Zelensky: Russian defence minister demands ban on Ukraine president’s comedy

Sergei Shoigu also reportedly called for exclusion of work by Ukrainian producer Alexander Rodnyansky

Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu has called for the film and TV work of Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelensky to be banned from Russia.

Shoigu also demanded that producer Alexander Rodnyansky’s projects be banned, in a letter reportedly sent to the Russian Minister of Culture Olga Lyubimova.

Russian investigative news site The Insider published what the outlet claimed was a copy of the letter.

According to a translation provided toThe Hollywood Reporterby a Russian film source, the letter states: “As part of a special operation, the Ministry of Defence is taking measures to shape a positive public opinion of Russian citizens in support of the country leaders and the actions of the Russian armed forces.

“At the same time, in the cultural sector of the Russian media space, films and TV programs with the participation of VA Zelensky continue to be shown, as do the creative projects of a major Ukrainian media manager, AE Rodnyansky.

“Popularisation of these persons in the current conditions does not contribute to the implementation of decisions taken by the country leaders and the Russian Ministry of Defence.

“Taking into account the above, I ask you to work through an issue about the exclusion of VA Zelensky and AE Rodnyansky from the cultural agenda of the Russian Federation.”

In response, Rodnyansky told The Hollywood Reporter he found it “interesting that a Russian minister responsible for running the war in Ukraine took the time to single out me and Volodymyr Zelensky and write an actual letter to the Minister of Culture”.

Volodymyr Zelensky in the TV series ‘Servant of the People’ (Kvartal 95/Netflix)

He added: “Formally, this will have no effect on my projects. There is no way I would ever take money from the Russian state after 24 February [the date of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine].”

Rodnyansky is Russia’s most successful film producer, with credits including the 2014 Oscar-nominated film Leviathan.

He is also one of the founders of the Ukrainian TV channel 1 + 1, which has frequently worked with Zelensky’s production company, Kvartal 95 Studio.

Before becoming Ukraine’s president, Zelensky was a popular actor and comedian and starred in the hit TV series Servant of the People, as an ordinary man who gets elected as president.

The show recently aired on Channel 4 in the UK. Read The Independent’s review here.