Maksym Yakobchuk

The horror story, imbued with the search for the true evil in this world. The most ancient legends of folklore will be recreated from the ancient beliefs about the otherworldly evil of the Kazakh region. Retelling again, they will merge into the realities of our days. We will see Zhestyrnak, Zhalmauyz Kempir and the Ghost from the Kapchagai highway. In their appearance, the heroes of the film will try to recognize the authenticity of evil, which for centuries has cooled blood and deprived of life. But the bitterness of truth itself will find them - "There is no worse in the world - man."

They could not look indifferently at the bloody wounds of Ukraine, did not stand aside when the Ukrainian East fell into darkness. The story of those who became a symbol of the war for independence.

Russian forces looted two museums in Kherson in the fall of 2022 — the Art Museum and the Museum of Local History. As the Russian army retreated amid the Ukrainian counteroffensive, it seized over 33,000 pieces of art and historical artifacts, including Scythian, Gothic, and Sarmatian gold. This heist became the largest in Europe since World War II.

Crimea, Ukraine's southernmost peninsula, was once known for its idyllic nature, warm climate, resorts, and rich Crimean Tatar culture. Since its illegal annexation in 2014, Russia has turned it into a modern-day Gulag where thousands of Ukrainian civilians are held in secret prisons in which Russian special services refine their skills of oppression. Through firsthand accounts from survivors, leaked databases, and months of OSINT work, the film uncovers the network of FSB-run detention sites and names the officials responsible for running them.

The documentary follows the story of Iryna's family (name changed), who fled Russian occupation to save her son from possible conscription. Before leaving, representatives of the occupation authorities pressured her to enroll her children in a local school, threatening to send them to an orphanage if she didn't. Another key figure in the investigation, Oksana (name changed), was promised a holiday in Crimea on the Black Sea coast by the occupying authorities. Instead, she was taken to a military training camp in Russia — part of a program established under Putin's initiative after 2022. At the camp, Oksana was taught to dig trenches, operate drones, and carry out tasks under the supervision of Russian military instructors, who in some cases fought in Russia's war against Ukraine.

Russia seized Crimea in February–March 2014, shortly after the EuroMaidan Revolution, at a time when Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych had fled the country and the new authorities were just beginning to govern. Many believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin took advantage of the moment and annexed the peninsula. But when did Russia actually first attempt to seize Crimea? And why, long before the annexation — while Russian leaders publicly declared friendship with Ukraine and recognized its territorial integrity — were Russian flags already flying in Crimean cities, Russian warships present, festivals celebrating the Russian language held, and Russia's Empress Catherine glorified across the peninsula? All the while, leading Russian politicians were calling on Crimeans to embrace separatism on television.

Melitopol, a city in Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhia Oblast, has traditionally been a hub of religious and cultural diversity. Numerous Christian churches operated there, not only coexisting but also effectively collaborating with one another. Among them, Protestant churches were some of the most active and influential. Immediately following the start of Russia's occupation of Melitopol and the wider region in 2022, local Christians faced repression. Clergy were subjected to searches and interrogations by Russian forces. Eventually, several churches were banned and stripped of all property, including their buildings. Priests were either officially deported or forced to flee under threat, with Russian propaganda often accusing them of stockpiling weapons and ammunition. Believers were forced to go underground.

Torture in Russian captivity is systematic. In a new documentary, The Kyiv Independent’s War Crimes Investigations Unit uncovers the torture of Ukrainian civilians held by Russian forces and traces the roots of these practices through Russian history. The documentary features civilians from different regions and backgrounds who were detained in occupied Ukrainian territories and in Russia itself. Despite being held at different times and in different locations, their testimonies describe strikingly similar patterns of abuse. By combining firsthand accounts with historical research, the investigation shows how torture has persisted across generations and continues to shape Russia’s war against Ukraine.