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Crimean Yalta film studio under US sanctions

On Tuesday, the United States expanded its list of Russian individuals and organizations

© ITAR-TASS/Alexey Pavlishak

SIMFEROPOL, December 22 /TASS/. The inclusion of the Yalta film studios in Crimea in the US sanctions list will have no negative impact on its development, Crimea’s Culture Minister Arina Novoselskaya told TASS.

"Does the United States finance our film studio? Honestly, it is not interesting to me at all in what sanctions list the Yalta film studio has been included. I do not expect any help from them. We have our own plan of the studio’s development," Novoselskaya said.

ANTI-RUSSIAN SANCTIONS

She added that the Yalta film studio was being restored under the patronage of Nikita Mikhalkov, president of the Russian Union of Filmmakers. "Those creative people who stand above politics have never paid attention to these stupid things and will keep ignoring them in future," Crimea’s culture minister said.

Earlier, Sergey Aksyonov, the head of Crimea, said that private Russian business was going to raise the film studio back to its feet. He did not give any concrete names for fear of sanctions, which could be imposed on potential investors.

On September 2, 2014, the Crimean government passed a resolution on mandatory buyout of the Yalta film studio into the ownership of the Republic of Crimea. However, later Crimea’s Court of Arbitration overruled the decision. The authorities challenged that decision but finally the studio remained in regional ownership.

Russian film company "Khanzhonkov & Co" founded the Yalta film studio in 1917. In 1919, it was transformed into the Yalta film studio and nationalized. The most famous films made at the Yalta film studio include "Ilya Muromets"; "Amphibian Man"; "Aladdin and the Magic Lamp" and "The Treasure Island".

On Tuesday, the United States expanded its list of Russian individuals and organizations, including the Yalta film studio, subject to sanctions over the conflict in Ukraine.

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