MOSCOW – A historical film about the last Russian czar’s affair with a ballerina has been cleared for release, the Culture Ministry said Thursday, a decision that follows months of disputes and angry calls for its ban. “Matilda,” which describes Nicholas II’s relationship with Matilda Kshesinskaya, has drawn virulent criticism from some Orthodox believers and hard-line nationalists, who see it as blasphemy against the emperor, glorified as a saint by the Russian Orthodox Church. The controversy around the film, unparalleled in Russia’s post-Soviet history, has reflected the church’s rising influence and the increasing assertiveness of radical religious activists. Russian lawmaker Natalya Poklonskaya, who …read more Source: The...