Police fears nationalist attack as blockbuster Matilda comes to Murmansk cinemas

The film by Russian director Aleksey Uchitel has stirred a major controversy all over the country. In Arctic capital Murmansk, yesterday’s first display proceeded without scandal. But security was tight.

According to murman.ru, police was on site and there were metal detectors by the doors. There were security searches through the personal belongings of visitors.

The movie theaters request visitors to be on site 15-20 minutes before the show. The film is shown by the city’s two biggest cinemas.

The Matilda tells the story about a romance between czarevich Nikolay and young ballerina Matilda Kshesinskaya. It has stirred a storm of protest from conservative Orthodox believers and the Russian Orthodox Church, who argue that it expresses blasphemy and that it is anti-Russian.

There have been streets protests in Moscow, St.Petersburg and other cities, and a wave of threats from nationalists has haunted the moviemakers and cinemas.

Several arsons of cars and cinemas by Orthodox extremists are believed to be connected with the show.

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Czar Nikolay II and his family was recognized as saints by the synod of the Russian Orthodox Church in year 2000.