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100 Greatest Russian Language Movies

Scenes from Battleship Potemkin and Andrei Rublev
Background: Russian cinema boasts a rich heritage, mirroring the nation’s cultural and political shifts. Emerging in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, pioneers like Sergei Eisenstein and Dziga Vertov laid the groundwork with iconic works such as Eisenstein’s "Battleship Potemkin," celebrated for its revolutionary montage techniques. Though the Soviet era often used film for propaganda, it also birthed timeless masterpieces like Andrei Tarkovsky’s "Andrei Rublev" and "Solaris," delving into deep philosophical inquiries. After the USSR's collapse, creativity flourished with directors like Nikita Mikhalkov and Andrey Zvyagintsev, whose films "Burnt by the Sun" and "Leviathan" tackled societal issues while maintaining a uniquely Russian perspective.

Criteria: These Greatest Russian Language Movies were chosen and ranked considering their Influence and Impact on Russian Cinema, Popularity, Originality, and Acclaim from both critics and the public.
Rank:  Title
Title in Cyrillic script (Original Russian Title) (Year released, genre / keywords) (Director:) Actors:
  1. Battleship Potemkin
    Броненосец Потёмкин (Bronenosets Potyomkin)
    (1925, Silent, Historical war drama, 1905 battleship mutiny in Odessa)
    (Director: Sergei Eisenstein)
    Actors: Aleksandr Antonov, Vladimir Barskiy, Grigoriy Aleksandrov, Ivan Bobrov
  2. Man with a Movie Camera
    Человек с киноаппаратом (Chelovek s kino-apparatom)
    (1929, Silent, Documentary, urban life in the Soviet Union)
    (Director: Dziga Vertov)
    Stars: Mikhail Kaufman, Elizaveta Svilova
  3. Stalker
    Сталкер (stóker)
    (1979, Dystopian Sci-Fi, drama, a zone where wishes are granted)
    (Director: Andrei Tarkovsky)
    Actors: Alisa Freyndlikh, Aleksandr Kaydanovskiy, Anatoliy Solonitsyn, Nikolay Grink
  4. Andrei Rublev
    Андрей Рублёв (Andrey Rublyov)
    (1966, Historical bio-drama, 15th-century Russian iconographer St. Andrei Rublev)
    (Director: Andrei Tarkovsky)
    Actors: Anatoliy Solonitsyn, Ivan Lapikov, Nikolay Grinko, Nikolay Sergeev
  5. Solaris
    Солярис (Solyaris)
    (1972, Sci-Fi, Space, drama, psychologist sent to space station, crew giong insane)
    (Director: Andrei Tarkovsky)
    Actors: Natalya Bondarchuk, Donatas Banionis, Jüri Järvet, Vladislav Dvorzhetskiy
  6. The Mirror
    Зеркало (Zerkalo)
    (1975, Psychological drama, lifetime remembered)
    (Director: Andrei Tarkovsky)
    Actors: Margarita Terekhova, Filipp Yankovskiy, Ignat Daniltsev, Ignat Daniltsev
  7. Come and See
    Иди и смотри (Idi i smotri)
    (1985, Tragedy drama. World War II Belarus, Teenager fights nazis)
    (Director: Elem Klimov)
    Actors: Aleksey Kravchenko, Olga Mironova, Liubomiras Laucevicius, Vladas Bagdonas
  8. Ivan the Terrible, Part I
    Иван Грозный (Ivan Groznyy)
    (1944, Historical biography drama, Ivan IV)
    (Director: Sergei Eisenstein)
    Actors: Nikolay Cherkasov, Lyudmila Tselikovskaya, Serafima Birman, Mikhail Nazvanov
