Russian censorship expands across streaming, literature, and schools
An investigation shows Russian streaming service Amediateka cut 75 hours of foreign TV content, as authorities ban books and introduce patriotic textbooks in schools.
An investigation by Mediazona revealed that Russian streaming service Amediateka removed over 75 hours of content across roughly 200 foreign television series to comply with domestic censorship laws. Censored scenes targeted topics such as non-traditional sexual relationships, substance abuse, suicide, and incest, in some cases eliminating entire plotlines from popular shows like Game of Thrones.
Concurrently, a Russian court banned the romance novel Heated Rivalry over its depiction of a relationship between two male hockey players, citing prohibitions on non-traditional relationships. In Novosibirsk, secondary schools received supplementary textbooks on moral and patriotic education. The materials frame military service in Ukraine as an honorable duty, sharply criticize Western cultural influences, and condemn non-traditional relationships.
Sources: Mediazona, NEXTA, The Insider, Verstka.
Sources
- Verstka — Суд запретил в России книгу «Жаркое соперничество», по которой снят одноимённый сериал о любви двух хоккеистов
- NEXTA — Пропаганда в российских школах готовит учеников к смерти
- Mediazona — 75 часов цензуры
- The Insider — Почти половина зарубежных сериалов на «Амедиатеке» подверглась цензуре. Из них вырезали более 75 часов контента — «Медиазона»
Earlier coverage
- Oct 30, 2026, 05:00 AM UTCRussian streaming platform cuts thousands of scenes to comply with censorship rules
- Oct 28, 2026, 11:00 AM UTCRussian online platform Amediateka censors foreign series under strict state laws
- Oct 28, 2026, 03:00 AM UTCRussian censorship expands across streaming platforms, literature, and schools
- Oct 27, 2026, 11:00 PM UTCRussian streaming platforms and publishers face expanding content censorship
- Oct 27, 2026, 05:00 PM UTCRussian streaming services, literature, and schools face expanding state censorship
- Oct 27, 2026, 11:00 AM UTCRussian online platforms and schools face expanding censorship regulations
- Oct 26, 2026, 05:00 PM UTCRussian censors alter streaming series and ban books under expanded restrictions
- Oct 26, 2026, 11:00 AM UTCRussian streaming service cuts 75 hours of content amid state censorship
- Oct 24, 2026, 10:30 PM UTCRussian censorship tightens across streaming, publishing, and schools
- Oct 23, 2026, 11:00 PM UTCRussia deepens content censorship across streaming media, literature, and schools