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Mediazona reports that it found censored scenes in 200 of the 472 foreign TV series it examined on Russian streaming service Amediateka. The outlet counted 75 hours of cuts, more than half of them involving LGBTQ+ topics; the report also describes softened wording and edits to political content.
Nearly half of the 472 foreign television series examined on Russian streaming service Amediateka contain censored material, according to an investigation by independent Russian outlet Mediazona. The outlet said its frame-by-frame comparison with original versions found 75 hours of censored scenes across 200 series, with LGBTQ+ topics accounting for more than half of the total.
Mediazona reported that it compared the original versions of 472 series with their Russian adaptations frame by frame. It identified 75 hours of scenes removed or censored in 200 of those titles. The report does not give a breakdown of the number of cuts per series, or specify how many episodes were reviewed for each title.
Of the censored material, 44 hours involved LGBTQ+ topics, according to Mediazona. Political content accounted for another 12 hours, including references to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the war in Ukraine, and historical events involving Russia or the Soviet Union. The outlet also reported cuts to scenes concerning incest, pedophilia, drugs and what Russian law describes as “non-traditional” sex.
The report says censorship can involve edits to dialogue as well as deleting scenes. In one example, a line identifying a character as gay was rendered in Russian as “he’s different.” Mediazona reported that partner studios translate series using guidelines for Amediateka, which then reviews, corrects and dubs the material and may make further edits.
How Edits Reach Russian Viewers
Amediateka is the official Russian distributor of series from studios including HBO, Showtime, AMC and Warner Bros., according to the report. Its translations are also used by other major Russian streaming services, including Okko and Kinopoisk. The reported edits may therefore affect how viewers encounter foreign series across more than one platform, rather than only on Amediateka.
The findings also describe different levels of alteration: removing entire scenes and changing the wording of dialogue. Those distinctions matter to viewers trying to understand whether a version available in Russia reflects the original work. Mediazona’s figures provide a measure of the material it identified, but the report does not establish that every title or version on these services was reviewed.
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Amediateka’s Distribution and Review
Mediazona’s report focuses on foreign series distributed by Amediateka and its Russian-language adaptations. According to the outlet, translations are prepared by partner studios under specified guidelines, then reviewed by Amediateka, which can make additional changes during correction and dubbing. The account describes a process involving both outside translation work and platform review.
Mediazona also reported that Amediateka has received at least six citations related to its content: four for incorrect age ratings and two under the law on “propaganda of nontraditional relationships.” The report does not say that those citations covered all the edits identified in its review or establish a direct link between each citation and a particular cut.
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Limits of the Reported Review
The findings are Mediazona’s reported results; the source material does not include the full list of series, episode-by-episode comparisons, or an independent audit of the counts. It is not clear from the report how the outlet classified borderline translation changes, whether its sample represents every foreign series on Amediateka, or whether all current versions on partner platforms contain the same edits.
Amediateka’s response to the investigation is not included in the source material. The report also does not provide dates for each edit or say whether the cuts were made in response to particular legal citations, platform policies, or other instructions. Those details remain unconfirmed.
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Further Responses and Comparisons
The next developments to watch for are any response from Amediateka or the streaming services using its translations, and further information from Mediazona about its sample and methodology. More detailed title-level evidence could help clarify how the reported cuts vary across genres, distributors and platforms.
The source material does not announce a formal review by regulators or a planned change to Amediateka’s editing process. Until additional information is available, the reported figures should be understood as the results of Mediazona’s examination of 472 series, not as a complete accounting of every foreign title offered in Russia.
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Key Questions
How many Amediateka series did Mediazona examine?
Mediazona said it compared 472 foreign series with their original versions, frame by frame.
How many series contained censored scenes?
The outlet reported censored material in 200 series, with 75 hours of scenes removed or censored across those titles.
What kinds of content were most often affected?
Mediazona attributed 44 hours of the censored material to LGBTQ+ topics and 12 hours to political content. It also reported cuts involving incest, pedophilia, drugs and “non-traditional” sex.
Do the edits affect other Russian streaming services?
According to the report, Okko and Kinopoisk use Amediateka’s translations for series it distributes. The report does not specify whether every title or version on those services has identical edits.
Has Amediateka responded to the findings?
No response from Amediateka is included in the source material. Its position on Mediazona’s findings is therefore not established here.
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