RTDocumentary

#video#Congo The price Congolese workers have to pay for the rest of the world to enjoy smartphones — cobalt is essential for their production — is high. Miners in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the bulk of the world’s cobalt is found, are forced to extract and process the ore by hand, which causes serious health problems and environmental pollution. Yet, none of the workers is ready to give up his job. Young Congolese men agree to this backbreaking work hoping to earn enough money for university. This way, they will have a slight chance of leaving this life and helping their families. Women who raise their children alone agree to work on cobalt processing though it might ruin their health. What’s more, the idea of closing the cobalt deposit site gives them shivers because they see no other way of earning a living. We have already announced the upcoming premiere of our new documentary Cobalt Hell, and it’s finally arrived — tune for the premiere right now! Follow: https://t.me/rtdocumentary

One of America’s most isolated communities is in danger #video#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. Tangier Island is even considered the world capital of the soft shell crab. 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. Learn more about this unique community in our documentary. Follow: https://t.me/rtdocumentary

#photo#Bolivia This is the Chambi family from Bolivia. Eric, his wife and children, work as saleros or salt gatherers. Eric rides his old pickup truck to get salt blocks. He’s been collecting them for three years to build a small hotel. After a few thousand salt blocks, Eric finally opened his business in December 2019. Instead of a new start of not having to chop salt from the earth’s crust under the scorching sun, the Covid pandemic struck. Not a single tourist has stayed at Eric’s hotel since March 2020. Eric keeps coming to the salt flats to bring more salt blocks in his truck. Sometimes, his family keeps him company. RT Documentary’s Pavel Baydikov and Artyom Vorobey are in Bolivia, shooting a new documentary about saleros. Stay tuned for the premiere and subscribe to our channel not to miss anything. Follow: https://t.me/rtdocumentary

Make farming great again 🚜 #video#China Farming is cool! Rita Zhu shows an idyllic life in the Chinese countryside, growing edible flowers, crops and vegetables. She’s an installation artist who chose a farm as her canvas. Art, agriculture and food combined make Rita’s farm an attraction for Shanghai residents who want to reconnect with nature. There’s even a term in Chinese - xiangchou, which means ‘longing for the countryside’. Visit Rita’s farm in the new episode of, This is China. Do you sometimes wish to live closer to nature? 🌿 Follow: https://t.me/rtdocumentary

Smallpox epidemic in Moscow #epidemic#moscow#smallpox In 1960, Moscow could have been wiped out by a major smallpox epidemic. The virus was brought by Aleksey Kokorekin, a Soviet artist. He visited India, a country known for an unstable epidemic situation, and took home the carpet belonging to the deceased Brahmin as a souvenir. When he felt sick a few days after arriving home, neither he nor the doctors suspected smallpox. A hospital receptionist was just laughed at for suggesting it. Kokorekin got worse and died a few days later. When other patients at the hospital started having the same symptoms, doctors revisited the smallpox idea only to realise the receptionist was right. They managed to prevent a national tragedy and defeat the virus in just six weeks. Today, such a tragedy is not going to happen. The smallpox virus had been uprooted from the planet in 1980 during a massive smallpox eradication initiative by doctors worldwide. Follow https://t.me/rtdocumentary

Syrian Tango 💃 #video#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. This piece is from our documentary, Syrian Tango, about artists reviving the artistic scene in Syria. Follow: https://t.me/rtdocumentary

Baikal Babushka #video#Russia 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. Lyubov lives up to her last name, which translates as ‘walking on the sea’. Watch her uplifting story in our documentary, Baikal Babushka. Follow: https://t.me/rtdocumentary

This week is going to rock!! Or is it going to be nice and slow? You decide 😉 Follow: https://t.me/rtdocumentary

The Dyatlov Pass incident is still unsolved #video#USSR On February 1-2, 1959, a group of Soviet hikers died mysteriously in the remote Ural mountains. Their frozen bodies were found scattered hundreds of metres away from their tents. Undressed, their bodies had broken ribs, fractured skulls, burns and scratches. An investigation concluded the group led by Igor Dyatlov was killed by an ‘overwhelming force’, driving some incredible theories. In 2020, the Prosecutor’s Office said an avalanche led to the deaths. Still, many remain sceptical. Check out this video for more details about one of the greatest mysteries of the 20th century. Follow: https://t.me/rtdocumentary

AristoCats of the Hermitage🐈 #video#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. The museum first opened its doors to the public on this day in 1852. Have you ever been to the Hermitage? If not, watch our documentary, Secret Hermitage Helpers. Follow: https://t.me/rtdocumentary

#video#China Liu Heng is a talented Chinese percussionist who can make any object sound like a musical instrument. Besides experimenting with sounds and composition, Liu Heng is the principal percussionist in Beijing’s National Centre for the Performing Arts, the largest theatre in Asia. Young Chinese artists talk about their works in the new episode of, This is China. Follow: https://t.me/rtdocumentary