Director Sarik Andreasyan warned that relying on pirated Western content will erode Russia’s film industry, which he described as already struggling. His remarks came in response to statements by Dmitry Medvedev, the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, who had voiced support for using pirated films in the midst of sanctions. Andreasyan argued that cinemas would reap greater profits from showing pirated Western titles, keeping the entire box office revenue rather than sharing profits with Russian filmmakers and copyright holders.
He stressed that while he respects the state, allowing pirated content in theaters would undercut the balance that supports national cinema. He explained that theaters typically return a portion of rental fees to distributors. If piracy were allowed, cinemas could retain all the income, creating a powerful incentive to screen only Western films and deprive Russian productions of audiences and revenue. Andreasyan warned that this shift would jeopardize the viability of Russian cinema and harm the industry as a whole, insisting that legal boundaries must be respected to protect domestic filmmaking. The stakes, for him, are high because the cultural sector depends on sustainable commercial and legal frameworks to survive, and bypassing those frameworks would be unacceptable.
Earlier, Medvedev, in an interview with a major state broadcaster, supported the idea of pirated Western content in the context of sanctions on Russia. He clarified that he did not advocate changing Russian law or legalizing piracy, but pointed to questions about how existing laws might interact with the current geopolitical situation. He noted that Russia’s legal framework is influenced by international conventions on intellectual property, such as the Bern Convention and related treaties, and suggested that the current environment complicates these issues. Medvedev added that, given the extraordinary pressures, it would be prudent to consider how content access and distribution could be managed under sanctions, while stopping short of endorsing illegal activity.
Medvedev later reiterated that his stance on allowing pirated content is tied to the broader reality of sanctions and access to Western media. He argued that a wider range of available content could be beneficial in a time of restriction, while cautioning that legal reforms were not his aim. The conversation around piracy remains controversial, with supporters arguing it could provide relief during sanctions and critics warning of long-term damage to creators and the domestic industry. In the wake of these discussions, the question continues to be debated publicly about how best to balance access to foreign entertainment with the protections afforded to Russian artists and rights holders. Critics of piracy stress that sustainable growth for Russian cinema requires enforcement of copyrights, transparent revenue sharing, and clear legal guidelines that encourage production and distribution within a regulatory framework. Proponents, meanwhile, emphasize consumer access and the macroeconomic pressures created by sanctions, insisting that any policy shift must be carefully designed to avoid eroding the groundwork of Russian film production.