  9. Alexander Nevsky
    Александр Невский (Aleksandr Nevskiy)
    (1938, Historical drama, 13th century Russian prince)
    (Directors: Sergei Eisenstein with Dmitri Vasilyev)
    Actors: Nikolay Cherkasov, Nikolai Okhlopkov, Andrei Abrikosov, Dmitriy Orlov
  10. War and Peace
    Война и мир (Voyna i mir)
    (1965, Eight-hour epic historical drama, War of 1812)
    (Director: Sergei Bondarchuk)
    Actors: Lyudmila Saveleva, Vyacheslav Tikhonov, Sergey Bondarchuk, Boris Zakhava
  11. The Cranes Are Flying
    Летят журавли (Letyat zhuravli)
    (1957, Tragic romance, Political drama, Young lovers separated by war)
    (Director: Mikhail Kalatozov)
    Actors: Tatyana Samoylova, Aleksey Batalov, Vasiliy Merkurev, Aleksandr Shvorin
  12. Ivan the Terrible, Part II: The Boyars' Plot
    Иван Грозный. Сказ Второй: Боярский Заговор (Ivan Groznyy. Skaz vtoroy: Boyarskiy zagovor)
    (1946, Historical drama, Ivan IV)
    (Director: Sergei Eisenstein)
    Actors: Nikolay Cherkasov, Serafima Birman, Pavel Kadochnikov, Mikhail Zharov
  13. Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears
    Москва слезам не верит (Moskva slezam ne verit)
    (1980, Romance, three girls visit Moscow)
    (Director: Vladimir Menshov)
    Actors: Vera Alentova, Aleksey Batalov, Irina Muravyova, Raisa Ryazanova
  14. Ivan's Childhood
    Иваново детство (Ivanovo detstvo)
    (1962, World War II, Russian child partisan)
    (Directors: Andrei Tarkovsky with Eduard Abalov)
    Actors: Nikolay Burlyaev, Valentin Zubkov, Evgeniy Zharikov, Stepan Krylov
  15. Earth
    Земля (Zemlya)
    (1930, Collective farming under Communism)
    (Director: Aleksandr Dovzhenko)
    Actors: Stepan Shkurat, Semyon Svashenko, Yuliya Solntseva, Yelena Maksimova
  16. Only Old Men Are Going to Battle
    В бой идут одни «старики» (V boy idut odni 'stariki')
    (1974, War drama, WWII veteran pilot)
    (Director: Leonid Bykov)
    Actors: Leonid Bykov, Sergey Podgornyy, Sergei Ivanov, Rustam Sagdullaev
  17. Ballad of a Soldier
    Баллада о солдате (Ballada o soldate)
    (1959, WWII War drama, romance, love during wartime)
    (Director: Grigori Chukhrai)
    Actors: Vladimir Ivashov, Zhanna Prokhorenko, Antonina Maksimova, Nikolay Kryuchkov
  18. The Ascent
    Восхождение (Voskhozhdenie)
    (1977, WWII drama, two pro-Soviet partisans taken prisoner)
    (Director: Larisa Shepitko)
    Actors: Boris Plotnikov, Vladimir Gostyukhin, Sergey Yakovlev, Lyudmila Polyakova
  19. October (Ten Days that Shook the World)
    Октябрь (Oktyabr)
    (1928, Silent, Events in 1917 Russia, revolutionaries)
    (Directors: Grigoriy Aleksandrov, Sergei Eisenstein)
    Actors: Boris Livanov, Nikolay Popov, Vasili Nikandrov, Layaschenko
  20. Gentlemen of Fortune
    Джентльмены удачи (Dzhentlmeny udachi)
    (1971, Holiday crime comedy/drama, mistaken identity)
    (Director: Aleksandr Seryy)
    Actors: Evgeniy Leonov, Georgiy Vitsin, Saveliy Kramarov, Radner Muratov
  21. Burnt by the Sun
    Утомлённые солнцем (Utomlennye solntsem)
