Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
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.
Listen to the Russia version here: csis.org/podcasts/russian-roulette/putins-propaganda-machine-russian-classrooms-russian-language-exclusive
Mentioned:
• Mr. Nobody Against Putin (imdb.com/title/tt34965515/) | Documentary film directed by David Borenstein and Pavel Talankin
Feedback? Suggestions? Ideas to help us improve? Email us at erep@csis.org (mailto: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 (csis.org/podcasts/eurofile)
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.
Listen to the Russia version here: csis.org/podcasts/russian-roulette/putins-propaganda-machine-russian-classrooms-russian-language-exclusive
Mentioned:
• Mr. Nobody Against Putin (imdb.com/title/tt34965515/) | Documentary film directed by David Borenstein and Pavel Talankin
Feedback? Suggestions? Ideas to help us improve? Email us at erep@csis.org (mailto: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 (csis.org/podcasts/eurofile)
