Last Wednesday, the day before it was to begin appearing in Russian movie theaters, the authorities canceled screenings of the Hollywood film "Child 44" about a Soviet intelligence agent investigating the mass murder of children. The distributor, Central Partnership, with a little "friendly persuasion" from the Culture Ministry, concluded it was unacceptable to show such a film on the eve of the 70th anniversary of the Soviet victory in the Great Patriotic War.
Following an emergency meeting, the mayor's office of Orenburg recommended closing down the Credo dance school in town. A video showing girls from the school dancing provocatively clad in Russia's most patriotic colors went viral on the Internet and elicited unwanted attention from the national media, as well as from the central Investigative Committee and Prosecutor General's Office.
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