Russia's Classrooms Face Putin’s Propaganda Machine
About this episode
Maria Snegovaya interviews Russian schoolteacher Pavel Talankin about his documentary on the impact of propaganda in Russian classrooms.
NOTE: This interview was conducted in Russian. The English audio was created with AI dubbing software and reviewed by native speakers of both languages for accuracy. Maria Snegovaya sits down with Pavel Talankin –– a Russian schoolteacher who became an unlikely lens into the Russian propaganda machine. His documentary, Mr. Nobody Against Putin, captured two years of footage from inside a provincial Russian classroom as Putin's war transformed his students into instruments of the state. The film won the 2026 Oscar for Best Documentary. Talankin joins Russian Roulette to discuss what he witnessed, the process of making the film, and what his story reveals about the depths of propaganda in Russia's education system today. Mentioned: Mr. Nobody Against Putin | Documentary film directed by David Borenstein and Pavel Talankin Feedback? Suggestions? Ideas to help us improve? Email us at erep@csis.org. If you love Russian Roulette, let us know by subscribing and leaving a review wherever you get your podcasts. Listen to our sister podcast, covering all things Europe through a Washington lens: CSIS Podcasts | The Eurofile
People in this episode
Host: Maria Snegovaya
Guest: Pavel Talankin
Topics covered
- education
- propaganda
- Russia
- documentary
- politics
Keywords
- Putin
- propaganda machine
- Russian education
- documentary film
- Mr. Nobody Against Putin
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: CSIS | Center for Strategic and International Studies
Books & works: Mr. Nobody Against Putin
More episodes of Russian Roulette
- Putin’s Propaganda Machine in Russian Classrooms (A Russian Language Exclusive)
- How Ukraine Fights: Reflections from the Front Lines feat. Nate Vance
- Has the War Come Home to Russia?
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