The Event

On August 1991, a pivotal moment in modern history unfolded in Leningrad as thousands of people gathered to challenge the Soviet regime. The streets erupted into chaos and jubilation as protesters built barricades, poets recited revolutionary verses, and local leaders, including Anatoly Sobchak, rallied the crowds from their windows. As the State Committee for the State of Emergency crumbled in Moscow, Sobchak declared victory and celebrated with his aide Vladimir Putin by his side, marking a turning point in Russia's transition to democracy. This documentary film, directed by Sergei Loznitsa, captures the essence of that fateful three-day period.