Educational Media Reviews Online

This is a misnamed documentary. When thinking of the Russian Soul, many will think of the culture as whole – literature, politics, the arts, religion, etc. This film is more of sociological/political science examination of the awakening of a Russian electorate. Using the standard construction of a narrator, talking heads, and photo/video shots we are shown that there is an emerging Russian electorate who may not be that supportive of the regime. What was most interesting to this reviewer is that there was no mention of the Russian Orthodox Church as a factor in the people’s worldview or identification. A century ago, Russian P.O.W.s captured by the Germans did not identify themselves as “Russian” (russkie), but as “Pravoslavie” (Orthodox.) Certainly, such a shift in the culture has ramifications for today and deserves investigation. Video and sound quality are very good and the subtitles quite readable. All this makes for a somewhat interesting production, but like most video productions this should serve as an introduction or supplement to a study of the Russian electorate and not the final word.