Censorship Strikes: Russian Streaming Services Edit Oscar-Winning Film by Pro-Kremlin Director Mikhalkov

At least two Russian streaming services have removed certain scenes from director Nikita Mikhalkov’s Oscar-winning film “Burnt by the Sun,” which was released in 1994, according to reports from exiled media on Wednesday.

The platforms ivi and Viju have eliminated roughly three minutes of content from this historical drama, which follows a senior Red Army officer and his family during the Great Purge of the 1930s.

Among the deleted material was the opening scene in which Mikhalkov’s character, a Red Army officer, is bathed by his daughter while his wife attends to laundry duties, as reported by the Telegram channel Mozhem Obyasnit.

Additionally, a scene featuring a conversation about suicide and an intimate moment between the main characters were also cut.

Mozhem Obyasnit shared side-by-side videos comparing the original scenes with their censored versions on ivi and Viju.

Despite these cuts, “Burnt by the Sun” continues to carry an 18+ age restriction on both platforms.

Mikhalkov faced sanctions from Western nations in 2022 due to his outspoken support for Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Lithuanian actress Ingeborga Dapkūnaitė, who plays the wife of Mikhalkov’s character, has publicly criticized the war and relocated from Russia.

Last year, Mikhalkov expressed his backing for state censorship within cinemas and theaters.

On Wednesday, President Vladimir Putin presented Mikhalkov with the Order of St. Andrew during a ceremony at the Kremlin.