Patriotism leads comeback of Russian filmmaking

A gang of black-clad horsemen gallop past a line of gallows, splattering tufts of snow against frozen corpses.

They are the 'oprichniki', loyal henchmen of Russia's sixteenth century tsar, Ivan the Terrible.

The set belongs to a new film, Ivan the Terrible and Metropolitan Philip, due out next year, which explores the relationship between the tyrant Ivan and his friend and fiercest critic, Philip.