An editor at Agentstvo received a message through Russia’s Gosuslugi government services platform urging families to watch the historical film Rozhdeniye Imperii (Birth of an Empire). The outlet reported the message on October 30. The film, about the Battle of Poltava, was promoted ahead of Russia’s National Unity Day.
President Vladimir Putin had recently praised the film and proposed free screenings for schoolchildren, students and pensioners. According to Agentstvo, the Russian Cinema Fund approved 800 million rubles in non-repayable production subsidies. The outlet did not establish how many users received the message.