RTDocumentary

#video#Russia Imagine spending days or even weeks creating an intricate piece of art and then destroying it in just a few moments? That’s exactly what happens when Buddhist monks create a sacred mandala. It’s handcrafted from dyed grains of sand and takes many days to make. Monks painstakingly apply the sand to a canvas with metal tubes. It’s a meticulous job that requires great concentration and truly Buddhist discipline to sweep up and destroy afterwards. The process is believed to yield as many blessings as the number of grains that went into the mandala. Mandalas also serve to remind us that nothing in this world is permanent. Do you agree? Follow: https://t.me/rtdocumentary

Egypt’s Garbage City #video#Egypt Meet the Zabbaleen, Cairo’s traditional garbage collectors. Generations of Zabbaleen have been recycling Cairo’s trash for more than half a century. They are so good at it that they recycle up to 85% of the capital’s waste. To give you some perspective, a whopping 20 million people live in the Greater Cairo area. Imagine how much waste they produce every day! Zabbaleen’s garbage industry is an organized network of tens of thousands of people, each playing their own part. They gather, transport, and sort the rubbish. Even pigs play an important role, as they are fed the organic food waste. The Zabbaleen garbage collectors are largely independent from the rest of Cairo and live by their own rules. For example, the Zabbaleen never collect waste from a colleague’s turf. They have their unofficial mayor, shops, cafes, shishas, and schools. Follow: https://t.me/rtdocumentary

World’s most fertile mother #video#Uganda When Mariam Nabatanzi was born, her father had already arranged a marriage for her. She was married off at the age of 12. By 13, she started having her own children. “Nothing good happened to me in my marriage, except my children,” says Mariam. Her much older husband humiliated her and brought lovers home. Mariam says she couldn’t leave him because she only wanted to be with one man. After giving birth to three pairs of twins, Mariam asked a doctor for birth control, but he told her she couldn’t stop giving birth, as it could result in tumours… In total, Mariam gave birth 15 times and had 44 babies! Her husband eventually left her. Now, she’s a single mother. With 38 surviving kids, Mariam struggles to make ends meet and takes on every opportunity to make money. Although fertility rates in Uganda are one of the highest in the world, with 5.4 children per woman, Mariam’s story stands out. Follow: https://t.me/rtdocumentary

Barbarity or tradition? #video#theFaroeIslands On Denmark’s Faroe Islands, pilot whales are slaughtered in a centuries-old tradition called ‘the grind’. The sight is terrifying – the mammals are driven into a bay by small boats and hacked to pieces by a bunch of waiting men, as the water turns red. Animal rights activists from around the world are calling for an end to be put to the custom, which some say makes the island’s inhabitants ‘Europe’s last barbarians.’ But the islanders say the ‘grind’ is part of their cultural identity. It provides a sense of community… and a source of food. In their defence, the Feroese argue that it would be the same if “cows were killed in a pool.” Follow: https://t.me/rtdocumentary

Till death do us part? #video#Russia Margarita Gracheva’s life took a tragic turn on December 11, 2017. Her husband Dmitry, the father of her two children, drove her to the woods, tied her wrists with plastic straps, and chopped off both her hands with an axe. He then took Margarita to the hospital and turned himself in. “If you’re not mine, you’ll be disabled,” he repeated as he tortured Margarita. Their marriage had been crumbling. Dmitry suddenly became jealous and suspicious when Margarita asked for a divorce. She says her husband planned it all ahead of time and felt no remorse. Dmitry is now serving a 14-year sentence, while Margarita has reinvented herself as a campaigner for stricter domestic violence laws in Russia. Doctors managed to surgically reattach on of her hands and replaced the other with a bionic prosthetic. Margarita is married again and is expecting her third child. Follow: https://t.me/rtdocumentary

#video#India Can you believe that millions of people around the world consider toilets to be an inaccessible luxury? 🚽 In India, there are many people who have a mobile phone, but no toilet. To answer the call of nature, nearly 600 million Indians go outside and use a latrine. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power, he launched the Clean India campaign, which aims to eradicate the practice. Though open defecation may seem as natural and old as humankind itself, with larger and denser populations, it often results in diseases and polluted water. It can be especially dangerous for women, as they must expose themselves to snakes and sexual harassment in the process. And many women are just too shy to relieve themselves in front of men. Follow: https://t.me/rtdocumentary

