Russia deepens content censorship across streaming media, literature, and schools

Russian censorship and state-directed messaging are expanding across media platforms, publishing, and public education. An investigation by Mediazona, detailed by The Insider, revealed that Russian streaming service Amediateka removed over 75 hours of footage from roughly 200 foreign series. Censorship targeted scenes referencing LGBT topics, substance use, suicide, and incest, in some cases eliminating crucial plotlines.

Concurrently, Verstka reported that a Russian court officially banned the romance novel Heated Rivalry, citing legislation against non-traditional sexual relationships.

In public education, NEXTA reported that supplementary instructional materials introduced in Novosibirsk schools promote military service as an honorable duty. The curriculum criticizes Western cultural influences while framing non-traditional relationships and foreign media in restrictive terms.

Sources: Mediazona, NEXTA, The Insider, Verstka.