No Rainbow Flags, No Drugs, No Putin

Independent publication Mediazona has released an in-depth study on censorship in TV series on Amediateka, Russia’s leading online streaming service. The service has altered nearly half of all foreign TV series.

Russian censorship in films and series has long been a known issue, with scandals involving cut scenes generating several articles on the topic. But Mediazona developed an algorithm that compared the Russian versions of TV series with the originals frame by frame, which made it possible to analyze a large amount of material, identify even subtle changes, and gain a comprehensive understanding of the situation.

The differences identified by the algorithm were then verified manually to rule out technical editing changes. As a result, the journalists discovered a full 75 hours of cut content across 200 shows and presented a detailed report on their work, allowing users to click on each episode and see exactly what had been removed.

Most of the scenes were removed due to LGBT-related themes: they accounted for 44 hours of censorship. References to same-sex relationships, transgender, and non-binary identities, as well as rainbow flags, were removed. For example, in the popular series “Girls,” all scenes depicting the relationships of the main character’s gay friend Elijah were cut, as a major storyline about her father’s coming out.

In addition, scenes involving drugs, sex, and the topic of abortion were removed from “Girls” – and, interestingly, even all of Hannah’s doubts about whether she should have a child.

Other reasons for the cuts in TV series include different topics, from suicide to incest. For example, in the Russian version of “Game of Thrones,” the relationship between Jaime and Cersei Lannister is completely omitted, even though it plays a crucial role in the plot’s development.

Political censorship accounts for about 12 hours – specifically, the removal of references to Russian history, current events and Russian president Vladimir Putin. But perhaps careful treading around this theme was inevitable.

The main finding of Mediazona’s study is that the state does not merely restrict certain topics but subtly influences how the audience perceives popular culture. Censorship becomes a tool for creating an imaginary world where there is nothing that the Russian state dislikes – whether it be sex toys, marijuana, or unflattering remarks about the USSR.

Ironically, it's also a world without Putin.