Peskov called the restriction of film distribution “under pressure from extremists” “undesirable”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov considered it “undesirable” to limit the repertoire of cinemas due to threats, TASS reports .

“It is undesirable for any decisions to be made under pressure from extremists that limit the right of film distributors to choose their repertoire,” he said.

According to RIA Novosti, the Kremlin spokesman also acknowledged that such threats should be investigated by law enforcement agencies. “We wouldn’t exaggerate what’s happening. At the same time, all this is already taking quite unpleasant forms, the whole story is around. The fact is that these manifestations of extremism - and in attempts to put pressure on cinemas - are absolutely unacceptable, and they pose a danger, like any manifestations of extremism. Of course, this is subject to prosecution by law enforcement agencies,” Peskov said.

Regarding one of the film's most prominent critics, lawmaker Natalia Poklonskaya, a Kremlin spokesman said he "would not talk about anyone's responsibility" for the threats. State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin adheres to a similar position.

Earlier, Minister of Culture Vladimir Medinsky and several parliamentarians asked law enforcement agencies to investigate threats to cinemas. The joint chain of cinemas "Formula Kino" and "Cinema Park" has already refused to show "Matilda", and the network contacted law enforcement agencies upon receiving threats.

Poklonskaya herself insists : cinemas had the right to refuse to show the film and claims that “among the creators [of the film] is a native of western Ukraine, where Euromaidan was realized.”

The first messages about threats to cinemas in connection with the screening of the film appeared back in the winter, they were sent by the organization “Christian State - Holy Russia” (HSSR). Its representative Miron Kravchenko explained that this was a warning, since the organization “knows people who will participate in this in any case.”

In September, the leader of the KSSR, Alexander Kalinin, wrote that the organization had received an anonymous letter warning of “information attacks on cinemas” as part of a “pan-Orthodox campaign” against “Matilda.” He called on law enforcement agencies to “stop the escalation of violence” and “to find and punish the true masterminds of the provocation, behind the film "Matilda".