The Ministry of Justice has declared director Andrey Zvyagintsev a “foreign agent.”

The director Andrey Zvyagintsev has been designated a “foreign agent,” reports “Ostorozhno, Novosti” (“Caution: News”). The updated list has been published on the website of the Ministry of Justice. The ministry stated that the director collaborated with “foreign agents” and “undesirable” organisations, and also spread “false information” about Russian politics.

Zvyagintsev is the director of the films “The Return,” “Elena,” “Leviathan” and “Loveless.” His works have won awards at the Venice and Cannes film festivals, and “Leviathan” and “Loveless” were nominated for Oscars. In May 2026, his new film “Minotaur” received the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, and in September, France submitted the work for the Oscar in the category “Best International Feature Film.”

After Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Zvyagintsev spoke out against the war. The director now lives outside Russia.

Together with Zvyagintsev, journalist Mikhail Shevelev, politician Pavel Ivanov, activist Erzhan Turgumbay and the project “Anarchist-35” have also been added to the list of foreign agents.