Russian Cinema Remains Active amid Conflict and Sanctions as Domestic Films Sustain the Market
Dragon Media News Desk
Russia’s film industry has not shut down despite the Russia–Ukraine conflict, Western sanctions and the disruption of official distribution by major Hollywood studios. Cinemas remain open in Moscow, St Petersburg and regional cities, with both domestic productions and officially available foreign films continuing to screen.
The Unified Federal Automated Information System, or EAIS, operated through Russia’s Cinema Fund, continues to publish weekly records covering film screenings, ticket sales and attendance. Its industry database includes figures for the 29th week of 2026, covering July 16 to 22.
On July 22, Russian cinemas held 22,292 screenings attended by 214,505 people. Combined box-office revenue across Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States reached 107.8 million rubles that day.
Preliminary figures for July 23 showed the family comedy Na Derevnyu Dedushke 2 remaining the leading official release with 15.1 million rubles. The American musical biopic Michael earned about 10.7 million rubles, while Evil Dead: Inferno generated approximately 8.59 million rubles.
The figures demonstrate that Russian cinemas continue to screen a mixture of domestic and foreign titles.
More Than 35 Billion Rubles in Six Months
According to EAIS data reported by the Russian industry publication Film Distributor’s Bulletin, total cinema revenue reached 35.158 billion rubles during the first half of 2026. Attendance stood at 72.516 million.
Compared with the same period in 2025, revenue increased by 26.6 percent and attendance rose by 12 percent. Russian cinemas had generated 27.767 billion rubles from 64.774 million viewers during the first half of 2025.
Part of the revenue growth, however, came from higher ticket prices. The average ticket cost rose by 13.1 percent to 484.8 rubles.
Attendance in the first half of 2024 had been slightly higher at 73.159 million, even though revenue was lower. The market’s financial expansion therefore reflects both improved attendance and ticket-price inflation.
Domestic Family Films Dominate
Russian family films led the first-half box office. Cheburashka 2 earned 6.038 billion rubles, followed by Prostokvashino with 2.432 billion, Buratino with 2.396 billion and The Tale of Tsar Saltan with 2.1 billion rubles.
Their performance demonstrates strong demand for films built around familiar literary, Soviet-era and family-oriented characters.
Domestic franchises aimed at children and multigenerational audiences have become particularly important during the New Year holiday and school-break periods.
Demand for foreign cinema has nevertheless remained significant. Michael earned 1.63 billion rubles during the first half of the year, while the American psychological thriller The Housemaid generated 1.396 billion rubles.
Russian industry analysts described their results as evidence of continuing audience interest in international films.
A Restructured Market after Hollywood Distribution Suspensions
Disney, Warner Bros and Sony Pictures suspended new theatrical releases in Russia in March 2022. Paramount subsequently announced that it would also pause theatrical distribution in the country.
Since then, the market has become more dependent on domestic production, independent international distributors, films from Asian and other markets, and unofficial screenings that lack conventional theatrical licensing.
Industry estimates indicate that unofficial screenings generated 4.1 billion rubles during the first half of 2026, representing 11.6 percent of the overall cinema market. Around 8 million people attended such screenings.
Although their market share has remained close to 11–12 percent since 2024, the absolute value of the unofficial segment has increased.
The figures show how some cinemas continue to use alternative screening arrangements to compensate for the absence of major officially distributed Hollywood releases.
Film Production Continues
Russia’s Cinema Fund and Ministry of Culture continue to provide support for domestic production.
The ministry opened grant competitions for film organisations in 2026, while the Cinema Fund invited applications for national children’s and family-film projects.
On May 29, leading Russian production companies presented proposed national film projects at the Ministry of Culture. The projects included historical films, mythology-based productions, science fiction and family entertainment.
The conflict and sanctions have therefore not stopped production. Instead, they have changed financing, subject selection and distribution.
Partnerships among production studios, television channels, streaming services and the Cinema Fund have become a central model for large Russian films.
Summer Challenges Remain
Despite positive half-year figures, the summer market has been uneven.
Na Derevnyu Dedushke 2 led the July 16–19 weekend with 101.4 million rubles, but its opening performance was weaker than that of the original film.
The sequel completed its first week with 152.8 million rubles, 21 percent below the first film’s performance over the comparable period.
The result shows that wide availability alone does not guarantee strong cinema attendance.
Russian cinema now faces three main challenges: rising ticket prices, heavy reliance on a limited number of family franchises and the continuing presence of an unofficial screening market.
Nevertheless, more than 72 million first-half viewers, a continuing release schedule and sustained investment in domestic production demonstrate that the industry remains active.
Russian cinema has not returned to its pre-conflict structure, but neither has it collapsed.
It has instead developed into a more domestically driven market, less dependent on Hollywood and increasingly supported through combined investment from the state, television companies and streaming platforms.
Primary sources: Russian Cinema Fund, EAIS, Film Distributor’s Bulletin, Kinobusiness, Russian Ministry of Culture and Reuters.
