Gérard Depardieu Opens Cultural Center in Saransk, Russia

French actor Gérard Depardieu has inaugurated a cultural and film center bearing his name in Saransk, Russia. The center is housed in the former Cinema Rossiya and will focus on performing arts and entertainment. Depardieu, who renounced his French passport in 2013 over a proposed 75% tax on high incomes by then-President François Hollande, became a resident of Mordovia and has now expanded his presence in the region. At the opening ceremony, attended by directors, writers, and musicians including Russia Film Fund CEO Nikolai Brodachev, Depardieu expressed his honor and stated he intends to vote in upcoming Russian elections. The actor had previously declared in February 2013, "I want to be the Tsar of Saransk."