Russia drafts guide on making films and TV series to strengthen ‘traditional family values’

Russia is developing guidelines for filmmakers and television producers to create content that reinforces "traditional family values" in Russia, according to reports by RBC. The recommendations, which are currently voluntary, provide detailed guidelines for producing films, TV series, and online content centered around family life.

The document advises filmmakers to emphasize the family as a "bastion of stability" in the face of external challenges, avoid portraying the family as hindering personal freedom or development, and steer clear of depicting love within the family as a justification for negative behavior.

The guidelines also emphasize the importance of family memory, urging creators to incorporate stories about ancestors, family archives, rituals, holidays, and shared labor. It further encourages a sense of patriotism, suggesting that love for one's country should naturally extend from the family value system. Creators are advised to avoid portraying crisis, breakup, betrayal, irresponsibility, or abandonment of loved ones as emotionally appealing or aesthetically rewarding.

Caricatured representations of characters are also to be avoided, with older generations not shown as sources of backwardness or helpless family members, mothers not depicted as overly protective, and fathers not portrayed as emotionally absent or secondary figures.

The recommendations exclude the use of shouting scenes and aim to convey specific responses to key audience insights, such as the idea that family and children are not the end of freedom but a new level of life with different, deeper joys. Additionally, the creators are encouraged to highlight the opportunity for early parenthood to witness great-grandparents while they are still alive.

According to the State Duma’s Information Policy Committee, which is responsible for the recommendations, the draft was created by the industry itself to self-regulate and establish clear rules. Committee head Sergey Boyarsky denies that the committee was involved in drafting the recommendations, stating that the draft is the work of the industry trying to regulate itself.

Vladimir Trunov, director for government relations at Tricolor, confirmed that the document is under discussion with media market participants but has not yet been adopted as final.

Russia has imposed a ban on showing films that "discredit traditional spiritual and moral values" since March 1, 2026. This ban applies to both theatrical releases and streaming services. Streaming platforms have begun self-censoring by adding warning cards to titles, indicating that certain scenes have been edited. Media outlet Meduza emphasizes its commitment to transparency regarding the use of artificial intelligence in the newsroom, stating that this story was written by a human journalist and translated from Russian using an AI model configured to adhere to strict editorial standards.