I'm in Moscow, Russia's capital city.
In many ways, it's like any other big city - modern, busy and chaotic.
But behind closed doors, Russian society has a dark secret.
Domestic violence is a staggering problem here in Russia,
there's no question.
In the past, the Russian government themselves have come out
and said that over 10,000 women a year are being killed
and others believe that up to
36,000 girls every single day are being abused.
Despite these numbers,
they amended the law earlier this year and, essentially,
they have decriminalised certain forms of domestic violence.
So if you batter your wife, but not severely enough to hospitalise her,
and it's your first recorded offence,
then instead of going to prison for two years, you will receive a fine.
To me, that is complete madness.
Total insanity, and I'm here to find out why.
Since the law changed,
one major city has reported a doubling of domestic violence
incidents reported to the police.
On our first day filming,
we get a tip-off about a woman near Moscow
who has been forced into hiding.
So, I found out late last night there's a young woman, Svetlana,
and she's had to flee her home.
It sounds like her circumstances are very chaotic.
It sounds like the man was particularly abusive,
so she just upped and left.
I'm keen to get there quite quickly
because I don't know what her movements are,
I don't know what she's got planned.
BLEEPING
Hello, how are you? Nice to meet you.
When did it become apparent that you
couldn't live in the family home any more?
TRANSLATION:
Have you reported all of this to the authoritative figures?
TRANSLATION:
So, what were your neighbours saying throughout all of this?
Did they support you? Did they offer you help?
TRANSLATION:
"And you should kill your mother." Yes, he said so.
It's OK. It's OK.
STACEY WHISPERS I think you're doing really well.
Svetlana and her kids are now on the run,
trying to stay one step ahead of her husband.
I mean, clearly, this whole situation
just feels totally devastating.
But what strikes me is that, seemingly,
society are willing to tolerate extreme domestic violence.
And it's just remarkable that the neighbours had the hump with her
for having the audacity to speak out.
You know, so we're now in a place
where she's having to move every month with the kids.
She's got no real life.
He's carrying on day to day and it feels like he will never be held
accountable for what he's done.
Under the amended law, causing moderate injuries,
like bruising and bleeding,
only incurs a fine or up to 15 days in jail.
Because Svetlana's injuries weren't severe,
and there's no such thing as a restraining order in Russian law,
there is nothing more the police can do to protect her.
Supporters of the law change say the amendment
has brought penalties for domestic violence into line
with other forms of assault.
But for many, the change was symbolic of a wider attitude
in Russia towards women.
The Russian Orthodox Church
has become increasingly powerful under the rule
of President Vladimir Putin.
Church figures broadcast regular lectures
on pro-government TV channels and social media.
TRANSLATION:
Traditional or orthodox attitudes
are becoming increasingly widespread in Russia.
There's even a whole movement back to traditional ways of life.
I've come to a place where they've taken that to the extreme.
You have a skirt. I've got to wear this?
Hm-mm. Are you serious? Yes, absolutely.
What did he say? I haven't seen him, I've seen his assistant
and she says long skirts for women.
I was like, "Are you fucking serious?"
She said yeah. OK.
You look good.
I'm just going to go and see this guy now.
Wish me luck.
"Puftas not allowed."
Fuck me.
Ten years ago, German Sterligov gave up life as a successful businessman
to set up this community.
Hello, German. Good morning.
Thank you for your time today.
He's got a reputation for hard-line views.
HE SNIFFS
Oh, wow. Proper, organic bread. It's real bread.
Yes. There is no chance to eat such kind of bread in England now.
It sounds to me like it's very important for you to live
this very traditional life, this simple life. Why?
TRANSLATION:
I wonder if you could tell me a little bit about why the church
is in favour of the law
in terms of decriminalising some forms of domestic violence.
Why do you think that is?
TRANSLATION:
So there should always be an element of fear between a man and a woman,
a husband and wife?
TRANSLATION:
With all of that said, do you sympathise with women
who are beaten inside their own homes?
