The most controversial film of the last time in Russia appears today in cinema theaters. It’s about the relationship between the last Russian monarch Nikolay II and ballet dancer Matilda Kshesinskaya.
Many historians say that there is no strong evidence that Nikolay’s’ romantic feelings bring him so far as it is shown and the film is based generally on the director’s imagination. That inspired many newsmakers in the country to condemn director Alexei Uchitel in blasphemy. The reason for that is the recognition of Nikolay as a saint by the Russian Orthodox Church.
And that is the first funny thing. The person who involved Russia in World War I, which led to revolution and billions of casualties. The person who chose Rasputin (always drunk charlatan, who raped nuns and take bribes from all sorts of figures, including German intelligence) as the main advisor. The only reason for recognizing Nikolay as the saint was the willingness of the Russian Orthodox Church to join with the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad. The last congregation appeared after Civil War in Russia and consist of refugees who opposed Bolsheviks and were forced to leave Russia. They recognized Nikolay as a saint long ago and demanded the same action from the church inside Russia. So it is the very flimsy basement for film critics to call Matilda as a threat to the faith.
The second thing to look at is the critics of the film. The most prominent one is Natalia Poklonskaya. She betrayed the Ukrainian government in the midst of the Russian annexation of Crimea and was appointed for that as a prosecutor general of this republic. Then she took part in Crimean Tatar’s persecution (Crimean minority who opposed Russian invasion). As a result, her loyalty was recognized and she moved to Moscow as a parliament member. It looks like she is seeking a new enemy to demonstrate her willingness to support the current regime and get another promotion.
As a result of all this buzz a mediocre film draws attention not only inside Russia but far abroad and I don’t think that film director has any reasons to complain about it.