Allegories were pretty safe in the USSR. The problem with censoring an allegory is that to recognize it as an anti-soviet one is also to confirm the existance o

Allegories were pretty safe in the USSR. The problem with censoring an allegory is that to recognize it as an anti-soviet one is also to confirm the existance of the subject it's exposing. When the official stance is "there is no such thing" you'd be risking an "anti-soviet propaganda" charge yourself. Edit: The most clear example I can recall is the "Alexander Nevskiy" film (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029850/ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029850/). It's a historical drama about the early Russia's struggle against foreign invasions. The titular character makes a Bible reference at one point ("Who will come at us with the sword will die by the sword" referencing Mat 26:52) but since it's not a direct quote, somebody censoring this would have to admit reading the Bible and would be in danger oneself. So the quote remained in the film and most people recognize the reference.