Because this is...an issue that is affecting thousands
and thousands and thousands of Russian woman.
TRANSLATION:
So you're sat here essentially condoning domestic violence.
TRANSLATION:
Like you have, yeah, absolutely.
So you're saying, very simply,
that you personally don't believe in equality?
OK.
It's interesting you should say that,
German, because I would say that I am...a feminist.
I'm definitely a feminist.
That assumption isn't perhaps quite right.
OK, so is that your advice to me?
I should turn my back on feminism so that I can provide for my man
and have children? Yes.
OK...
Well, thank you for the advice,
but also I can't live off fresh air, so I need to work.
Do you think I could speak to your wife?
Alyona.
TRANSLATION:
Hello, Alyona.
Would you be quite happy to receive a slap,
receive a punch from your husband if you both felt it was warranted?
TRANSLATION:
So, you've wrote a book saying why you should be beaten
by your husband?
Can I have a copy?
TRANSLATION:
Do you mind me asking how many times
you have had to discipline your wife?
I don't remember. Do you remember, perhaps?
Because I'm sure you felt it.
ALYONA LAUGHS
TRANSLATION:
OK. We've already answered your question.
Thank you for your time. Bye-bye.
Thank you for your visit.
German and Alyona were so open
about the role of violence in their marriage.
But German seemed nervous about what Alyona might say to me
and I wondered who she could turn to
if she ever decided she'd had enough.
In the last few years,
it's believed the number of women shelters in Russia has gone down.
The government has also cut funding for organisations
fighting against domestic violence.
But I've been told about a tiny network of independent shelters
still trying to help women.
TRANSLATION:
Surviving purely on donations,
Alyona Satakova has run this small shelter
for three years and she's already taken in hundreds of women.
Hello. TRANSLATION:
And the cots as well for the babies?
At an absolute push, you can house about 17 people,
but there are so few of these places that exist, right?
TRANSLATION:
What kind of a state are these women in when they approach you?
24-year-old Anya arrived at the shelter two days ago
with her 18-month-old son.
She's agreed to chat, but she's still frightened her husband
will find her, so she's asked that we hide her identity.
TRANSLATION:
You are so tiny and you're very young and you seem very fragile.
How is it that you're able to continuously take these beatings?
TRANSLATION:
So, two days ago, you decided to leave.
How did you escape?
ANYA SNIFFS
So your folks, your mother and father, were they around to help?
What's the situation there?
TRANSLATION:
So your father was clearly very violent towards your mother,
so much so that he ended up murdering her?
So I suppose you know full well what the end can be.
If you stick around with this guy,
there's every chance he goes too far and that's it,
your little boy hasn't got a mum any more.
Anya reported the beatings to police
and even showed them her injuries,
but her partner was never arrested or charged.
With no help from the authorities,
it seemed like the only reason she had managed to leave
was the desire to protect her son.
Just such remarkable strength from all of those women, and the kids.
You know, you're looking at these babies...
..and some of them are none the wiser, really,
because they're so young,
but their faces are covered in bruises...
..and then you hear first-hand...
..what they've encountered and...
..how their short lives have already been incredibly difficult.
I just thank God there are places like this,
there are shelters like this that exist.
Because really and truly, I don't know where that young girl would go.
Alyona's shelter has just 12 beds.
It was one of only two shelters we could find in the whole of Moscow,
a city of 13 million people.
The truth is, with so few places like this to support them,
the vast majority of Russia's battered women
stay with their partners.
But there are other reasons Russian women
are trapped in violent relationships.
Thank you. Thank you.
This is me.
So I am en route to a place called Pskov.
All of the girls that I've spoken to in Moscow
are from these smaller towns and cities, you know,
remote regions, so I'm keen to go to one of these for meself
and try and understand what some of the social issues are on the ground.
You know, what's contributing to the levels of domestic violence here?
Pskov is one of Western Russia's poorest regions.
How do you do?
