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| Russia urged to delay Death of Stalin release until summer | Russia urged to delay Death of Stalin release until summer |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Delay would avoid Armando Iannucci film clashing with Battle of Stalingrad anniversary, culture ministry advisers say | Delay would avoid Armando Iannucci film clashing with Battle of Stalingrad anniversary, culture ministry advisers say |
| Marc Bennetts in Moscow | Marc Bennetts in Moscow |
| Tue 23 Jan 2018 12.35 GMT | Tue 23 Jan 2018 12.35 GMT |
| Last modified on Tue 23 Jan 2018 14.08 GMT | |
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| Russia should postpone the release of a black comedy about the death of Joseph Stalin to avoid it clashing with the 75th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Stalingrad, members of an advisory committee to the culture ministry have said. | Russia should postpone the release of a black comedy about the death of Joseph Stalin to avoid it clashing with the 75th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Stalingrad, members of an advisory committee to the culture ministry have said. |
| Pavel Pozhigailo, a high-ranking committee member, said The Death of Stalin, directed by Armando Iannucci, the film-maker behind the political satires Veep and The Thick of It, “insults our historic symbols – the Soviet anthem, orders and medals”. He also complained that Marshal Zhukov, the Soviet military commander, “is portrayed as a fool” in the film. | Pavel Pozhigailo, a high-ranking committee member, said The Death of Stalin, directed by Armando Iannucci, the film-maker behind the political satires Veep and The Thick of It, “insults our historic symbols – the Soviet anthem, orders and medals”. He also complained that Marshal Zhukov, the Soviet military commander, “is portrayed as a fool” in the film. |
| Zhukov, whose statue stands near Red Square, is widely credited with orchestrating the defeat of Nazi Germany at the Battle of Stalingrad in 1943. The battle, in which over 1 million Soviet soldiers died, halted the Nazi advance and was a major turning point in the second world war. | Zhukov, whose statue stands near Red Square, is widely credited with orchestrating the defeat of Nazi Germany at the Battle of Stalingrad in 1943. The battle, in which over 1 million Soviet soldiers died, halted the Nazi advance and was a major turning point in the second world war. |
| Yury Polyakov, the committee head, told Russian media that the film lacked cultural or historical value and its release should be delayed until the summer. The film, which has already received a distribution licence, is due to go on general release across Russia on Thursday. The committee also said the film’s release ahead of March’s presidential elections was “undesirable”. | Yury Polyakov, the committee head, told Russian media that the film lacked cultural or historical value and its release should be delayed until the summer. The film, which has already received a distribution licence, is due to go on general release across Russia on Thursday. The committee also said the film’s release ahead of March’s presidential elections was “undesirable”. |
| Russia’s Communist party, the second largest party in parliament, has called the film, which revolves around the vicious infighting that followed Stalin’s death in 1953, “a form of psychological pressure against our country”. | Russia’s Communist party, the second largest party in parliament, has called the film, which revolves around the vicious infighting that followed Stalin’s death in 1953, “a form of psychological pressure against our country”. |
| The Death of Stalin, which picked up four British Independent Film awards last year, stars Steve Buscemi as Nikita Khrushchev, Stalin’s successor, and Michael Palin as Vyacheslav Molotov, the Soviet diplomat. Zhukov is played by Jason Isaacs. | The Death of Stalin, which picked up four British Independent Film awards last year, stars Steve Buscemi as Nikita Khrushchev, Stalin’s successor, and Michael Palin as Vyacheslav Molotov, the Soviet diplomat. Zhukov is played by Jason Isaacs. |
| The comments come shortly after the release of Paddington 2 was postponed by Russia’s culture ministry in an apparent attempt to help two high-profile domestic films at the box office. The premiere of Paddington 2 was moved at the last minute from 18 January to 1 February to prevent it clashing with the release of Scythian, a historical drama, and Going Vertical, a film about the Soviet basketball team’s surprise Olympic victory over the US in 1972. Going Vertical is now Russia’s highest-grossing film ever. | The comments come shortly after the release of Paddington 2 was postponed by Russia’s culture ministry in an apparent attempt to help two high-profile domestic films at the box office. The premiere of Paddington 2 was moved at the last minute from 18 January to 1 February to prevent it clashing with the release of Scythian, a historical drama, and Going Vertical, a film about the Soviet basketball team’s surprise Olympic victory over the US in 1972. Going Vertical is now Russia’s highest-grossing film ever. |
| Russia | Russia |
| The Death of Stalin | The Death of Stalin |
| Europe | Europe |
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