In Russia, nearly half of the foreign TV series on Amediateka have been censored

The Russian online streaming service “Amediateca” cut approximately 7,300 clips totaling 75 hours from 200 foreign TV series. Nearly half of the series available on the platform were censored.

The majority of the cuts involved LGBT themes—a total of about 44 hours. Scenes involving drugs, references to Vladimir Putin, the war in Ukraine, and the history of Russia and the USSR were also removed.

Censorship affected not only the video content but also the translations. According to Mediazona, studios receive special instructions requiring them to tone down certain statements and change the wording. For example, references to same-sex relationships may be replaced with neutral terms, and certain sexual expressions—with ordinary kisses.

Some series were re-edited to remove scenes that censors had previously overlooked. In particular, the changes affected “Game of Thrones,” “The Sopranos,” and “True Detective.”

“Amediateka” is the official distributor of series from HBO, Showtime, AMC, and Warner Bros. Its translations are also used by other Russian streaming platforms. According to the publication, the service has been held accountable at least six times for its content, specifically for violating age-rating rules and for so-called “propaganda of non-traditional relationships.”

The Venice Film Festival, which opens on September 2, will screen several politically charged feature-length films. Among them are the three-hour film *Imperium* by Ukrainian director Sergei Loznitsa, the four-hour documentary *Musk* by Alex Gibney, and Julia Loktev’s video diary *My Unwanted Friends: Part II,” which runs for over five hours.