Image copyright Volga Films Image caption Armando Iannucci's The Death of Stalin did not go down well with politicians and the cinema elite

The Russian release of British comedy film The Death of Stalin has been shelved following a screening before senior figures on Monday night.

The Russian attendees complained that the satire contained "ideological warfare" and "extremism".

The film's distribution certificate was withdrawn, effectively cancelling its planned Thursday release.

It is not clear if the film, starring Steve Buscemi and Jeffrey Tambor, will be shown in Russia at all.

The culture ministry told Interfax news agency it had informed the film's Russian distributor, Volga, of the decision.

"A decision on whether it will be shown will be made later," the ministry was quoted as saying.

The film, from director Armando Iannucci, is a satire of the power struggle in Moscow following Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin's death in 1953.

As a result, many of the main characters are real historical figures.

Monday's screening of the film, which was released in the UK in October, was attended by members of parliament as well as representatives from Russian cinema.

Many were unhappy with what they saw.

Yelena Drapeko, deputy head of the lower house of parliament's culture committee, told RBK news she had "never seen anything so disgusting in my life".

Yury Polyakov, a member of the culture ministry's advisory council, said it contained aspects of "ideological warfare".

To add to the controversy, February is the anniversary of the Russian victory at the Battle of Stalingrad in 1943 - one of the largest battles in military history and a decisive victory against Nazi Germany.

It was led by Marshal Georgy Zhukov, who is played by Jason Isaacs in the comedy.

Image copyright Volga Film Image caption Jason Isaacs as Marshal Zhukov

Marshal Zhukov's daughter was one of 21 signatories on an open letter to the culture minister, Vladimir Medinsky, complaining about the film.

It criticised the movie for parodying the history of the country and denigrating the memory of Russian citizens who fought the Nazis.

The film insults the Russian people, the signatories said, and even the Soviet Union's national anthem - heard in the trailer (which contains language some readers may find offensive) - was used inappropriately.

Minister Medinsky later responded to the controversy by saying: "Many people of the older generation, and not only, will regard it as an insulting mockery of all the Soviet past, of the country that defeated fascism and of ordinary people, and what's even worse, even of the victims of Stalinism."

"We don't have censorship," he added. "We are not afraid of critical and unpleasant assessments of our history."

But Armando Iannucci said he was "still confident" his movie could be shown in Russia and that the reaction was not reflected by Russia's general populace.

"All the Russians we've shown the film to so far, including Russian press, have said how much they enjoyed and appreciated the film," he told the Guardian.

"They say two things: it's funny, but it's true."</s>Russia has banned the release of British comedy film The Death Of Stalin after labelling it 'offensive' and 'extremist'.

The movie, which stars Steve Buscemi and Jason Isaacs , had been due for a limited release on Thursday after it was given an 18+ certificate by the culture ministry.

But that certificate has now been withdrawn after a wave of protest from conservative figures who said it 'lampooned the history of our country'.

The ministry said the film's release was cancelled after officials found it contained 'information whose distribution is legally banned in Russia'.

Armando Iannucci's comedy, which had a world premiere in September last year, takes a satirical look at the power scramble after Stalin's 1953 death.

On Monday, Culture Minister Vladimir Medinsky held a private screening for officials and film directors.

Yelena Drapeko, deputy head of the lower house of parliament's culture committee, told the RBK news site that she had 'never seen anything so disgusting in my life'.

'(The audience), me included, saw elements of extremism in the film,' she said.

After the screening 22 people signed a letter urging Medinsky to delay the release and check if the film broke any laws.

The signatories included film director Nikita Mikhalkov - who won an Oscar for his 1995 film 'Burnt by the Sun', set during Stalin repressions - and Marshal Zhukov's daughter Era.

The letter published on the culture ministry's site slammed the film as 'lampooning the history of our country' and 'blackening the memory of our citizens who conquered fascism'.

The film contained elements 'that can be assessed as extremist and aimed at humiliating Russian people,' the letter said.

The Russian national anthem was used in an 'offensive way' in the trailer, it added.

It also called for the release to be delayed because next month sees the 75th anniversary of Soviet victory against the Nazis in the Battle of Stalingrad in 1943.

One of the letter's signatories, the head of a public chamber advising the culture ministry, Yury Polyakov, told TASS state news agency the film is 'part of an ideological battle against our country'.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that he was not aware of the controversy and that the matter was the prerogative of the culture ministry.

