The Last Minister Explained

Country:Russia
Language:Russian
Num Seasons:2
Num Episodes:31
Camera:Single-camera
Runtime:24-46 minutes
Channel:KinoPoisk HD
First Aired:[1]

The Last Minister (Russian: Последний Министр, translit. Posledniy Ministr) is a Russian dark comedy television series made by Sreda for KinoPoisk streaming service.[2] As of now two seasons have been produced, plus a 40-minute Christmas special.[3] Season 2 premiere episode was screened at the Kinotavr Film Festival on September 25, 2021[4] with the rest of the season starting to air on December 2 same year.[5] In February 2022 the show permanently went off the air at the request of its show-runner Roman Volobuev[6] [7] in protest against Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Premise

Tikhomirov, a well-meaning but hapless apparatchik in grips of mid-life crisis is appointed to run Russia's Ministry of Long-term planning - a small, underfunded, understaffed and generally ignored state agency. With a team consisting of sycophants and corrupt cynics he embarks on an idiotic quest to make Russia great again.

Cast and characters

Main

Recurring

Guests

Episodes

Season 2 (2021)

Production

Background

Producer Aleksandr Tsekalo started developing a comedy about corrupt bureaucrats originally known as The Ministry[8] in 2015.[9] The pilot was written by Pavel Bardin with Maksim Pezhemsky slated to direct. Due to high level of political censorship on Russian broadcast TV Tsekalo was unable to find a network willing to commission the show,[10] [11] but  the emergence of streaming services eventually allowed him to sidestep the obstacle. In 2018 Roman Volobuev and Lena Vaninа were signed to write a 15-episode first season with Volobuev directing.

Writing

Volobuev described The Last Minister as "an Aaron Sorkin show were everyone has irrevocably lost their conscience".[12] Some of the show's characters and ideas were borrowed[13] from Volobuev and Vanina's aborted series Zavtra about Russia’s liberal opposition unexpectedly winning presidential elections in 2018.[14]

Filming

The show's first season was filmed in 2019 over period of 3 months mostly on soundstage in Moscow.[15] Principal photography on the second season started in October 2020.[16]

Reception

Critical response

The show's first season won acclaim from Russian critics for its absurdist setting,[17] [18] writing[19] and visual stile.[20] Mikhail Trofimenkov of Kommersant called it “the one comedy to capture and preserve the spirit of ‘era of stability’ (an ironic Russian moniker for Putin's years in power)[21] ”. It was also praised for breaking an unofficial ban on LGBTQ characters on Russian TV by making one of its main protagonists — Nechaeva — a closeted lesbian.[22]  Some outlets criticised the series for relying too heavily on inside jokes[23] and playing safe with its political subject matter.[24] Ogoniok’s Andrey Archangelsky called out show’s writing team for “falling too much in love with their own characters, effectively becoming their hostages” and eventually “drifting away from the subjects of big politics, greed and power-lust towards much safer and well-trodden melodramatic story[25] ”.

Awards

For its first season The Last Minister was nominated for APKiT Awards in a Best Comedy Series category.[26]

Second season was nominated for National Web Industry Awards in three categories: best series, best director and best actor.[27]

Censorship controversy

After Season 2 was completed in early 2021 its release was delayed, pre-production on the planned Season 3 was also halted.[28] According to the BBC investigation[29] the show was deemed ‘politically problematic’ because of episodes depicting a fictional secession of Saratov Oblast from the Russian Federation and satirising a real-life criminal case against the former Khabarovsk Krai Governor Sergei Furgal. A week after BBC Russian Service broke the story Season 2 air date was announced.[30] KinoPoisk CEO and show’s executive producer Olga Filipuk later denied censorship claims citing “boring aspects of repertoire planning, nothing as dramatic as being banned or unbanned”[31] as a sole reason for Season 2 being delayed.

Going off the air in protest against Russian invasion of Ukraine

Season 2 finale slated to air on February 23, 2022 was shelved indefinitely in protest against Russian invasion of Ukraine.[32] In a statement posted on Twitter Roman Volobuev wrote that this was done at his request since he no longer saw it possible to make light-hearted jokes about Russian politics.[33] He also called out show’s supposed fans among Russian government officials: ‘Horror films should be made about you, not comedies. Go take a look in a mirror, check if your reflection still looks human’.[34]

