Roman v Kremlin follows Russian opposition activist Roman Dobrokhotov as he attempts to challenge the power of Vladimir Putin’s Russia from within an increasingly restricted political space. As new laws make protest harder and dissenting voices face pressure, arrest and imprisonment, the film captures a young pro-democracy activist trying to keep opposition politics alive.
A PhD student, journalist and campaigner, Dobrokhotov takes aim at the Kremlin, the Orthodox Church and far-right nationalists through actions that blur the line between protest, performance art, satire and direct political confrontation. Frequently arrested and constantly under pressure, his methods are often witty and theatrical, but the stakes are serious: freedom of speech, civil resistance and the right to challenge power.
Filmed at a moment when Russia’s opposition still appeared to have a possible future, Roman v Kremlin also features a young Alexei Navalny, who would later become Russia’s most prominent opposition leader before dying in prison in 2024. Seen now, the film has an added historical weight: it captures a generation of Russian dissidents before many of them became defining figures in the struggle against Putin’s rule.
Made by filmmaker Oliver Englehart and post-produced by Eki Rrahmani, Roman v Kremlin formed part of Al Jazeera English’s Activate series. It is a sharp portrait of courage, humour and defiance inside a political system determined to silence opposition, asking whether one activist can make a meaningful stand against the machinery of the Russian state.
