December 1-4, 2026
III International Festival of Documentary Films, Media Projects and AI Projects “Khanzhonkov DOС: Liniya Fronta"

FESTIVAL SYMBOL

Alexander Khanzhonkov

Alexander Khanzhonkov is the symbol of the Festival.

Hereditary Cossack
Alexander Khanzhonkov was born in 1877 into the family of a retired Cossack officer who served on the honor guard at the coronation of Alexander II, and was very proud of his origins. He graduated from the cadet school and was accepted into one of the best Cossack regiments – the Don First, went through two wars: the Russian-Turkish and the Russian-Japanese, and in 1905, with the rank of captain, he retired due to illness.

One of the founders of Russian cinema
In 1905, while in Rostov-on-Don, Khanzhonkov visited the first city electrobiograph (cinema) and after watching a film show he decided to devote himself to filmmaking. At first, he was involved in documentary filmmaking and distribution of foreign films, then he organized the filming of his own films, including documentary-fiction, educational, feature films, mystical dramas and others. Khanzhonkov created a special Scientific Department for filming educational films on agriculture, geography, zoology, botany, and medicine, attracting leading Russian specialists in these fields. He also made a huge contribution to the development of television journalism: thanks to him, people were able to see the disaster in the Italian port of Messina and the funeral of Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy. Founded the Yalta Film Studio.
Director of the first Russian full-length film In 1911 (together with Vasily Goncharov) Khanzhonkov released the first Russian full-length film – a documentary-fiction film about the Crimean War “Defense of Sevastopol” worth 40 thousand rubles! Mass battle scenes, sinkings of ships and survivors of the Sevastopol defense made an indelible impression on both the royal family and the mass audience.
The legend of world cinema and the “Front Line” festival
The name of Alexander Khanzhonkov is inextricably linked with Rostov-on-Don, the DPR and the southern coast of Crimea. His enthusiasm, perseverance and innovation played a major role in the emergence and development of the domestic film industry and television journalism. That is why his image will become one of the symbols of the “Front Line” festival and will be depicted on a prize statuette that will go to equally brave and determined people: directors, screenwriters and cameramen, journalists and bloggers.


Artwork by Maxim Ilyinov specially for the festival