Controversial director Alexander Rodnyansky praised Russian cultural figures who have achieved success in the West
Director Oleksandr Rodnyansky publicly recognized the achievements of Russian cultural figures who continued to work abroad after leaving Russia. Among them, he named directors, actors, musicians, and writers who, in his opinion, have not disappeared from the cultural scene after leaving Russia.
The director began his post with a positive review of Andrei Zvyagintsev’s film “The Minotaur.”
The film by the Russian director, who left Russia and spoke out against the full-scale war, was submitted by France for an Oscar in the “Best International Feature Film” category.
The film is set in the fall of 2022 in an unnamed Russian city. The protagonist is Gleb, the director of a logistics company, who discovers his wife’s infidelity.
Against the backdrop of this family drama, the film depicts the war. At one point, Gleb’s company is ordered to send 14 employees to the “special military operation,” a reference to the ancient Greek myth of the Minotaur.
Rodnyansky wished the film success in its bid for the prestigious award and separately commented on Russian propagandists who, according to him, had predicted problems for cultural figures after their departure from Russia.
“In addition to my joy for Andrei Zvyagintsev, his film crew, and the film’s actors, I must admit I feel a certain schadenfreude toward Russian propagandists and all those who predicted that opponents of the war and the regime who left Russia would practically starve to death under a bridge. But no, don’t get your hopes up,” wrote Oleksandr Rodnyansky.
The director then listed other figures from the Russian cultural sphere who, according to him, continued their careers after leaving the country.
In particular, Rodnyansky mentioned Ilya Rzhanovsky, who won the “Silver Lion” for Best Director at the 2026 Venice Film Festival.
He also mentioned Kirill Serebrennikov, who continues to stage plays on theater stages around the world, as well as other screenwriters and directors with experience working in Hollywood.
According to Rodnyansky, for some representatives of Russian-speaking culture, moving abroad has become an opportunity to continue their work and begin a new phase in their careers.
Alexander Rodnyansky did not limit himself to figures from film and theater.
Among musicians, he named Monetochka, Noize MC, and the bands “Mashina Vremeni,” “Bi-2,” and Little Big.
According to the director, these artists have continued to perform abroad since leaving Russia and are drawing large crowds.
This is not Oleksandr Rodnyansky’s first public statement regarding the success of Russian cultural figures abroad.
In 2025, the director spoke positively about Yuri Borisov’s Oscar nomination in the “Best Supporting Actor” category for his role in the film “Anora.”
At the time, Rodnyansky called the nomination “a slap in the face to propaganda” and stated that, in his opinion, it cast doubt on the Kremlin’s claim that Western society allegedly hates Russia.
Alexander Rodnyansky shared his thoughts on Instagram.
Actress Ingeborga Dapkunaite and producer and media manager Alexander Rodnyansky are no longer members of the Russian Filmmakers’ Union.
Ukrainian theater and film actor Petro Krylov, known for his roles in the TV series “Jack and London” and “Blood Brothers,” announced that he has joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
