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Russian pop star Yegor Kreed apologized after wearing a shirt based on the poster for the Soviet World War II film “Come and See,” which had been altered with tattoos, weapons and ammunition imagery. Kreed said he had not known the design’s source; the retailer removed the shirt, while Mosfilm said it had not authorized use of the poster and was consulting lawyers.
Russian pop star Yegor Kreed has apologized after wearing a shirt based on an altered poster for “Come and See,” a Soviet film depicting Nazi atrocities in Belarus during World War II. Kreed said he had not recognized the image or known its connection to the film; after criticism from pro-government commentators, the retailer removed the shirt from its online store and the image was blurred in his official music video.
Kreed wore the long-sleeved shirt in the video for “Mily ublyudok” (“Sweet Bastard”). The design draws on the official poster for Elem Klimov’s 1985 film, which features the face of its main character. On the shirt, tattoos were added to the face, assault rifles appeared on the sleeves, and machine-gun ammunition belts were printed on the back. Moscow concept store KM20 produced the shirt with American brand Marking Distance; KM20 listed it for 38,600 rubles.
After the design drew attention on social media, pro-government commentators accused Kreed of disrespecting the memory of World War II victims. Activists in Yekaterinburg filed complaints with the Prosecutor General’s Office and the Investigative Committee, seeking prosecution under a law against insulting the memory of victims of the genocide of the Soviet people. The filing of complaints is confirmed in the report; it does not establish that authorities have opened a case or that Kreed has committed an offense.
Kreed said he had never seen or heard of the film and had viewed the garment as a designer item available for purchase. He said the outfit carried no political or historical message and described the memory of the war and the suffering it caused as sacred to him. KM20 removed the item from its online store and deleted a social-media post about the video. The brand’s owners had not publicly commented, according to Meduza.
A Film Poster Becomes a Public Dispute
The controversy concerns more than a celebrity’s clothing choice: it centers on a modified image associated with a film widely understood as a depiction of wartime mass violence. “Come and See” is set during Nazi atrocities against residents of a Belarusian village, making the poster’s altered imagery especially sensitive for viewers who see it as trivializing or distorting that history.
The episode also shows how a design worn in an entertainment release can quickly become a public and potentially legal dispute. Critics called for prosecution, while the film studio raised a separate issue: whether the poster was used with permission. The complaints, the removal of the shirt and the studio’s response are distinct developments; none by itself resolves the questions of legal responsibility or intent.
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The 1985 Film Behind the Design
Elem Klimov’s “Come and See” (“Idi i smotri”) was released in 1985, marking the 40th anniversary of the Soviet victory in World War II. Its story follows a boy who witnesses Nazis burning the residents of a Belarusian village during a punitive operation. The film depicts the experience as devastating, with the boy changing from a cheerful teenager into someone who appears prematurely aged.
Readers of the Soviet magazine Sovetsky Ekran voted it the best film of 1986, and many viewers regard it as one of the hardest-to-watch films about the war. The shirt’s design was not simply a reproduction of the poster: it modified the central face and added military imagery to the garment. That distinction is central to the dispute over the design.
Meduza reported that Yekaterina Mizulina, head of the Safe Internet League, was among Kreed’s critics. Mizulina has previously criticized Kreed, including over a dancer’s lingerie-clad performance at his concert at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium in summer 2025. In this dispute, she characterized the shirt as part of an effort to erase historical memory, a claim rather than an established finding about Kreed’s intent.
““It was just a designer item sitting on a shelf, available for anyone to buy.””
— Yegor Kreed
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Intent, Permission and Complaints
It is not clear from the report whether the Prosecutor General’s Office or Investigative Committee will act on the complaints filed by activists, or whether any formal investigation has begun. No finding of wrongdoing is reported. Kreed says he did not recognize the film poster and intended no political or historical message; critics dispute the appropriateness of the design, but the source material does not establish that he knowingly chose it to make a statement.
The design’s authorization is also unresolved. Mosfilm said it had not permitted use of the “Come and See” poster and was consulting lawyers, but the report does not provide a legal assessment or say whether the studio has filed a claim. KM20’s owners had not publicly commented, leaving the retailer’s account of how the design was produced and marketed unknown.
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Possible Legal and Studio Response
The immediate confirmed steps are that the shirt is no longer listed on KM20’s online store and the design has been blurred in Kreed’s official video. Mosfilm is consulting lawyers, so a further statement or legal action from the studio may follow, though no action was confirmed in the report.
Any response from the authorities to the activists’ complaints, and any public explanation from KM20 or Marking Distance, would clarify the dispute’s next stage. For now, the reported facts establish the apology, the removal of the product and the studio’s concern about permission; they do not establish whether the matter will lead to prosecution or a legal case over the poster.
controversial movie poster clothing
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Key Questions
Why did Yegor Kreed apologize?
He apologized after wearing a shirt based on an altered poster for “Come and See,” a Soviet film about Nazi atrocities. Critics said the design disrespected the memory of World War II victims.
What did Kreed say about the shirt?
Kreed said he had not seen or heard of the film and did not know the design came from its poster. He described the shirt as a designer item available for purchase and said he intended no political or historical message.
What was changed in the poster design?
The shirt used the poster’s central face but added tattoos, assault rifles on the sleeves and machine-gun ammunition belts on the back.
Has Kreed been charged or prosecuted?
The report says activists filed complaints with Russian authorities demanding prosecution. It does not report that authorities opened a case, charged Kreed or reached a finding of wrongdoing.
What has Mosfilm said?
Mosfilm said it had not granted KM20 permission to use the “Come and See” poster, called its distortion unacceptable and said it was consulting lawyers. The report does not say whether the studio has filed a legal claim.
Source: rss
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