Lyuba’s Hope, a film produced by Paul Gregory and Mariana Yarovskaya, premiered at the Hoover DC office on June 24, 2025. The film, which was directed by Yarovskaya, follows lawyer-activist-political candidate Lyubov Sobol, a staunch advocate for the democratization of Russia and human rights activist who was formerly the head of Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation. Sobol has been an eloquent opponent of Putin's war in Ukraine. An anti-corruption fighter who has survived hunger strikes, attempted poisoning, multiple arrests, and exile, Sobol was present onsite at the premiere alongside the director to interact with the audience.
Sobol played a role in several significant investigations in Russia, including those against Yevgeny Prigozhin, the deceased owner of the private military company Wagner. In addition to her legal pursuits, Sobol operates a YouTube channel with over 600,000 subscribers, where she covers topics including corruption in Putin’s regime, the war in Ukraine, and other current events. Sobol’s efforts have been recognized with the Sergei Magnitsky Award, honoring her contributions to the fight for democracy in Russia. In 2019, the BBC included her in the Leadership category on its list of 100 Inspiring and Influential Women from around the world.
Journalist and historian David Satter, author of The Less You Know, the Better You Sleep: Russia's Road to Terror and Dictatorship under Yeltsin and Putin, says of the film, "Despite war and repression, there are Russians who are still willing to risk everything for justice and a better life. In "Lyuba's Hope," Marianna Yarovskaya and Paul Gregory tell the gripping story of Lyubov Sobol, a woman who fought alongside the late Alexei Navalny to hold Russia's corrupt leaders to account. The film cuts between scenes showing Lyuba's personal efforts and the history of recent Russian civil resistance on the eve of Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In the process, it offers not just a cross-section of Russian life but also the qualities that are needed if Putin is to face resistance from where it may matter the most, from his own people."
For more information, visit the film’s webpage at Lyuba's Hope.