I'm here to meet Alina Schenova,
an outreach worker who helps deliver food
and vital supplies to single mums.
The average monthly salary in Pskov
is just £300 and women who do work are often in even lower paid jobs.
Hello.
Alina was taking me to meet Katya,
whose partner left her when she was pregnant.
She now rents a tiny room in a shared flat.
Alina was explaining to me that you've just moved here.
How are you finding it?
TRANSLATION:
I see. How would you cope if you
didn't have donations from the village?
TRANSLATION:
What are you entitled to now, money-wise?
TRANSLATION:
That's per month? That's mad. What does that buy ya?
TRANSLATION:
I have no clue how they expect women in that position to survive.
An estimated 10 million Russian women are now living in poverty,
and with such tiny benefit payments,
single mums like Katya are the poorest of all.
This lack of state support for single mothers
seems to me another way in which women's choices are limited,
creating greater inequality between women and men.
How many women here are financially dependent on their men?
TRANSLATION:
I mean, do you think there's a direct link between being poor
and domestic violence here?
Alina told me the law change
has created another reason why women might not report abuse.
If their partner was fined,
the money would come straight out of the family budget.
Natasha? Natasha. Nice to see you.
You have one girl and also a baby?
TRANSLATION:
And how long have you been living here?
And he was the one with the income?
He was the one earning, and you were raising the kids?
I suppose that leaves you financially dependent on him
to a certain extent?
I mean, it sounds like you were living in complete hell.
Did you feel pressured to stay
because you had nothing to leave with?
TRANSLATION:
Wow. How common is this situation, do you think?
Are any of your friends in a similar position?
You know, clearly there are loads of different reasons
as to why a woman feels like she's got to stay with a violent man,
but I do think here in Pskov,
a lot of it's got to do with the poverty that exists.
She can't go out and get a job.
The benefits that she receives just aren't going to touch the sides
and so she's forced to stay in a position where she's being beat.
But in her mind, she's thinking,
"Well, at least the money's there and I can feed the kids."
It's so sad, and it's very selfless on her part.
So many of the women I've met in Russia
have mentioned their husband's drink problems
in relation to the violence.
There are an estimated 5 million alcoholics
and 9 million drug addicts in Russia.
One report claims almost a third of all deaths are alcohol-related.
I've heard about a unique rehab programme in St Petersburg
that's trying to break this vicious cycle by counselling addicts.
SINGING
RECITING AND SINGING
Father Alexander Gavrilov is not like many other Orthodox priests.
20 years ago, he trained himself in psychotherapy and adapted the
well-known 12-step addiction programme to his Orthodox faith.
So far, he's treated hundreds of addicts.
TRANSLATION:
SINGING
As the congregation leaves,
we run into a commotion outside on the stairwell.
WOMAN SOBS
TRANSLATION:
So, directly behind this door... BABY CRIES
I've just heard a woman screaming,
"Get off me, get away from me, keep away from me."
And I walked in. And the guy was being held back by another woman.
How are you doing? How are you?
Nice to meet you. Making a movie?
We're making a documentary, yeah.
I am 18 years in programme. Oh, yeah, really? Yeah.
I got no addiction no more. And now you're clean? Yeah.
Good for you. I'm clear of any fucking thing.
I... I was 21 years in jail.
Wow. 21 years.
What, what did you do?
I was a fucked up guy. I put everything...
I hate the world, I hate myself.
The real problem - drugs and alcohol. Yeah.
I want to kill myself.
I mean, it sounds like your...
..your past was quite chaotic.
Were you ever violent towards women?
Everyone. Every type. Everyone?
How many women were you violent towards?
I wonder... I don't know.
You've lost count?
Maybe...500. Oh, come on!
Yeah!
This was the game.
I played the game. Tell me why.
Why? Because my mother fucked up me.
That's why.
It was...
..vendetta.
You know?
You know, I don't understand.
I'm just do.
Listen, thank you for your time.
When these people are opening up to you,
what are the kinds of things they've been through?
What have they witnessed?
