Journalist Ksenia Sobchak openly reflected on her telegram channel, saying she didn’t see youth gangs romanticized in the project titled “The Boy’s Word.” She emphasized that there is real violence on the streets, noting that “there’s blood on the asphalt.” Her comments point to a broader debate about how crime and youth culture are portrayed in contemporary media.
She added that much of the series’ hype appears to be driven by public relations efforts and controlled by the production team. At the same time, some colleagues in her workplace reportedly formed personal attachments to her. The portrayal of the period’s horrors and the fates of the boys who inspired the series’ central characters is so stark that romanticizing any aspect seems hard to justify. The producers appear aware of this tension, yet audiences often find themselves swept up in the PR narrative.
Additionally, a notable comment came from a prominent TV critic who described the new project, directed by Zhora Kryzhovnikov, as one of the year’s most compelling releases and confessed that there had been a long wait for fresh episodes from domestic television. This view reflects a broader appetite for national productions that tackle difficult historical periods with fresh energy and strong storytelling.
In a separate development, a member of the State Duma Committee on Culture raised questions about how to present formative years to younger generations. The concern is to convey the realities of those years responsibly, avoiding glamorization of criminal figures and the era’s flashier, more sensational aspects. The deputy warned that romanticizing bandits and the 1990s could influence youth behavior, a concern echoed by rising juvenile crime statistics observed by law enforcement agencies.
Earlier reports noted the completion of filming for the second episode of another project, a production titled “Beetlejuice.” This update highlights ongoing activity in the domestic television landscape and underscores the ongoing engagement with bold, boundary-pushing storytelling on Canadian and American audiences via international outlets and collaborations. [citation: industry sources]