External links

Notes and References

  1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeLySRUTpLM Official Trailer
  2. https://www.vokrug.tv/product/show/15748805981/ "The Last Minister"
  3. Web site: Трейлер: новогодний эпизод сериала "Последний министр" Романа Волобуева. 2020-12-30. Афиша.
  4. Web site: 2021-09-28. «Кинотавр-2021»: сериалы фестиваля, которые вам точно стоит посмотреть. 2021-11-13. GQ Россия. ru-RU.
  5. Web site: Премьера второго сезона "Последнего министра" состоится 2 декабря. 2022-01-16. ТАСС.
  6. Web site: Режиссер Волобуев попросил остановить показ своего комедийного сериала из-за войны . 2022-02-26 . www.znak.com.
  7. Brassard . Jeffrey . 2022-12-22 . Satire in Putin's Russia: Cynical Distance as a Tool of State Power . VIEW Journal of European Television History and Culture . en . 11 . 22 . 54–65 . 10.18146/view.287 . 2213-0969. free .
  8. Web site: "Ведомости" узнали о планах "Яндекса" по созданию собственных сериалов. 2020-06-19. Rusbase. ru.
  9. Web site: "Злость, вранье, перекладывание ответственности — в режиссерской профессии": Роман Волобуев о сериале "Последний министр". 2020-06-19. Meduza.
  10. Web site: 2020-04-07. "Последний министр": Роман Волобуев — о том, как сделать политический сериал в стране без политики. 2020-06-19. The Village.
  11. Web site: Александр Цекало: "Актеры снимаются у нас практически бесплатно". 2020-06-19. Mir Novostei. ru.
  12. Web site: 8 российских сценаристов — о своих фильмах и профессии — Статьи на КиноПоиске. 2020-06-19. КиноПоиск. ru.
  13. Web site: Роман Волобуев: "Я хотел, чтобы "Последний министр" был эпической ампирной комедией" — Статьи на КиноПоиске. 2020-06-19. КиноПоиск. ru.
  14. News: Walker. Shaun. 2015-03-06. Satirists seek crowdfunding to kickstart political comedy in Putin's Russia. en-GB. The Guardian. 2020-06-19. 0261-3077.
  15. https://www.kinopoisk.ru/media/article/4000960/?from_block=editorial_choice Идиот, кипяток, Россия: Репортаж со съемок сериала Романа Волобуева «Последний министр»
  16. Web site: Роман Волобуев объявил о старте съемок второго сезона сериала КиноПоиск HD "Последний министр" — Новости на КиноПоиске. 2020-12-30. КиноПоиск. ru.
  17. Web site: 2020-03-28. Деятельный идиот. Как "Последний министр" Романа Волобуева высмеивает российских чиновников ForbesLife. 2020-06-21. Forbes.ru. en-US.
  18. Web site: Первый взгляд на сериал "Последний министр".. 2020-06-21. kanobu.ru. en.
  19. Web site: Какие российские сериалы стоит смотреть. 2020-06-21. Meduza.
  20. Web site: "Последний министр": посмотрите, что происходит с Россией в сериале Романа Волобуева. 2020-06-21. BURO.. ru.
  21. News: Чин чина потешай. Коммерсантъ. 2020-06-21.
  22. Web site: Kuvshinova. Maria. 2020-06-11. Ирина Горбачева, Ольга Сутулова и lesbian vibes в российском кино. 2020-06-21. kimkibabaduk. ru-RU.
  23. Web site: "Последний министр": Страна победившего сканворда. 2020-06-21. Кино-Театр.РУ.
  24. Web site: "Последний министр": офисный ситком про законодательные инициативы. 2020-06-21. Российская газета.
  25. News: Карточный домик районного масштаба. Огонёк. 2020-06-21.
  26. Web site: Премия АПКиТ 2021: шорт-лист. 2021-03-21. www.proficinema.ru. ru.
  27. Web site: Номинанты 2021 . 2022-02-26 . premia-w.ru.
  28. Web site: Щербинина. Ольга. 2021-11-17. Второй сезон "Последнего министра" стартует 2 декабря. "Би-би-си" сообщало, что у сериала "возникли проблемы" — Кино и сериалы на TJ. 2021-11-18. TJ.
  29. News: "У нас запрет на реальность". Почему в российском кино и сериалах все больше табу. ru. BBC News Русская служба. 2021-11-13.
  30. Web site: Вышел долгожданный трейлер второго сезона "Последнего министра". Уф, мы уже и не надеялись!. 2022-01-16. Meduza. ru.
  31. Web site: Кузьмин. Женя. 2021-12-29. Большое интервью TJ с "Кинопоиском": где Гарри Поттер, как работают алгоритмы, прошёл ли "волшебный период" для сериалов — Интернет на TJ. 2022-01-16. TJ.
  32. Web site: Протесты против вторжения в Украину . 2022-03-08 . Медиазона . ru.
  33. Web site: Roman Volobuev . 2022-02-26 . Twitter . en.
  34. Web site: Roman Volobuev . 2022-02-26 . Twitter . en.

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