Russian Propaganda at the Movies

Romania's Culture Ministry has canceled the showing of two Russian movies in Bucharest cinemas after RFE/RL publicized an initiative by the Russian Center -- an institution that ostensibly promotes Russian culture in NATO member Romania -- to show films dedicated to a celebration of Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin's first flight into space on April 12, 1961. "It's unacceptable that such obvious propaganda productions sponsored by the Russian state be shown in public cinemas," Culture Minister Raluca Turcan said on April 10. The movies, The Challenge (2023), and Spacewalk (2017), are considered Russian propaganda vehicles by critics. To read the original stories by RFE/RL's Romanian Service, click here and here.