Support The Moscow Times!

Russian Communists Don't Want DiCaprio to Play Lenin

Leonardo DiCaprio

Members of the Communists of Russia party and activists from the St. Petersburg communists organization have threatened that they will stage protests at the Lenfilm studio in St. Petersburg if the studio casts Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio as Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin in one of their films.

"We have sent a letter to Lenfilm and told them that such a move would provoke protest actions. We would launch civil disobedience actions near the Lenfilm entrance, we simply would not let them enter the premises," one of the party leaders, Sergei Malinkovich, told the state-run RIA Novosti news agency.

He added that the studio should find a Russian actor for the role.

The comment comes days after Lenfilm, Russia's oldest film studio, said that it is willing to make a film in which DiCaprio plays Lenin.

Earlier this month the actor told German newspaper Welt am Sonntag that he would love to play the role of President Vladimir Putin, Lenin or Grigory Rasputin.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more