The premiere of the NMG DOC film "KURCHATOV" brought REN TV to the top among the premium audience

On November 23, REN TV hosted the premiere of the documentary game project NMG DOK Kurchatov. According to Mediascope, the film attracted 10.4% of the audience aged 22-55 and took second place in the screening slot, second only to "Sunday Evening with Vladimir Solovyov." At the same time, the share in the premium audience of "10-45" was 10.9%, with this indicator REN TV became the leader of the slot. Among all viewers of the country over the age of 4, 2 million people showed interest in the documentary.

The creators of the project admit that of all the films in the documentary-game series "The Great Ones", "Kurchatov" turned out to be the most difficult and time-consuming to produce.

It was necessary to combine several genres at once: a political thriller (espionage passions around the atomic project), and a scientific drama (night vigils in laboratories, risky experiments), and biographical research, and a look into the future. To achieve all the tasks set, the authors gathered experts from Rosatom, the Kurchatov Institute, and historians. More than 30 actors participated in the casting for the role of Kurchatov in historical reconstructions, Mikhail Gorevoy acted as the permanent host of the project.

The relevance of the film's release is dictated by the global agenda right now. Humanity has once again found itself on the threshold of new technological and geopolitical challenges. The arms race is taking on cosmic proportions and moving into cybernetic dimensions, and the issue of energy independence is becoming key to the survival of States. In these circumstances, the documentary "Kurchatov" from the cycle "The Great Ones" turns out to be not just an excursion into the past, but a timely reminder that modern challenges already have historical answers. Kurchatov's experience is becoming a strategic resource for understanding the way forward in an era of new races and threats.

The film clearly shows what a real nuclear shield is and explains why the creation of the Soviet bomb and hydrogen weapons was not an act of aggression, but became a necessary measure to contain and preserve sovereignty, ultimately saving the world from World War III. Kurchatov's 1958 speech, where he calls for a unilateral moratorium on further testing of atomic and hydrogen weapons, is a powerful lesson in the responsibility of a scientist and a politician.

• The viewer will see a multifaceted personality: a talented organizer capable of rallying large teams; a brave scientist who personally launched a reactor with an axe for emergency shutdown; a pragmatist who fought against bureaucracy; and a man with a big heart who defended geneticists from Lysenko and took care of the lives of his employees.
• The film tells in detail about other, less well-known to the general public, but no less ambitious projects: the creation of a nuclear submarine and icebreaking fleet, which is still the pride of Russia.
• A separate chapter is devoted to thermonuclear fusion, Kurchatov's main scientific dream. The viewer learns that it was Soviet scientists who became pioneers in this field, and the Tokamak installations today are the basis of the international ITER project, the future of global energy.
• The film honestly shows the downside of the arms race — living in total secrecy, working under barbed wire, and the enormous price thousands of people paid to create the shield.

"Kurchatov" from the cycle "The Great Ones" debunks myths, answers difficult questions and presents Igor Kurchatov as one of those rare people whose will, intelligence and humanity changed the course of history. The film is available for viewing on the REN TV website.