The gay ice hockey television drama 'Heated Rivalry' has become an unexpected hit in Russia, despite homosexuality being illegal and the show having no official release in the country. Based on Rachel Reid's 2019 novel, the series follows the secret relationship between Canadian Shane Hollander and Russian Ilya Rozanov, featuring explicit sexual content.
Since its debut in December 2025, the show has gained a global following, with its lead actors appearing at the Golden Globes and Milan Fashion Week. In Russia, viewers are accessing the series through illegal platforms, and on Kinopoisk, the country's equivalent of IMDb, 'Heated Rivalry' has an 8.6 rating, making it the highest-ranked TV show of all time according to Russian users, surpassing 'Breaking Bad' and 'Game of Thrones'.
Mikhail Zygar, a journalist born in the former Soviet Union, described the show as inspiring for both the LGBTQ+ community and all Russians, saying it 'shows that it is OK. That people can fall in love and it’s so beautiful.' However, he noted that a happy ending like in the series seems unlikely in Russia's current reality, given the country's brutal war in Ukraine and the lack of prospects for many LGBTQ+ people.
Under Russian law, any positive or neutral depiction of gay and transgender individuals is prohibited, and the Supreme Court's 2022 ruling outlawed the 'international LGBT movement' as extremist, with potential imprisonment of up to six years. Conservative groups have reacted strongly; Georgy Soldatov of the Sorok Sorokov centre filed a petition against those who posted the content, calling it 'propaganda of untraditional sexual relationship.'
Despite the risks, the show's popularity continues to grow, with Russian viewers actively engaging with the series. The contrast between its success and the legal crackdown highlights the ongoing tension between official policy and public interest in LGBTQ+ content.
