American director and actor Woody Allen has been added to Ukraine’s controversial Mirotvorets list. The reason is said to be his video appearance at a film festival in Moscow.
Woody Allen, 89, has been placed on Ukraine’s disputed Mirotvorets database – also known as the “kill list”. The list describes Allen as an “enemy of Ukraine” and accuses him of participating in “a Russian propaganda event”.
The background is that Allen recently participated via video link in Moscow International Film Week. There he spoke primarily about his long career and his personal experiences as a filmmaker.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry condemned his participation and described it as “a disgrace and an insult to the victims among Ukrainian actors and filmmakers”.
Orwellian: Woody Allen had been added to Mirotvorets hit list, which is linked to Ukrainian security services. https://t.co/hsKmm7gt8E
— Ivan Katchanovski (@I_Katchanovski) August 25, 2025
Allen: “Putin is wrong”
As a consequence, the Lviv National Academic Theatre in western Ukraine has canceled planned productions of Allen’s musical Bullets Over Broadway.
The Oscar-winning director has defended his participation and emphasizes that his appearance was not political.
– I believe strongly that Putin is totally in the wrong, Allen said, but stressed that artistic conversations should be able to continue.
Mirotvorets has existed since 2014 and lists people considered to threaten Ukraine’s security or participate in Russian propaganda. The site has long been criticized internationally, as several people added to the list have been subjected to threats, violence and even killed.
Banned from Hollywood
Woody Allen has been the subject of allegations of sexual abuse against his adoptive daughter Dylan Farrow, which her mother Mia Farrow claims occurred in 1992.
The alleged abuse was investigated at the time by social services and police, but the case was dropped without charges due to lack of evidence.
In connection with the controversial #MeToo movement, the allegations gained new life and sparked extensive debate, although again without any actual legal proceedings taking place.
Allen has since been effectively banned from Hollywood, but has continued to release films internationally, including Rifkin’s Festival (2020) and Coup de chance (2023).
Fact: Mirotvorets "death list"
Mirotvorets, which roughly translates to "peacemaker" or "peacekeeper" in English, is a Ukrainian database that publishes names of individuals considered to threaten Ukraine's security or participate in Russian propaganda. The list was started in 2014 and is highly controversial, criticized for lack of transparency and linked to threats and violence against listed individuals.
Among examples of confirmed and notable names on the list are:
- Alexander Ovechkin, Russian hockey player, listed for his support of Putin.
- Roger Waters, musician and activist, after statements supporting Russia's position on Crimea.
- Gerhard Schröder, former German chancellor, listed for "pro-Russian" statements.
- Viktor Orbán, Hungary's prime minister, placed on the list in 2022.
- Zoran Milanović, Croatia's president, added for "pro-Russian" comments.
- Vasyl Lomachenko and Oleksandr Usyk, Ukrainian boxers, listed after participating in Russian projects.
- Anatolij Shariy, Ukrainian opposition politician and journalist.
Sources: Wikipedia ("Myrotvorets"), UNIAN, OSCE, Human Rights Watch.