'The Death of Stalin' became the top trending item on Russian Twitter after the announcement.

'I think Charlie Chaplin would be under house arrest now in Russia,' wrote Alexei Venediktov, editor-in-chief of popular Echo of Moscow radio.

The film has prompted a mixed reaction from Russian media, ranging from praise to condemnation.

The Komsomolskaya Pravda tabloid slammed it as 'a comedy that could have been filmed by Hitler' and 'possibly the most sickening film about the USSR of recent times'.

But critic Andrei Arkhangelsky wrote in Ogonyok magazine that the irreverent comedy is paradoxically able to 'convey the full seriousness of what happened'.</s>The Russian culture ministry has withdrawn permission for the comedy film The Death of Stalin to screen in the country.

Based on a graphic novel, the film satirises the political fallout that followed the death of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin.

The film - which is directed by Veep and The Thick of It creator Armando Iannucci - was released in the UK & Ireland last year to critical acclaim.

A Russian culture ministry spokesperson told the AFP news agency that the distribution certificate of the film had been withdrawn for containing "information whose distribution is legally banned in Russia".

The decision came after the Russian culture ministry held a screening of the film for politicians and filmmakers.

The screening was organised after a number of local cultural officials and filmmakers published a letter calling for the government to delay the film's planned release.

The signatories claimed the film "contains information that can be regarded as extremist" and "lampoons the history of our country". The trailer is also accused of being "offensive" towards the Russian national anthem.

Mr Iannucci, meanwhile, told The Guardian: "All the Russians we’ve shown the film to so far, including Russian press, have said how much they enjoyed and appreciated the film. They say two things: it’s funny, but it’s true."

On Twitter, he also expressed his hope that they could still screen the film in Russia:</s>“The Death of Stalin” is a British-French political satire about the controversial Soviet leader, directed by Scottish writer Armando Iannucci and based on a graphic novel of the same name.

Two days before its premiere, the Russian Ministry of Culture announced that it was withdrawing the screening license of a satirical film about Stalin after prominent cultural figures expressed concern over its ideological content at a public screening.

Read more: 'The Death of Stalin' Comedy Has Russia’s Culture Ministry Bracing for Communist Backlash

According to a Culture Ministry representative, the screening license for “The Death of Stalin” was revoked for containing “information that is banned from distribution by Russian law,” the state-run TASS news agency reported Tuesday.

At a public screening of the film in Moscow on Monday, Russian cultural figures reportedly expressed unanimous disapproval of the picture and asked the ministry to temporarily recall the license for the film.

“The Death of Stalin' should not be shown in Russia due to signs of 'ideological animosity,’” TASS cited Yuri Polyakov, a member of the ministry’s public council as saying.

“Not a single person expressed support for the film as an artistic or historical work,” he said.

"The film insults our historical symbols -- the Soviet anthem, awards and medals," another ministry official was cited as saying by the investigative Novaya Gazeta newspaper after the screening.



"Marshal Zhukov is depicted as a jerk. Moreover, there are scenes of extreme violence in the film. That violates the rules for granting films rental licenses," he added.</s>The Russian release of British comedy film The Death of Stalin has been shelved following a screening before senior figures on Monday night.

The Russian attendees complained that the satire contained "ideological warfare" and "extremism".

The film's distribution certificate was withdrawn, effectively cancelling its planned Thursday release.

It is not clear if the film, starring Steve Buscemi and Jeffrey Tambor, will be shown in Russia at all.

The culture ministry told Interfax news agency it had informed the film's Russian distributor, Volga, of the decision.

"A decision on whether it will be shown will be made later," the ministry was quoted as saying.

The film, from director Armando Iannucci, is a satire of the power struggle in Russia following Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin's death in 1953.

As a result, many of the main characters are real historical figures.

Monday's screening of the film, which was released in the UK in October, was attended by members of parliament as well as representatives from Russian cinema.

Many were unhappy with what they saw.

Yelena Drapeko, deputy head of the lower house of parliament's culture committee, told RBK news she had "never seen anything so disgusting in my life".

Yury Polyakov, a member of the culture ministry's advisory council, said it contained aspects of "ideological warfare".

To add to the controversy, February is the anniversary of the Russian victory at the Battle of Stalingrad in 1943 - one of the largest battles in military history and a decisive victory against Nazi Germany.