#video#Japan Japan’s Yakuza gangsters are portrayed as merciless, but wise and noble guys. Beneath their sharp suits, they’re all covered in tattoos (irezumi in Japanese). Their pinkies are missing because that’s how they demonstrate loyalty to the yakuza boss, known as oyabun. They drive fancy cars and are popular with women… Well, apparently, that’s how it used to be! Since Japan passed stricter anti-gang laws, life has become difficult for Yakuza members. Mobsters can’t open bank accounts, rent apartments, or even send their kids to good schools. Their ranks have been dwindling and ageing. Are they becoming good for nothing? Follow: https://t.me/rtdocumentary

Black magic cult or misunderstood religion? #video#Haiti Do you know what Voodoo is? For most of us, the word probably conjures up images of voodoo dolls or disturbing rites we’ve seen in movies. Voodooism has long been stigmatised as a sinister cult with scary rituals that even involve cannibalism. However, the reality is very different. Voodooism, which originated in West Africa, is closely linked to slavery. In the early 18th century, Haitian slaves overthrew their European rulers and took control of the island. Many slaves were Voodooists, so no wonder the cult was banned! Voodooists believe in the spiritual world and worship their ancestors. In the past, they often embraced Catholic symbols of saints to avoid detention and punishment. In 2003, Voodooism was finally recognised as an official religion in Haiti, on a par with Catholicism and Protestantism. Follow: https://t.me/rtdocumentary

The boy who’ll never grow up #video#Russia Denis is ageless. The Russian is 33 but looks 13. A rare genetic disease has left him with a childlike face and adolescent’s body. A pituitary gland problem prevents Denis from looking his age, but not from living life to the fullest. Denis has a job at a power station. He’s in a long-term relationship. And he’s a keen hunter. Although Denis has to put up with insensitivity from outsiders and answer questions like ‘Aren’t you too young to drive a car?’, he is wise beyond his years. Denis is just an old soul trapped in a young body. Follow: https://t.me/rtdocumentary

World War Zero #video#Russia We all know World War I and II, but few have heard of WW Zero. The Russian Empire fought for world dominance with Turkey, France, Great Britain, and a number of other countries. Casualties in Crimea were roughly 309,000 people. An international group of historians travelled to Crimea to excavate the mass graves and to rebury the fallen soldiers. They saw it as an act of dignity that would give closure and solace to the families whose ancestors died in the war. Bone fragments and clothing artefacts helped identify the soldiers, and modern technology helped scientists recreate the appearance and even identify the soldiers' ailments when they were alive. This amazing quest has contributed a lot to the general knowledge of the war. Tune in to watch the premiere of World War Zero: Lost in Actionright now on RT Documentary. Follow: https://t.me/rtdocumentary

Black in the USSR #video#Russia Did you know that scores of African Americans moved to the Soviet Union in the 1930s? Soviet antiracism and career opportunities contrasted with the oppression and economic hardship in the US, and attracted black Americans to the Soviet Union. Jim Patterson's father, Lloyd Patterson, was one of those who came to seek freedom behind the Iron Curtain. RT's correspondent Konstantin Rozhkov @Spetscorr met Jim and other Afro-Russians during the filming of 'Black in the USSR'. Check it out to hear the whole story. Follow: https://t.me/rtdocumentary

Mysterious Arctic Holes #video#Russia Scientists have been trying to unravel a geological mystery in the Yamal tundra. Giant, perfectly round holes have been appearing in the permafrost since 2013. The holes, which can reach up to 30 metres in depth, look as if they were left by powerful blasts or meteorite impacts. While researchers have been exploring a massive gas emissions theory, the local Nenets people have their own explanation. The Nenets are nomadic reindeer herders whose life revolves around nature. They believe the holes may be a bad omen, or a warning that “someone sometime did something wrong.” Follow: https://t.me/rtdocumentary