Russians flock to see patriotic war film in age of Trump
The release of the state-funded movie about a Soviet World War 2 tank has raked in millions at the box office
Moscow — A state-funded Russian film that lionises a Soviet World War 2 tank and its crew has become the second-highest-grossing home-grown production since the collapse of the Soviet Union, part of a Kremlin-backed drive to instil patriotism in young people. The Kremlin has long put the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany at the heart of a patriotic push to accompany what it casts as the country’s return to greatness under Vladimir Putin who has portrayed Russia as a fortress besieged by the West. The new film, T-34, has been praised by the defence ministry, which has shown it to its troops. Its release coincides with heightened tensions with the West, with Putin warning of a new arms race. An opinion poll by Levada published on Wednesday showed more than half of Russians believe their country faces a foreign military threat. It also comes as Kremlin critics warn of a growing militarisation of society in the wake of Russia’s 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea, its continued backing f...
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