It was led by Marshal Georgy Zhukov, who is played by Jason Isaacs in the comedy.

Marshal Zhukov's daughter was one of 21 signatories on an open letter to the culture minister, Vladimir Medinsky, complaining about the film.

It criticised the movie for parodying the history of the country and denigrating the memory of Russian citizens who fought the Nazis.

The film insults the Russian people, the signatories said, and even the Soviet Union's national anthem - heard in the trailer (which contains language some readers may find offensive) - was used inappropriately.

But Armando Iannucci said he was "still confident" his movie could be shown in Russia and that the reaction was not reflected by Russia's general populace.

"All the Russians we've shown the film to so far, including Russian press, have said how much they enjoyed and appreciated the film," he told the Guardian.

"They say two things: it's funny, but it's true."</s>Film censors in Russia have banned a British-made satire about the final days of Joseph Stalin's life.

The Death of Stalin was written and directed by British comedian Armando Iannucci and boasts a high-profile cast including actors Steve Buscemi and Rupert Friend.

The movie is a humorous depiction of the power struggle in Soviet politics following the death of Joseph Stalin in 1953, and features representations of major political figures of the time, including Stalin, Georgy Zhukov and Nikita Khrushchev.

The film was released in UK cinemas in October of last year but has fallen foul of Russian authorities ahead of its official debut on Thursday (January 25).

Politicians and other public figures attended a special screening hosted by the culture minister Vladimir Medinsky on Monday, and many were scathing of its portrayal of events.

Yelena Drapeko, deputy head of the lower house of parliament's culture committee, said she had "never seen anything so disgusting", while Yuri Polyakov, a member of parliament's culture committee, said he considered some aspects "ideological warfare".

Marshal Zhukov's daughter was one of 21 signatories that petitioned the Kremlin with an open letter in protest of its depiction of her father and other WWII Red Army heroes.

The film's official release certification has been withdrawn and it is unclear whether it will ever be shown across the nation. "A decision on whether it will be shown will be made later," the Russian culture ministry said.

The film's creator says he is still confident that the movie will play in Russian theatres.

Iannucci said: "All the Russians we've shown the film to so far, including Russian press, have said how much they enjoyed and appreciated the film."

"They say two things: it's funny, but it's true. I'm still confident we can get it in cinemas," he added.

Stalin's stature has experienced a revival in recent years. A poll taken in June showed that most young people thought he was the "most outstanding person" in the country's history, despite being responsible for the death of 1 million people as a result political purges.</s>Moscow – Russia’s Culture Ministry has withdrawn permission for the satirical film “The Death of Stalin” to be shown in theatres, state media reported on Tuesday, two days before the film was supposed to premiere in the country.

“The film, by Scottish director Armando Iannucci, has been banned for ideological reasons as it contains material prohibited by Russian legislation,’’ it reported, without disclosing what material was disputed.

Russian officials and cultural figures had slammed the film’s pending release as disgraceful ahead of next week’s 75th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Stalingrad, a critical victory for the Soviet Union in World War II.

Soviet head of state Josef Stalin, condemned by his successor as responsible for a series of murderous purges and repressions, is widely revered in modern Russia as the nation’s victorious leader during World War II.

According to nationwide survey results released by Russia’s largest pollster, the state-run Russian Public Opinion Research Centre, more than a fifth of Russians consider Stalin as an idol of the 20th century,

Report says repeated calls to the Culture Ministry’s press service went unanswered. (dpa/NAN)</s>Russia's culture ministry on Tuesday withdrew permission for the release of British film "The Death of Stalin" later this week after officials and top arts figures labelled it offensive and "extremist".

Armando Iannucci's comedy, which had a world premiere in September, takes a satirical look at the power scramble after Stalin's 1953 death and includes actors playing historical figures such as World War II commander Marshal Georgy Zhukov.

"The distribution certificate for the film 'The Death of Stalin' has been withdrawn," a spokeswoman for the culture ministry told AFP.

The ministry's press service said the film contained "information whose distribution is legally banned in Russia", according to the RIA news agency.

The Anglo-French film was set for a limited release in cinemas from Thursday after local distributors Volga Film gained an 18+ certificate from the culture ministry.

This prompted a wave of protests from conservative figures although it got good reviews in Russian broadsheets.

Yelena Drapeko, deputy head of the lower house of parliament's culture committee, told RBK news site she had "never seen anything so disgusting in my life".

