Analysts explain scandal around the Russian TV serial "Topi"

The threats received by Dmitry Glukhovsky, the scriptwriter of the serial "Topi" (Moors), from Chechen Internet users have appeared amid the growth of general aggression in the society, Valery Borschov, a human rights defender, believes.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the "Topi" TV serial had angered social network users from Chechnya, who treated the heroine's behaviour as immoral. Some users have expressed direct threats against Glukhovsky. Other Instagram debaters assert that the plot of serial is fictional and should not be taken so seriously. Their opponents claim that Chechens must defend their identity in every possible way.

Valery Borschov, a member of the Moscow Helsinki Group (MHG), has noted that threats to Glukhovsky were made at the same time with the removal from screening documentaries related to Chechnya at the "Artdocfest" festival. He has urged to discuss the content and plot of the serial, but not to express aggression.

Russian films are uncompetitive against foreign ones; and scandals give them powerful advertising, due to which their popularity is increasing greatly, says Andrei Kozlov, an analyst from the "Accents" Centre.

"In this case, this is not a talk about Chechnya, but about the liberal community, about how deep the gap between the patriarchal part of the society and those who deny 'traditional values' is," Mr Kozlov has stated.