Cinema of Russia
The Lumière brothers brought the first moving pictures to Moscow and St. Petersburg in May 1896. That same month, Camille Cerf recorded the coronation of Nicholas II at the Kremlin for what became the first film made in Russia. Aleksandr Drankov produced the first Russian narrative feature, Stenka Razin, in 1908 under the direction of Vladimir Romashkov. The film drew its story from a folk song about a Cossack leader who rebelled against the Tsar.
Animation arrived early with Ladislas Starevich creating Lucanus Cervus in 1910. This stop-motion puppet film marked the beginning of Russian animation history. Starevich followed this success with The Beautiful Leukanida and The Cameraman's Revenge both released in 1912. These shorts were produced for Aleksandr Khanzhonkov and remain among the earliest examples of animated storytelling worldwide.
World War I caused a dramatic shift in production as imports dropped drastically. Filmmakers turned out anti-German nationalistic films during these years. In 1916 alone, 499 films were made in Russia, more than three times the number produced just three years earlier. Olga Preobrazhenskaya became the first woman director with her 1916 debut Miss Peasant, though that specific film has since been lost to time.
Vladimir Lenin recognized the power of cinema immediately after taking leadership. His government nationalized the Soviet film industry in August 1919 under the direct authority of Nadezhda Krupskaya. The Cinema Committee established the All Union State Institute of Cinematography in Moscow as the world's first professional film school. Lev Kuleshov taught there and formulated the editing process known today as the Kuleshov effect.
Kuleshov's students included Sergey Eisenstein and Vsevolod Pudovkin who developed groundbreaking theories about montage. Eisenstein used jump-cuts in The Battleship Potemkin to achieve political ends while depicting events leading up to the 1905 Revolution. Pudovkin created Mother in 1926 which won international acclaim for its emotional qualities and cognitive linkage theory of editing.
Stalinist consolidation brought Socialist realism as state policy that carried over from painting into filmmaking. Films released during the 1930s included popular musicals like Jolly Fellows in 1934 and Circus in 1936 directed by Grigori Aleksandrov. Lyubov Orlova starred in these films as both actress and Aleksandrov's wife. The New Gulliver by Aleksandr Ptushko became a landmark in stop-motion animation during this same period.
Soviet filmmakers gained less constricted environments starting in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Ballad of a Soldier by Grigory Chukhray won the 1961 BAFTA Award for Best Film after receiving critical recognition outside the Soviet bloc. Mikhail Kalatozov's The Cranes Are Flying had previously won the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 1958.
Andrei Tarkovsky emerged as the most critically acclaimed Russian director of the 1960s and 1970s. His debut Ivan's Childhood won the Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival in 1962. Andrei Rublev received the FIPRESCI prize at the 1969 Cannes Festival while Stalker earned the Ecumenical Jury Prize in 1980. Solaris won the Special Grand Prize for Tarkovsky in 1972 and Sacrifice took another Special Grand Prize at Cannes in 1986.
Larisa Shepitko directed The Ascent which became the first Soviet movie to win the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival in 1977. Vladimir Menshov's Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears won the Best Foreign Picture award at the 1981 Academy Awards with over 93 million viewers domestically. These films reflected tension between independent creativity and state-directed outcomes during this era.
The number of films produced fell from 300 in 1990 to just 28 by 1996 as the economy remained uncertain. Censorship was officially abolished on an official level in 1990 allowing filmmakers to work without state interference except regarding war propaganda or pornography. The Cinema Committee of the USSR dissolved in 1991 as part of removing all central Soviet administrative units.
Aleksei Balabanov created Brother in 1997 which became one of the first commercially successful post-Soviet crime dramas. He followed this success with Brother 2 released in 2000. Valery Todorovsky's The Country of the Deaf in 1998 parodied Russia of the 90s through a story about two female friends caught fighting between deaf and hearing clans.
Nikita Mikhalkov directed Burnt by the Sun in 1994 set in a small countryside community where Stalinism disrupts idyllic retreats. This film received both an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and the Grand Prix du Jury at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival. Aleksandr Sokurov achieved international breakthrough with Mother and Son in 1997 winning the Special Silver St. George at the Moscow International Film Festival.
Timur Bekmambetov directed Night Watch in 2004 becoming one of the first blockbusters made after the collapse of the Soviet film industry. His supernatural thriller starred Konstantin Khabensky and was based on Sergei Lukyanenko's eponymous book. Day Watch followed as a sequel nominated for a Saturn Award for Best International Film in 2006.
The comedy Kiss Them All! earned more than 27.3 million dollars on a modest budget of $1.5 million making it the most profitable domestic film in Russian box office history. Ice became the most profitable domestic film in 2018 earning over 26.4 million dollars against a $2 million budget. A sequel to Ice grossed 193.7 million rubles on opening day alone.
Cheburashka set records as the highest-grossing Russian film of all time in 2023 with $94.5 million at the box-office. The Challenge became the first movie shot in space released in 2023 starring Yulia Peresild and grossing $21.5 million domestically. These productions demonstrated how high-budget films could dominate local markets while seeking international recognition.
The Russian Association of Theater Owners warned there is a high probability of liquidation of the entire film screening industry following the invasion of Ukraine. Ticket sales in March 2022 were half of what they had been in March 2021. Major festivals including Annecy, Berlinale, Cannes, Venice, and Toronto banned official Russian delegations from participation.
The European Film Awards and Emmys banned Russian films outright while FIAPF paused accreditation of the Moscow International Film Festival until further notice. Disney, Sony Pictures, Paramount, and Warner Bros stopped screening films in Russia entirely. Prior to the invasion American movies made up 70% of the Russian film market.
Sergei Loznitsa spoke against blanket bans stating that some Russian filmmakers condemned the war openly. Kirill Serebrennikov also criticized the boycott arguing people should be judged on their acts rather than passports. No more western films have been officially released in Russia since sanctions took effect in 2022.
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Common questions
When did the Lumière brothers bring moving pictures to Moscow and St. Petersburg?
The Lumière brothers brought the first moving pictures to Moscow and St. Petersburg in May 1896.
Who produced the first Russian narrative feature film Stenka Razin?
Aleksandr Drankov produced the first Russian narrative feature film Stenka Razin in 1908 under the direction of Vladimir Romashkov.
Which year did Vladimir Lenin nationalize the Soviet film industry?
Vladimir Lenin's government nationalized the Soviet film industry in August 1919 under the direct authority of Nadezhda Krupskaya.
What award did Andrei Tarkovsky win for Ivan's Childhood at the Venice Film Festival?
Andrei Tarkovsky won the Golden Lion award for his debut film Ivan's Childhood at the Venice Film Festival in 1962.
How many films were produced in Russia during the year 1916 alone?
In 1916 alone, 499 films were made in Russia, which was more than three times the number produced just three years earlier.
When did Cheburashka set records as the highest-grossing Russian film of all time?
Cheburashka set records as the highest-grossing Russian film of all time in 2023 with $94.5 million at the box-office.