At THE WHY, we believe in the power of documentaries to inspire change. With our Russian-language initiative we are bringing critical, fact-based storytelling to Russian-speaking audiences across multiple countries.

Selecting and Translating Impactful Documentaries  

Our editorial board, composed of media experts from diverse backgrounds, carefully selected 55 films focusing on democracy, freedom of expression, and cultural diversity curated with a sharp knowledge of the Russian media landscape and the information needs of Russians living in and outside of Russia. 

Partnering with a dubbing house in Georgia, we successfully translated and voiced the films despite technical and logistical hurdles. While the political landscape in some target countries complicated distribution, we successfully donated films to TV stations in Moldova, Ukraine (Jurnal TV), Belarus (Belsat TV), and Kyrgyzstan (Kyrgyz TV), and continue to seek additional broadcasting partners.

Reaching Audiences via YouTube  

THE WHY Russian YouTube Channel was launched in 2023 while recognizing an ever-growing importance of digital access to media, making our films freely available to Russian-speaking viewers worldwide. The channel has since accumulated over 1 million views in 13 countries, demonstrating the demand for high-quality, fact-based content.

Despite challenges, The Russian Project has successfully increased access to independent documentaries in Russian-speaking regions. Moving forward, we remain committed to expanding our reach and fostering dialogue through storytelling.