The Last Minister (TV series)

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.

The Last Minister
Promotional poster
Genre
Created by
Written by
Directed by
Starring
Country of originRussia
Original languageRussian
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes31
Production
Producers
Production location
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time24-46 minutes
Production company
Release
Original networkKinoPoisk HD
Original releaseMarch 26 (2020-03-26)[1] –
May 23, 2020 (2020-05-23)

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
  • Yan Tsapnik as Tikhomirov, Minister of Long-term planning
  • Olga Sutulova as Nechaeva, a corrupt 1st Deputy Minister
  • Sergey Epishev as Vikentyev, an insane 2nd Deputy Minister
  • Sofia Lebedeva as Sonya, a naive intern who's rapidly rising through the Ministry's ranks
  • Anna Shepeleva as Ingeborge, a permanently pregnant Minister's personal assistant
  • Darya and Ekaterina Nosik as Lutch and Skotch, diabolical twins who run Ministry's Analytical Department
  • Alexandra Drozdova as Lera, Sonya's assistant (Season 2)

Recurring
  • Nelli Uvarova as Raisa, Minister's ex-wife and concrete tycoon
  • Olga Dibtseva as Larisa, a biathlete and Minister's mistress
  • Polina Fedina as Kira, Minister's teenage daughter
  • Fyodor Lavrov as Plotnikov, a functionary from the Prime Minister's Office
  • Alisa Khazanova as Antonova, a detective with the Investigative Committee of Russia (season 2; guest season 1)
  • Grigoriy Kaninin as Smirnov, a federal investigator and Antonova's partner (season 2; guest season 1)
  • Alexander Iliyn as X, prime minister's chief of staff
  • Roman Volobuev as Y, head of the Department of External Policy
  • Ekaterina Vilkova as Z, head of the Department of Internal Policy (season 2)
  • Konstantin Murzenko as Father Vitaliy, a liaison with the Russian Orthodox Church
  • Ekaterina Gorina as Gerasimenko, an investigative reporter for Telegraph, Russia's only surviving newspaper (season 1)
  • Ekaterina Steblina as Nemirovskaya, a Moscow correspondent for The Guardian (season 2; guest season 1),

Guests

Episodes
SeasonEpisodesOriginally released
First releasedLast released
115March 26, 2020 (2020-03-26)May 23, 2020 (2020-05-23)
216December 2, 2021 (2021-12-02)February 26, 2022 (2022-02-26)

Season 1 (2020)
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
11"The Idiot (Parts I and II)"Roman VolobuevRoman Volobuev, Lena Vanina & Dmitriy NelidovMarch 26, 2020 (2020-03-26)
22"Civil Society"Roman VolobuevRoman Volobuev, Lena Vanina & Roman NepomnyashchiyApril 3, 2020 (2020-04-03)
33"Hochwälder's Hamster"Roman VolobuevRoman Volobuev & Lena VaninaApril 3, 2020 (2020-04-03)
44"Metaphor of Childhood"Roman VolobuevRoman Volobuev, Lena Vanina & Roman NepomnyashchiyApril 6, 2020 (2020-04-06)
55"Benevolent Paws"Roman VolobuevRoman Volobuev & Lena VaninaApril 11, 2020 (2020-04-11)
66"Love Is"Roman VolobuevRoman Volobuev & Lena VaninaApril 14, 2020 (2020-04-14)
77"I Won't Be Back"Roman VolobuevRoman Volobuev & Lena VaninaApril 18, 2020 (2020-04-18)
88"The Bigger Picture"Roman VolobuevRoman Volobuev & Lena VaninaApril 21, 2020 (2020-04-21)
99"A Sober Way"Roman VolobuevRoman Volobuev & Lena VaninaApril 25, 2020 (2020-04-25)
1010"The Return"Roman VolobuevRoman Volobuev & Lena VaninaMay 5, 2020 (2020-05-05)
1111"Panda Strategy"Roman VolobuevRoman Volobuev, Lena Vanina & Roman NepomnyashchiyMay 9, 2020 (2020-05-09)
1212"20 Minutes"Roman VolobuevRoman VolobuevMay 12, 2020 (2020-05-12)
1313"Soul State"Roman VolobuevRoman Volobuev & Lena VaninaMay 16, 2020 (2020-05-16)
1414"Heartland"Roman VolobuevRoman Volobuev & Lena VaninaMay 19, 2020 (2020-05-19)
1515"Shadow On the Wall"Roman VolobuevRoman VolobuevMay 23, 2020 (2020-05-23)

