“Unexpected LGBTQ+ Breakthrough: How ‘Heated Rivalry’ Ignites a Passionate Following in Repressive Russia”

A Canadian television series focusing on the romance between two rival professional hockey players has unexpectedly gained popularity among Russian audiences, even amidst the country’s strict repression of LGBTQ+ individuals and its prohibition of gay «propaganda.»

«Heated Rivalry,» which depicts a clandestine relationship between a Russian and a Canadian NHL player, is now ranked among the top three shows on Kinopoisk, Russia’s leading film and television streaming service. It boasts an impressive rating of 8.6, surpassing Netflix’s “Stranger Things” and the drama “Landyshi,” which is set against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

For numerous viewers in Russia, the show offers more than just entertainment; it delivers a unique representation of queer lives and relationships at a time when LGBTQ+ visibility has largely diminished within the country.

«I knew I had to watch it immediately because it’s the only show featuring top-level queer athletes in the NHL,» Galina, a fan from Russia, revealed to The Moscow Times.

«It’s not just a simple love story about two boys. It carries a significant social message,» she added while requesting anonymity for safety reasons.

Similar to «Anora,» the Oscar-winning 2024 film featuring a Russian character that became a hit in Russia, «Heated Rivalry» has thrived due to its cultural relevance.

One of its primary characters, Ilya Rozanov, a Russian hockey player, grapples with his sexual identity while concealing it from his family and teammates.

However, unlike «Anora,» the show prominently features LGBTQ+ themes that are legally restricted in Russia.

In 2023, the Russian Supreme Court deemed what it called the «international LGBT movement» as «extremist,» effectively criminalizing most public displays of LGBTQ+ identities.

Despite this ruling, fans such as Galina still actively seek out the series and form online communities around it.

Although the show isn’t available on Russian streaming platforms, viewers in the country can watch it through the VKontakte social media platform, via torrent downloads, or on pirated sites and Telegram channels, with the sixth episode alone garnering over 1 million views on VKontakte.

The Telegram messaging app has emerged as the primary hub for Russian-speaking enthusiasts, who share memes, artwork, collages, and merchandise like keychains featuring the show’s protagonists.

The largest «Heated Rivalry» fan channel has over 45,000 subscribers, and membership skyrocketed on December 18, according to analytics platform TGstat.

This spike coincided with the airing of the season’s second-to-last episode, «I’ll Believe in Anything,» where Rozanov confides to his Canadian rival Shane Hollander that both his homeland and family would never accept them as an openly gay couple.

By mid-January, over 6,000 videos had been uploaded on Russian-language TikTok under the hashtag #HeatedRivalry. Some users posted lighthearted edits, while others engaged in discussions around LGBTQ+ representation, their complicated feelings towards Russia, or personal anecdotes.

«No foreigner could fully grasp what Ilya meant by saying, ‘Because of Russia’,» expressed a TikTok user. «They will never understand why he repeatedly returns to Moscow against his will. They won’t comprehend the real fear of disappointing your parents, like Ilya.»

On Ficbook, a fanfiction site in Russian, users have created numerous stories about «Heated Rivalry,» with a wide range from G-rated to explicit NC-17 content.

The novel by Rachel Reid, which inspired the series, is still available in print on major Russian online marketplace Ozon, where it enjoys a 4.8 out of five rating.

More generally, LGBTQ+ literature is facing increased pressure in Russia. Recently, the country’s leading publisher closed Popcorn Books, a young-adult imprint recognized for its popular queer titles.

«Thank you so much for providing the chance to read the printed edition,» one reviewer anonymously commented on Ozon’s site.

Fans can also purchase merchandise like pins, phone cases, mugs, and acrylic figurines of the characters, with prices ranging from 390 to 727 rubles (approximately $5 to $9).

The series has, however, faced criticism from conservative activists.

On January 9, Andrei Soldatov, chairman of the far-right Orthodox group Sorok Sorokov, condemned the show for what he characterized as «sodomite scenes» promoting «unnatural depravity.»

«Birth rates are already lower than death rates, yet we are allowing the promotion of unnatural vice to our youth,» Soldatov stated, announcing the movement’s plans to file complaints with the Prosecutor General’s Office and media regulator Roskomnadzor to seek a ban.

Alexei, a gay man residing in Russia, remarked that such restrictions often ignite interest rather than suppress it.

«For my peers in Russia, there exists a world of limitations, contrasted by an open realm of the internet and Western culture that we can freely explore,» said Alexei, whose name has been altered for safety.

He noted that the narrative of a queer Russian athlete forced into secrecy resonates deeply with younger viewers, many of whom cannot recall a time before the Kremlin intensified its crackdowns on the LGBTQ+ community.

«The storyline of a hockey player in this series who conceals his sexual orientation is quite prevalent in fanfiction, which is nearly impossible to ban. This is what makes it compelling for a young Russian audience,» he explained.

«I feel that nearly everyone in Russia knows a multitude of individuals from the music industry, professional sports, or pop culture who, for various reasons, are compelled to remain in the shadows, similar to the character Rozanov,» he added.

Yaroslav Rasputin, a Russian LGBTQ+ activist currently in exile in Georgia, commented that the series’ success highlights a significant lack of queer content available in Russian.

«There is an enormous unmet demand for queer narratives, and government censorship only exacerbates the situation,» Rasputin shared with The Moscow Times, mentioning that many fans of queer literature, films, and series are heterosexual women and girls.

«In any case, the less LGBTQ+ content that manages to break through in Russia, the more successful the content that does become available will be,» he concluded.