The Ministry of Culture revoked the distribution certificate of a film starring Dmitry Pevtsov about Soviet tank crewmen who went AWOL

The Ministry of Culture revoked the distribution certificate of a film starring Dmitry Pevtsov about Soviet tank crewmen who went AWOL

In March, the Ministry of Culture revoked the distribution certificate of the Russian film To Paris, which tells the story of Soviet servicemen who went AWOL. Verstka found information about this in the ministry’s distribution certificate registry.

The reason why the film’s certificate was revoked is unknown. The registry says this happened in accordance with Ministry of Culture Order No. 484 dated March 16. This document has not been published in the public domain.

To Paris is a 2018 comedy about three tank crewmen who, after the end of the Great Patriotic War, go AWOL to celebrate victory in Paris. The film was shot with financial support from the Ministry of Culture. It starred Renata Litvinova, Mikhail Yefremov, and current State Duma deputy Dmitry Pevtsov.

After the premiere, the film was criticized by bloggers Yevgeny Bazhenov (BadComedian) and Dmitry Puchkov (Goblin). They accused the creators of lying, distorting historical memory, and artistic incompetence.

🟦On March 1, a law on protecting “traditional values” in cinema came into force in Russia, expanding the powers of the Ministry of Culture. The ministry now has the right to refuse distribution certificates to films that “discredit” or deny “traditional values.”

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