Kenneth Glad
A school videographer’s decision to secretly film Russia’s militarized education system became an act of quiet resistance. The footage, now part of an Academy Award-shortlisted documentary, reveals the extent of state-driven ideological control in the classroom.
Pavel Talankin’s job at School No. 1 in Karabash, a small town in Russia’s Chelyabinsk region, was once about preserving the everyday moments of school life. He filmed talent shows, graduation ceremonies, and students sharing their hobbies in his office. His camera captured the natural rhythm of school life: The laughter, the camaraderie, and the youthful energy that defined his work.
But when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, everything shifted. The Education Ministry introduced new “military-patriotic” programs aimed at instilling support for the war and loyalty to the government. These lessons included grenade-throwing competitions, survival training with mercenaries, and lectures on “denazification.”
Talankin, as the school videographer, was required to capture it all, uploading footage for the state to review. What had once been an environment of creativity and expression quickly became a space for state-driven ideological control.
Preserving the Past, Capturing the Future
Instead of following orders to delete his footage, Talankin began saving everything. What started as a simple documentation of school events became a record of political manipulation.
His camera now recorded how the school system was being transformed by the state’s agenda. He explained in a recent interview with The Moscow Times that each frame felt like another piece of a system he no longer recognized.
With the stakes rising, Talankin reached out to David Borenstein, a filmmaker based in Denmark. Their initial communications were cautious, conducted over encrypted lines.
Both were unsure whether they could trust each other, but their partnership grew, leading to the creation of Mr. Nobody Against Putin. The documentary, built around Talankin’s footage, isn’t just a record of the state’s military-patriotic program — it’s also about Talankin’s internal conflict as he realized the role his work played in the government’s agenda.
Leaving Russia, Bearing Witness
As the documentary neared completion, Talankin said in the interview, he understood that staying in Russia was no longer an option. With laws criminalizing any form of dissent against the military, the risk of imprisonment was too great.
In June 2024, he left Russia, taking only hard drives full of footage — his last connection to the life he had known. At first, he thought he could relocate within Russia, but as the risks grew, he ultimately sought refuge in Prague.
The film, writes The New York Times. premiered in 2025 at Sundance, winning a Special Jury Award. But the consequences were swift. Authorities in Karabash learned about the film, and many of Talankin’s former colleagues were pressured to cut ties with him.
Some complied, but others reached out in secret to offer support. One former student, however, watched the documentary and said he didn’t see any propaganda. For Talankin, this comment stung the most, not for its hostility, but because it showed just how deeply the new narrative had become embedded in his former students.
Leaving wasn’t just about walking away from Russia; it was leaving behind everything he had known. “When I said goodbye,” Talankin told The Moscow Times, “it wasn’t just to the school, but to the people and lessons that had shaped my life.”
Sources: The New York Times; The Moscow Times
