At a press conference in Yaroslavl, Nikita Mikhalkov, Chairman of the Board of the Union of Cinematographers of Russia and director, issued sharp criticism regarding strict restrictions on depicting scenes involving alcohol, smoking, and drugs in domestic cinema. According to the director, attempts to excise such elements from films are foolish, as they do not help combat real social problems. Mikhalkov emphasized that what matters is not the mere presence of certain scenes on screen, but the emotional message and the impact the viewer receives after watching. He noted that existing problems cannot be ignored by attempting to turn a blind eye to them through censorship. Previously, director Alexander Sokurov had called on Mikhalkov to assist with the screening of films subject to censorship, while Mikhalkov himself has already warned of upcoming changes regarding the distribution of foreign films.