Season 2 (2021)
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
160"The Short Day"Roman VolobuevRoman VolobuevDecember 26, 2020 (2020-12-26)
171"No One Promised It Would Be Easy"Roman VolobuevRoman Volobuev & Dmitriy MinaevDecember 2, 2021 (2021-12-02)
182"Petting Zoo"Roman VolobuevRoman Volobuev & Dmitriy MinaevDecember 2, 2021 (2021-12-02)
193"A Better Tomorrow"Roman VolobuevRoman Volobuev & Dmitriy MinaevDecember 2, 2021 (2021-12-02)
204"Ministry of Fear"Roman VolobuevRoman Volobuev & Dmitriy MinaevDecember 11, 2021 (2021-12-11)
215"Nostalghia"Roman VolobuevRoman Volobuev & Dmitriy MinaevDecember 18, 2021 (2021-12-18)
226"Russian Spring"Roman VolobuevRoman Volobuev & Dmitriy MinaevDecember 25, 2021 (2021-12-25)
237"First on the Moon"Roman VolobuevRoman Volobuev & Dmitriy MinaevJanuary 1, 2022 (2022-01-01)
248"Citizen X"Roman VolobuevRoman Volobuev & Dmitriy MinaevJanuary 8, 2022 (2022-01-08)
259"Unit B"Roman VolobuevRoman Volobuev & Lena VaninaJanuary 15, 2022 (2022-01-15)
2610"Biopic"Roman VolobuevRoman Volobuev & Dmitriy MinaevJanuary 22, 2022 (2022-01-22)
2711"The New Ethics"Roman Volobuev & Polina FedinaRoman Volobuev & Dmitriy MinaevJanuary 29, 2022 (2022-01-29)
2812"The Voice of Mordor"Roman VolobuevRoman Volobuev & Dmitriy MinaevFebruary 5, 2022 (2022-02-05)
2913"Provisional"Roman VolobuevRoman Volobuev & Dmitriy MinaevFebruary 12, 2022 (2022-02-12)
3014"Volga Gambit"Roman VolobuevRoman Volobuev & Dmitriy MinaevFebruary 19, 2022 (2022-02-19)
3115"The Last Draft"Roman VolobuevRoman Volobuevunaired (unaired)

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[10] with Maksim Pezhemsky slated to direct.[11] Due to high level of political censorship on Russian broadcast TV Tsekalo was unable to find a network willing to commission the show,[12][10] 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.[9]

Writing

Volobuev described The Last Minister as "an Aaron Sorkin show were everyone has irrevocably lost their conscience".[13] Some of the show's characters and ideas were borrowed[11] 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]

References
  1. Official Trailer on YouTube (In Russian)
  2. "The Last Minister", on Vokrug.tv
  3. "Трейлер: новогодний эпизод сериала "Последний министр" Романа Волобуева". Афиша. Retrieved 2020-12-30.
  4. "«Кинотавр-2021»: сериалы фестиваля, которые вам точно стоит посмотреть". GQ Россия (in Russian). 2021-09-28. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
  5. "Премьера второго сезона "Последнего министра" состоится 2 декабря". ТАСС. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
  6. "Режиссер Волобуев попросил остановить показ своего комедийного сериала из-за войны". www.znak.com. Retrieved 2022-02-26.
  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. 11 (22): 54–65. doi:10.18146/view.287. ISSN 2213-0969.
  8. ""Ведомости" узнали о планах "Яндекса" по созданию собственных сериалов". Rusbase (in Russian). Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  9. ""Злость, вранье, перекладывание ответственности — в режиссерской профессии": Роман Волобуев о сериале "Последний министр"". Meduza. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  10. "Александр Цекало: "Актеры снимаются у нас практически бесплатно"". Mir Novostei (in Russian). Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  11. "Роман Волобуев: "Я хотел, чтобы "Последний министр" был эпической ампирной комедией" — Статьи на КиноПоиске". КиноПоиск (in Russian). Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  12. ""Последний министр": Роман Волобуев — о том, как сделать политический сериал в стране без политики". The Village. 2020-04-07. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  13. "8 российских сценаристов — о своих фильмах и профессии — Статьи на КиноПоиске". КиноПоиск (in Russian). Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  14. Walker, Shaun (2015-03-06). "Satirists seek crowdfunding to kickstart political comedy in Putin's Russia". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  15. Идиот, кипяток, Россия: Репортаж со съемок сериала Романа Волобуева «Последний министр», КиноПоиск HD
  16. "Роман Волобуев объявил о старте съемок второго сезона сериала КиноПоиск HD "Последний министр" — Новости на КиноПоиске". КиноПоиск (in Russian). Retrieved 2020-12-30.
  17. "Деятельный идиот. Как "Последний министр" Романа Волобуева высмеивает российских чиновников | ForbesLife". Forbes.ru. 2020-03-28. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  18. "Первый взгляд на сериал "Последний министр"". kanobu.ru. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  19. "Какие российские сериалы стоит смотреть". Meduza. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  20. ""Последний министр": посмотрите, что происходит с Россией в сериале Романа Волобуева". BURO. (in Russian). Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  21. "Чин чина потешай". Коммерсантъ. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  22. Kuvshinova, Maria (2020-06-11). "Ирина Горбачева, Ольга Сутулова и lesbian vibes в российском кино". kimkibabaduk (in Russian). Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  23. ""Последний министр": Страна победившего сканворда". Кино-Театр.РУ. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  24. ""Последний министр": офисный ситком про законодательные инициативы". Российская газета. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  25. "Карточный домик районного масштаба". Огонёк. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  26. "Премия АПКиТ 2021: шорт-лист". www.proficinema.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2021-03-21.
  27. "Номинанты 2021". premia-w.ru. Retrieved 2022-02-26.
  28. 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". TJ. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
  29. ""У нас запрет на реальность". Почему в российском кино и сериалах все больше табу". BBC News Русская служба (in Russian). Retrieved 2021-11-13.
  30. "Вышел долгожданный трейлер второго сезона "Последнего министра". Уф, мы уже и не надеялись!". Meduza (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-01-16.
  31. 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". TJ. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
  32. "Протесты против вторжения в Украину". Медиазона (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-03-08.
  33. "Roman Volobuev". Twitter. Retrieved 2022-02-26.
  34. "Roman Volobuev". Twitter. Retrieved 2022-02-26.
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