"(The audience), me included, saw elements of extremism in the film," she said.

Afterwards 21 people signed a letter urging Culture Minister Vladimir Medinsky to delay the release and check if it broke any laws.

The letter slammed the film as "lampooning the history of our country" and "blackening the memory of our citizens who conquered fascism".

The film contained elements "that can be assessed as extremist and aimed at humiliating Russian people," the letter reportedly said.

The Soviet Union's anthem was used in an "offensive way," it added.

It also called for the release to be delayed because next month sees the 75th anniversary of Soviet victory against the Nazis in the Battle of Stalingrad in 1943.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists earlier Tuesday that he was not aware of the controversy and that the matter was the prerogative of the culture ministry.</s>MOSCOW — Russia’s Culture Ministry banned a satirical film about Soviet leader Josef Stalin‘s death from movie theaters Tuesday following criticism from communists and others that the British-French production made a mockery of Russia’s history. The Culture Ministry declared it was rescinding the permit that would have allowed Scottish writer-director Armando Iannucci’s “The Death of Stalin” to be shown in Russian theaters.

The film premiered in Britain in October and was scheduled to open in Russia Thursday.

The ministry’s move reflects an admiration many in Russia still have for Stalin despite the dictator’s brutal purges that killed millions, as well as the government’s nervousness about the country’s history.

The ban came after some Russian lawmakers and other public figures watched the movie and urged the ministry to keep it out of from theaters.

“This is a vicious and absolutely inappropriate ‘comedy’ that smears the memory of our people who defeated Nazism,” a group of Russian cultural figures said in a letter to the Culture Ministry that was carried by Russian news agencies. “The release of the film on the eve of celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of the battle of Stalingrad is a spit in the face of all those who died there.”

Communist lawmaker Elena Drapeko denounced the film as a “provocation, an attempt to convince us that our country is horrible, people are idiots and our rulers are fools.”

Vladislav Kononov, the executive director of the Russian Military-Historical Society, called the movie “disgusting.”

“It’s an abomination and filth,” Kononov told state-funded RT television. “All the characters are portrayed as idiots. They could have been tyrants, but they weren’t idiots. It’s how the West sees our people.”

Opinion polls show that Stalin, who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953, remains widely revered in Russia, where many credit him with leading the country to victory in World War II and making it a nuclear superpower.

President Vladimir Putin, a former KGB officer, has taken a cautious stance on Stalin’s role in Russia’s history, denouncing the purges but also emphasizing Soviet-era achievements.

Many Russians have been dismayed in recent years by government-sponsored school textbooks that painted Stalin in a largely positive light. Old Soviet national anthem lyrics praising Stalin were restored during a Moscow subway station’s reconstruction.

Last fall, the Russian Military-Historical Society, an organization founded by Putin and led by his culture minister, unveiled a bust of Stalin as part of an “alley of rulers” in a park outside its Moscow offices.

Kremlin critics have denounced such actions as attempts to whitewash Stalin’s image and part of Putin’s rollback on democracy.</s>It's no laughing matter for Russian officials.

The Russian government has banned comedy film "The Death of Stalin" and withdrawn its distribution certificate.

The decision follows a public screening of the film Monday in front of senior Russian officials including filmmakers, politicians and representatives of the Russian Military Historical Society, the Ministry of Culture said in a statement.

A group of cultural figures, as well as politicians, had written to the culture minister urging him to ban the film because of its "extremist" content.

"We believe that the film contains information that can be regarded as extremist, aimed at humiliating the dignity of the Russian (Soviet) people, propagating inferiority of a person on the basis of his social and national identity," they said in the letter, according to the ministry.

"This film is also a libel on the history of our country, an evil and absolutely inappropriate so-called comedy that demonizes the memory about our citizens who defeated fascism," they added.

The film is a political satire written and directed by Armando Iannucci. It follows the final days of former Soviet Union leader Joseph Stalin and the power struggle that followed his death.

This is not the first time a film in Russia has stirred controversy.

In 2015, Moscow banned a Hollywood thriller, "Child 44," after complaining that the movie made the country look like Mordor, the evil realm in the "Lord of the Rings" series.

The ministry of culture said at the time that the film was "historically inaccurate."
Russia's Ministry of Culture bars the release of the British–French political satire film The Death of Stalin in the country after accusing the film of containing "ideological warfare" and "extremist" content.