A local news agency in Russia, along with one of its directors, has been fined a significant amount of money by a Russian court for publishing a review on the popular series Heated Rivalry, which Russian legislators view as LGBTQ+ propaganda.
The fines, as reported by the independent Russian news outlet Mediazona and confirmed by CBC News, were imposed recently following the publication of a review on the queer-themed hockey series by SaratovBusinessConsulting, a website covering entertainment and news.
A spokesperson for the Oktyabrsky District Court in Saratov, located around 800 kilometers southeast of Moscow, informed CBC News that the review contained a link providing information on where to stream the series. The article went live in February but has since been removed.
The spokesperson further confirmed to CBC that the fines were imposed due to the portrayal of LGBTQ+ content in the series.
The news agency operating the website was fined 500,000 rubles, equivalent to over $9,000 Cdn. Additionally, a director of the agency received a fine of 50,000 rubles, approximately $900 Cdn.
Large Russian Fanbase
Heated Rivalry, originally produced for Bell Media’s Crave platform and available on HBO Max in the U.S., can only be accessed in Russia through VPNs or unauthorized streaming platforms.
Nevertheless, the show has garnered a substantial fan following in Russia, with fan tributes and content circulating on social media platforms.
Mediazona reported that the review delved into the reasons behind the series’ popularity. Unfortunately, CBC News could not review the article as it has been removed from the website.
Kinopoisk, a Russian equivalent of IMDb, shows that Heated Rivalry has received a rating of 8.3 out of 10 from over 60,000 fans.
The series revolves around the intense relationship between Russian hockey player Ilya Rozanov and Canadian hockey player Shane Hollander.
A key storyline in the series revolves around Rozanov’s apprehension about publicly coming out as gay and the potential consequences on his return to Russia.
Russian fans of the series previously informed CBC News that they resonated with the show due to Rozanov’s personal challenges.
Russian Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws
Russia has implemented a broad law against what it perceives as LGBTQ+ propaganda.
The legislation, enlarged and endorsed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2022</u