What happens when language becomes a weapon? When cinema turns into a battlefield? A new AnewZ documentary investigates how Russia’s propaganda machine operates, tracing its roots from the playbook of Joseph Goebbels to the Kremlin’s cultural strategies today.

The Anatomy of Propaganda

The documentary opens by invoking the shadow of Joseph Goebbels, Nazi Germany’s infamous Minister of Propaganda.

Goebbels, described in the film as “the man who defined propaganda,” didn’t just manipulate public opinion—he engineered mass belief in a destructive cult, fuelling war and genocide. His rallying cry, “Rise up and let the storm break loose!”, echoes through history as a chilling reminder of propaganda’s potential.

But the film quickly makes clear that this is not just a lesson in 20th-century horrors. Propaganda, it notes, is universal— a word that needs no translation. Its tools have evolved, but the intent remains unchanged - to mould reality, rewrite history, and shape minds. The film shows how, from the printing press to television to today’s internet, carefully crafted narratives have always been used by rulers to control behaviour and manufacture belief.

Techniques that Never Change

As conflicts intensify worldwide, the documentary argues, propaganda becomes more aggressive and more sophisticated.

The techniques, however, remain strikingly familiar:

• • Create an enemy.
• • Rewrite history.
• • Claim victimhood.
• • Project your own crimes onto others.
• • Accuse adversaries of what you’re doing yourself.
• • Smear dissent as sabotage or foreign influence.
• • Wrap lies in patriotism and moral certainty.

The film illustrates these points with footage from rallies, state TV, and infamous soundbites. Russian officials such as Sergey Lavrov and Vladimir Putin are shown denying aggression in Ukraine, even as new invasions unfold.

Sergey Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister: “No, we aren’t planning on attacking other countries. We didn’t attack Ukraine either.”

Vladimir Putin, President of Russia: “I repeat, we are acting in self-defence against the threats directed at us. We don’t plan on occupying Ukrainian territories.”

A visual of a Russian school textbook highlights how history is retold to suit political purposes: “In 1954, on the personal initiative of N. Khrushchev… Crimea was transferred from the RSFSR to the Ukrainian SSR.”

Language as a Battlefield

Central to the film’s analysis is the manipulation of language itself. Drawing on Holocaust survivor Victor Klemperer’s studies of Nazi Germany—where “Lingua Tertii Imperii,” or the Language of the Third Reich, was designed to reshape consciousness—the film shows how today’s Russia systematically retools vocabulary. Words such as “war” become “special military operation”; “critics” are labelled “foreign agents.” Repetition of such phrases, the film notes, is used to reprogramme public understanding.

Culture is no less important. The film delves into “Kulturpolitik,” a Nazi concept where art, literature, and cinema were mobilised to reinforce state ideology and silence dissent. Today, Russian culture—especially film and TV—plays a similar role, embedding official narratives in the popular imagination.

From Goebbels to Mikhalkov: Faces of Propaganda

A major focus of the documentary is Nikita Mikhalkov, a once-acclaimed Russian filmmaker now notorious as a voice for the Kremlin. Through his programme “Besogon,” Mikhalkov promotes conspiracy theories, chauvinism, and emotional manipulation. His transformation, the film argues, is rooted in a family history of adaptation and service to power—his father, Sergey Mikhalkov authored Soviet anthems for three different leaders, and relatives have a legacy of shifting allegiances.

Soundbites throughout the documentary drive home the message:

Dmytro Gordon, Ukrainian journalist: “Nikita Sergeyevich Mikhalkov. An outstanding director. A wonderful actor. On the other hand, a scoundrel.”
Vladimir Putin, President of Russia: “He is, of course, from a great Russian creative family.”
Nikita Mikhalkov, on supporting Yeltsin: “Not re-electing Yeltsin today means the whole nation admitting its own helplessness.”

The documentary also presents voices from ordinary Russians, Russian propagandists such as Vladimir Solovyov and Margarita Simonyan, and striking moments such as a woman claiming, “If we hadn’t invaded Ukraine, Europe would have attacked us.”

The Nazi Label and Semantic Warfare

The documentary pays particular attention to the relentless use of the “Nazi” label. From Ukrainian leaders to neighbouring countries and even domestic dissenters, anyone who challenges official narratives is branded a “fascist.” At the same time, evidence of Russian war crimes is denied or inverted. As the film argues, just as Nazi Germany made “fanaticism” a virtue and “liberal” an insult, today’s Russia rewrites words and meanings to suit political goals.

A powerful visual shows Putin and the self-declared leaders of separatist territories in Ukraine, holding hands and chanting “Russia!” during an annexation ceremony—an example of how ritual and spectacle serve propaganda.

Azerbaijan and Propaganda’s Expanding Targets

The documentary doesn’t limit its focus to Ukraine. Russian propaganda, it reveals, now targets all independent voices in the region, including Azerbaijan. Recent broadcasts have accused Azerbaijan of raising “Russophobe” generations and painted the country’s elite as Western puppets. These attacks, the film contends, are not isolated incidents but part of a broader strategy to deny neighbours their agency and cast sovereignty as hostility.

Why It Matters

The film concludes with a warning: Propaganda does not simply distort the truth—it justifies violence, silences debate, and enables atrocity. The horrors of the twentieth century were enabled by such thinking. “The most insidious propaganda,” the documentary notes, “convinces us that the line between truth and lie is unimportant—that facts are negotiable, and that violence can be justified by narrative.”

The final scene is haunting—Vladimir Putin toasting Nikita Mikhalkov’s birthday by videocall, a subtle reminder of how culture, power, and propaganda remain intertwined.

Watch the Documentary

Made in Russia, Believed Nowhere: Kremlin-curated Illusions is essential viewing for anyone seeking to understand how propaganda shapes our world, not just in Russia, but everywhere information is weaponised.

Tags

News Russia propaganda Joseph Goebbels