Culture and Nightlife: Movies in Russia

Whether you’re in Moscow or another one of Russia’s major cities, when you head out for a night on the town, can you head out for dinner and a movie? Just like American women, Russian women love movies, but what kind? You might be surprised to learn that in the past few years, Russian filmmakers have begun cranking out huge, and hugely popular, movies.

Modern Russian movies are more than just “War and Peace” and “Anna Karenina.” (Dating hint: If you’re in Russia, and someone suggests watching “War and Peace,” beware that it’s nearly 7 hours long.) Some of the most popular new movies are horror flicks.
In the 1990s, movie production had all but ground to a stop in Russia, but lately production companies have been cranking out major hits, according to Business Week. As reported in this story, in 2004 “The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King” pulled in $14 million in Russia, while “Night Watch,” a Russian vampire movie about electricians from Moscow, pulled in $16.3, and a historical drama, “Turkish Gambit,” grossed $19.2 million.

So what kind of movies are popular in Russia? If you go by the IMDB, a major source for tracking movies and stars in the United States, the most popular movies are still those that came out prior to 1990. These early movies voted into the top five include (these titles are literal English translations): “Heart of a Dog,” about hypnosis and a mad scientist; “Ordinary Wonder,” about a magician and a princess; and “The Corporal and Others,” a wartime comedy. Interesting tidbit: the first two movies were TV movies. Other highly popular movies include Stalker, a – no surprise here! – horror flick about aliens.

If you’re in Russia and want to check out a movie in a theater, you’ll find that prices are about the same: $2-10 USD for a ticket depending on the time and day. Here’s a great site on cinemas in Moscow (and it has pictures of some of the most popular movie theaters). In addition to Russian language films, many theaters include popular but slightly older American films. For example, one of Moscow’s biggest theaters is now headlining “Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” Whether or not seeing that would impress a date with a Russian girl is up to your discretion!

Tags: Russian Culture, Russian Movies

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