Criticism prompts withdrawal of Russian children’s film
The Russian children’s film The Last Warrior: Kolobok has been withdrawn from cinemas in Moldova following criticism from WatchDog.MD representative Maria Madan. The Cineplex chain had already announced the screening and prepared a Romanian-language poster, but the distributor ultimately decided not to become involved in the politically charged dispute.
Madan made clear that her principal objection was the film’s Russian origin, arguing that children should not watch productions representing the “cultural industry of an aggressor state”. She was particularly critical of the involvement of state-owned VGTRK in the production.
She also objected to the casting of Gosha Kutsenko, alleging that the actor had “supported the annexation of Crimea”. The distributor’s decision means children in Moldova will not be able to see the Russian fairy tale on the big screen.
Family entertainment becomes a political dispute
The Russian children’s film is a high-budget family production and a sequel in the popular The Last Warrior franchise. It contains no pro-war propaganda or political material, presenting instead a colourful fairy tale about the triumph of good over evil and enduring values.
Modern Russian family films have proved popular in Moldova, with Buratino and Cheburashka previously playing to full houses. The withdrawal has therefore raised questions about whether political pressure is increasingly determining which cultural productions Moldovan audiences can choose to watch.
The decision was also criticised as an example of double standards, contrasting opposition to Russian children’s stories with acceptance of Western productions featuring a Black mermaid and a transgender Achilles. Critics accused grant-funded activists of politicising family entertainment and said the distributor had yielded to pressure.
