# My Undesirable Friends: Exile

> Russian journalists flee Putin's war as their documentary reveals the cost of truth.
- Title: My Undesirable Friends: Exile · Slate Magazine | Shortify
- Summary: Russian journalists flee Putin's war as their documentary reveals the cost of truth. Russian journalists who covered Putin's invasion of Ukraine now live in…
- Keywords: julia loktev, tv rain, russia, vladimir putin, ukraine, exile, documentary, journalists, democracy, Undesirable, Friends, Slate Magazine
- Source: Slate Magazine — https://slate.com/culture/2026/10/russia-ukraine-putin-trump-best-documentaries-my-undesirable-friends.html?via=rss
- Author: Sam Adams
- Published: 2026-10-09T16:56:01+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: julia loktev, tv rain, russia, vladimir putin, ukraine, exile, documentary, journalists, democracy
## My Undesirable Friends Part II
Julia Loktev’s documentary follows Russian journalists fleeing Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
## TV Rain’s exile
The independent Russian news network TV Rain has relocated to Latvia after Putin’s invasion.
## The pronoun dilemma
Latvian officials worry that Russian broadcasts using 'our soldiers' might refer to Latvian troops.
## Anna Nemzer’s guilt
TV Rain anchor Anna Nemzer says, 'Of course, we are guilty. Of course, we failed and let this happen.'

> Of course, we are guilty. Of course, we failed and let this happen.
## Ksenia Mironova’s struggle
Journalist Ksenia Mironova’s fiancé was arrested and sentenced to 22 years in prison for treason.
## Elena Kostyuchenko’s journey
Elena Kostyuchenko survived a suspected poisoning and wrote a bestselling book in exile.
## The cost of truth
Journalists face mundane struggles like running out of fresh underwear while watching their country disintegrate.
## Exile’s warning
Elena Kostyuchenko warns, 'Stay alarmed. Be hysterical if you need to. It’s very easy to lose your country.'

> Stay alarmed. Be hysterical if you need to. It’s very easy to lose your country.
## The documentary’s message
My Undesirable Friends: Exile shows how ordinary heroism can sustain democracy during crisis.
## Key takeaway

Russian journalists who covered Putin's invasion of Ukraine now live in exile, finding ordinary heroism in their struggle to preserve democracy.