TRANSLATION:
Why do you think some men are beating their girlfriends,
their wives, their children? Why?
The law has recently been amended in terms of domestic violence,
so now some forms of violence have been decriminalised.
Do you know the official line from the Orthodox Church
is that they support the law?
The shortage of government rehab centres
means programmes like this one are the only option for many addicts.
And those who don't make it seem certain to stay trapped
in a cycle of violence passed from generation to generation.
I was finding it difficult to get men to talk about
their violence towards women.
The next day I got a call from Andrei,
the guy I'd met outside the rehab,
saying he and his pal would meet us in downtown St Petersburg.
I want to find out more about his history of violence,
but with over 20 years inside,
I have absolutely no idea what to expect.
Andrei! How are you doing? How are you? I'm fine.
You know, I am fine any time. You're fine any time? Yes.
Good to see you again. Yeah.
The reason I was quite keen to catch up with you again, Andrei,
is because it sounds like you've had quite a colourful past.
Tell me a bit about...
Um...
..how you used to view women.
Uzhasnyy. Terrible.
TRANSLATION:
What about physically?
What's wrong?
When you were attacking her,
what would be the overriding emotion?
Is it relief? Is it guilt?
Happiness, sadness? What's going on inside your mind?
He's ill. He's ill?
Was ill. You know, I get that.
INDISTINCT SPEECH
But there are lots of men who also have a very tricky childhood
that don't go on to punch women in the face.
Show me that again. Where should I be?
Show me. You have to stand behind.
The women... Stay behind. ..should stand behind the man?
I'm first.
Andrei's mate seemed to be blaming women
for making men lose their temper.
I'm not sure how anyone can hold someone else responsible for
their violence, but it seemed to me that blaming women
is a mainstream attitude here.
There was a really interesting story last year.
Essentially a young girl came out
and said that she'd been raped by two guys,
and one of them, he was sentenced to eight years inside.
She was invited to attend a talk show.
Some of the audience members were angry at her
because they felt like she had ruined his life.
The host is saying to her, "How much had you been drinking?"
She's saying, you know, "Just a little bit."
THEY SPEAK IN RUSSIAN
And that sound bite, just a little bit, went completely viral.
You know, they were dismissive of what she'd been through,
it became this huge joke.
They were poking fun at her.
And unbelievably, Russian Burger King,
so a multinational corporation...
..released this advert with a picture of her saying,
"This offer's on just for a little bit,"
and, "You get the second burger for free."
So referencing the fact that she had been abused by two men.
For me, that is just completely disgusting...
..and another example of the scale of victim blaming that goes on here.
Burger King did eventually take down the advert,
but to date they've not made any official comment.
Despite the overwhelming message that men are in charge,
some Russian women are fighting back.
I've come to visit one of St Petersburg's
most active feminist groups.
How are you? I'm Stacey. I'm Leda. Lovely to see you.
Stacey, how's things? Yulia. Nice to see you, Yulia.
Thank you so much for inviting me along.
Yulia Semenova and Leda Garina head up
the Eve's Ribs feminist collective,
who've been leading the fight back against government policies
they see as anti-women.
How difficult is it to stand up and call yourself,
label yourself a feminist?
To be a feminist, it's really hard, because, like, it's not cool.
Yeah. It's almost...a bit of a dirty word?
Yeah, for sure.
Men, they all hate feminists.
I think they just don't respect all woman.
From the beginning, from their mothers, from their daughters,
from their wives.
If you want to be a good woman, don't talk.
Like, be wise.
Usually, we do a summer camp every year, the last three years.
Some guy called my sister.
I don't know why my sister, because her phone wasn't anywhere
and she wasn't the organiser of the camp.
And started telling her, like, "We will fuck you all,"
and, like, very many threats.
So you planned to put on this camp to explain to people
who might be interested in layman's terms what feminism means,
why it's necessary...
..and then you start receiving threats?
Have you got any of those messages on your phone?
"Bitches, we will fuck you in the mouth..."
