The Children of Leningradsky (2005)

Plot

After the Iron Curtain fell, millions of children became homeless across the former Soviet Union, with over 30,000 living on the streets of Moscow alone. This documentary focuses on a group of vulnerable kids residing at Leningradsky train station. Eight-year-old Sasha, eleven-year-old Kristina, thirteen-year-old Misha, and ten-year-old Andrej share dreams of finding a safe communal home. Battling the harsh winter, they huddle together for warmth and spend their days begging. Each child carries a painful backstory: family conflicts, abuse, and desperation push them to the brink, sometimes resorting to prostitution for survival.