security is usually achieved through military force, but some Israeli activists think only reconciliation with the Palestinians will bring a lasting peace. They are ready to fight for their cause regardless of the vitriolic reactions their fellow citizens.

The fighting in Donetsk, Ukraine, is getting closer and closer to the city centre. Paula Slier goes to the site of an artillery attack to report on the casualties. Meanwhile in Moscow, broadcast journalist Ilya Petrenko gives us a tour of RT's newsroom where he works, and talks about the demands of his profession.

Thousands of people die alone in Japan every year. Many are discovered weeks or months after they've passed away. The phenomenon of solitary deaths, or kodokushi, has become so common there is now high demand for services that clean out the apartments of the dead – something families used to do. With more elderly people living alone and their growing isolation in Japanese society, some say this grim trend is likely to continue. Find out more about lonely deaths and the industry that's sprung up around them on RTD.

Life in Tultepec revolves around pyrotechnics. Producing hand-made fireworks is a passion, an art form, and a source of livelihood for most residents of this Mexican town. But it’s also an extremely dangerous and unpredictable occupation, as those orphaned or widowed by fiery accidents will attest. Meet those willing to risk their lives for their explosive craft as RTD visits Tultepec’s annual pyrotechnics festival.

In 1978, geologists discovered a family of Old Believers deep in Siberian taiga, the Lykovs.  Now RTD’s film crew braves the same journey into the wilderness to meet the only remaining member of the family, Agafia.

In ice speedway, motorcyclists race without brakes on frozen circuits. RTD goes to the European Individual Ice Speedway Championship Finals in Vyatskie Polyana, Russia with veteran Finnish amateur, Tomi Kirilov and daredevil vice-champion, Eduard Krysov from Russia. So, whose combination of grit, guts and tactics will prove the winning formula?

A new RT documentary tells the life story of Lev Zilber - a legendary Soviet virologist and immunologist who laid the foundation for many therapeutic approaches, including the plasma anti-body transfusions used to treat COVID-19 patients today. He was arrested three times and exiled to a Gulag. Not only did he survive, but made several breakthroughs while working in unbearable conditions in the forced labour camps.

All aboard! The legendary Kruzenshtern sets sail to take cadets from the Baltic State Fishing Fleet Academy on their first significant voyage. The group of boys and one girl gain hands-on training under sail and real life-lessons while they work as a team and overcome their fears. RTD follows the cadets on a passage that puts the young mariners through their paces.  

Robin is a German sniper who went to fight Islamic State alongside the Kurdish militia. He was featured in the 2017 documentary, The Road to Raqqa. Director Anastasia Trofimova catches up with Robin in 2020 to learn what happened to him after Raqqa was liberated. 

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.

Greater Chongqing is China’s largest municipality and, according to some estimates, the world. Its total area equates to the whole of Austria and it has a population of around 32 million. Why then does the world know so little about this megacity? RTD explores the phenomenon of a rapidly growing metropolis. Discover Chongqing’s three main tourist attractions: its cuisine, magnificent nocturnal skyline, and impressive urban rail system.

Every eight minutes in India, a child simply disappears. The problem of missing children has reached epidemic proportions. For thousands of boys and girls, the routine walk home is interrupted by being taken and sold into slavery or sexual exploitation. Too many children are never seen again. RTD travels to India to follow one father’s quest to find his son, meet parents who refuse to give up hope of seeing their kids even after months of fruitless searching and hear the heart-breaking story of a girl sold into domestic servitude.

Every day, dozens of elephants are killed by poachers seeking for their ivory, meat and other body parts. Elephant calves left without their mothers are sure to die as they lack survival skills and source of food. In Zimbabwe, there is a place where orphaned baby elephants can have a second chance at life. The Zimbabwe Elephant Nursery founded by Roxy Danckwerts on her family farm rescues helpless infants, providing them with care and love 24/7 in a bid to reintegrate mighty animals back to the wild.

E-waste (discarded electronic appliances) is often shipped by developed nations to poorer countries such as Ghana. Locals call its most infamous dumping ground, Agbogbloshie, “Sodom and Gomorrah” after the Biblical sin cities. Its air and soil are polluted with toxic chemicals, while child labour and criminal gangs are also rife.

Anna and Pavel are in the city of Vladivostok, the home port of the Russian Pacific Fleet. They join a group of marines known as “The Ussuriysk Tigers” in a bid to earn the right to wear their distinctive black berets. They’ll also learn the trick to keeping a large armoured vehicle afloat, as well as how to make a bed to perfection.

Learn about the demanding profession of a lumberjack with James Brown who travels deep into the woods to meet the people who supply Russia with 2.5 million trees a year.

The fighting in Donetsk, Ukraine, is getting closer and closer to the city centre. Paula Slier goes to the site of an artillery attack to report on the casualties. Meanwhile in Moscow, broadcast journalist Ilya Petrenko gives us a tour of RT's newsroom where he works, and talks about the demands of his profession.

The International Tchaikovsky Competition, first held over 50 years ago, is a highly prestigious award in the classical music world. It attracts well-established and less well-known musicians from all over the world. They all come hoping for glory and international recognition though only one can win.

Veteran cop. John Mark Dougan left the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, appalled by endemic corruption within the force. He later started a blog for honest cops to expose criminal police activity anonymously. A fierce backlash eventually forced the whistleblower to flee the US and seek refuge in Russia. This is his story.

Anna and Pavel start the day with a gruelling early-morning exercise session, and that’s just the beginning of a long day full of challenging training! Pavel must learn how to locate landmines without stepping on them, while Anna sacrifices her manicure in the name of preparing an armoured vehicle to go into water. Finally, they get to ride this amphibian Navy machine. Will they sink or swim?

Since its founding in 1948, the State of Israel has witnessed many wars and almost daily tension with Palestinians. Numerous rocket and terrorist attacks have made the word ‘security’ almost holy for Israelis. This security is usually achieved through military force, but some Israeli activists think only reconciliation with the Palestinians will bring a lasting peace. They are ready to fight for their cause regardless of the vitriolic reactions their fellow citizens.