Yeah. "..with metal poles."
Yeah. That's what is written. "We won't tolerate you." Yeah.
Did they actually turn up, to the camp?
They saw to my passport, "Oh, you have a husband?
"Why are you without husband, without him?"
Um, cos I'm not stuck to him 24 hours a day?!
Yeah!
Absolutely insane. It's normal to Russia.
It's normal? Yeah.
INDISTINCT SPEECH
In response to threats like these, girls across Russia
have formed an underground network of self-defence fight clubs.
And this group have offered to train me up.
These are soaking wet.
Ya!
THEY GIVE INSTRUCTION IN RUSSIAN
I'm doing this so wrong.
Imagine that someone... VOICES DROWN OUT SPEECH
..in his cheek. Right in his cheek! Yeah, like...
Don't mess with me.
Do you worry...
..that with these lines, with these sound bites,
we've got to protect Russia, Russian values, family values,
that slowly, slowly things will inevitably
get even more difficult for women and the vulnerable?
I think Russian have no future, like,
with all their rights and woman rights,
because it's...it's become more orthodox.
And Russian people are so used to suffer from everything
and they think that everything, it's OK,
just our president is so strong, so we can live in this country,
and it's great.
You know that in Russia, only 20% of people travelling abroad,
so they even don't know what's going on in other countries.
They don't know how to...
They don't know because they can't compare. So...
..I don't know. It's a big problem.
Do you ever get scared?
Scared? Yeah, scared of being so vocal.
Because you girls are putting yourself in a situation
where potentially you could upset a lot of people,
does that frighten you?
To live in Russia and to don't be scared,
it mean don't live in Russia.
Really? Yeah.
There is no law in Russia.
You need to stand for something. Yeah.
So we need to fight.
TRANSLATION:
Do you know, I just find Russia so confusing sometimes.
In the past, they've so much to be proud of.
In 1917, they gave the women the vote -
before we did.
First woman in space was Russian.
And they were the first country in the world to legalise abortion,
so giving women the right to choose.
And now, in 2017, we're in a situation
where they're passing these laws that, in my mind...
..are very dangerous and taking the women's rights away from them.
I've been so impressed by the strength and determination
of all the Russian women I've met.
But amazingly, many of the Russian MPs
who supported the law change were women,
and I've come back to Moscow to try and meet one of them face-to-face.
We've been trying for weeks to firm up an interview with any of the MPs
that voted for the amendment of the law.
There were 380 of them that thought it was a good idea
and not one of them have said yes.
Came back to Moscow in the hope that we'd be able to convince someone.
That's the parliament building directly behind me.
We've just received a phone call with the final no.
So that's that. I'm not even surprised, to be honest with you.
I just find it so disappointing.
And on reflection, you know,
I don't even think the law was ever about the women.
I think it was about them defending and protecting
these Russian values, whatever they are.
And as a result, all of the vulnerable women that I've met
over the past couple of weeks are just not a priority.
Totally irrelevant.
Before I leave, I want to drop in on the Moscow shelter
to see how the women I've met were getting on.
Hello!
The sad truth is, with so few beds,
women can only stay for a limited time.
Hulia, hear you're going back to your hometown.
TRANSLATION:
How long in total have you been here?
How were you in yourself?
Like, what state were you in when you arrived?
So, three months down the line, you feel like a different woman?
Where would you have gone, if this shelter wasn't here?
Bye-bye!
Hulia has to go home.
But my fear is, with the pressure of four kids to support,
she'll be sucked back into her abusive relationship
with little legal protection if things go wrong again.
Every country struggles with domestic abuse.
In Britain, an average of two women every week
are murdered by their partners.
Surely the only way for governments to tackle it is to send
a strong message that violence against women won't be tolerated.
By reversing the law in Russia,
it feels like they've done the opposite.
What's the most difficult part of your job, Alyona?
TRANSLATION:
How many of your women that you've helped...
..have been murdered, they've ended up dead?