    (1994, Drama, Stalin's USSR in 1936 countryside)
    (Director: Nikita Mikhalkov)
    Actors: Nikita Mikhalkov, Ingeborga Dapkunaite, Oleg Menshikov, Nadezhda Mikhalkova
  22. The Diamond Arm
    Бриллиантовая рука (Brilliantovaya ruka)
    (1969, Comedy adventure, smugglers, gangsters, tourist)
    (Director: Leonid Gaidai)
    Actors: Yuriy Nikulin, Nina Grebeshkova, Andrey Mironov, Anatoliy Papanov
  23. Strike
    Стачка (Stachka)
    (1925, Silent, Political drama, factory workers strike in 1903)
    (Director: Sergei Eisenstein)
    Actors: Grigoriy Aleksandrov, Maksim Shtraukh, Mikhail Gomorov, I. Ivanov
  24. The Return
    Возвращение (Vozvrashchenie)
    (2003, Drama, Father and his two teenage sons in wilderness)
    (Director: Andrey Zvyagintsev)
    Actors: Vladimir Garin, Ivan Dobronravov, Konstantin Lavronenko, Nataliya Vdovina
  25. Leviathan
    Левиафан (Leviafan)
    (2014, Crime drama, Small town corrupt mayor)
    (Director: Andrey Zvyagintsev)
    Actors: Aleksey Serebryakov, Elena Lyadova, Roman Madyanov, Vladimir Vdovichenkov
  26. Pokrov Gates
    Покровские ворота (Pokrovskie vorota)
    (1983 TV Movie, Comedy drama, Moscow communal apatment in the 1950s)
    (Director: Mikhail Kozakov)
    Actors: Oleg Menshikov, Sofiya Pilyavskaya, Leonid Bronevoy, Inna Ulyanova
  27. Brother
    Брат (Brat)
    (1997, Crime Drama, gangster killer, St. Petersburg)
    (Director: Aleksei Balabanov)
    Actors: Sergey Bodrov, Viktor Sukhorukov, Svetlana Pismichenko, Mariya Zhukova
  28. Heart of a Dog
    Собачье сердце (Sobachye serdtse)
    (1988, TV Movie, Sci-Fi satire drama, Professor and dog)
    (Director: Vladimir Bortko)
    Actors: Evgeniy Evstignee, Vladimir Tolokonnikov, Boris Plotnikov, Roman Kartsev
  29. Mimino
    Мимино (Mimino)
    (1977, Comedy drama, Moscow hotel)
    (Director: Georgiy Daneliya)
    Actors: Vakhtang Kikabidze, Frunzik Mkrtchyan, Elena Proklova, Evgeniy Leonov
  30. Two Comrades Served
    Служили два товарища (Sluzhili dva tovarishcha)
    (1968, Comedy drama, Crimea in the 1920's)
    (Director: Yevgeni Karelov)
    Actors: Oleg Yankovskiy, Rolan Bykov, Vladimir Vysotskiy, Iya Savvina
  31. My Friend Ivan Lapshin
    Мой друг Иван Лапшин (Moy drug Ivan Lapshin)
    (1985, Drama, Idealistic police inspector in pre-purge Soviet Union)
    (Director: Aleksei German)
    Actors: Andrei Boltnev, Nina Ruslanova, Andrey Mironov, Aleksey Zharkov
  32. The Dawns Here Are Quiet
    А зори здесь тихие (A zori zdes tikhie)
    (1972, World War II military drama, all female unit)
    (Director: Stanislav Rostotskiy)
    Actors: Andrey Martynov, Irina Dolganova, Elena Drapeko, Ekaterina Markova
  33. The Cold Summer of 1953
    Холодное лето пятьдесят третьего (Kholodnoe leto pyatdesyat tretego)
    (1988, Crime drama/thriller, 1953 prisoner release, criminal rampage)
    (Director: Aleksandr Proshkin)
    Actors: Valeriy Priyomykhov, Anatoliy Papanov, Viktor Stepanov, Nina Usatova
  34. Close to Eden
    Урга: Территория любви (Urga - territoriya lyubvi)
    (1991, Romantic drama, Inner Mongolia)
    (Director: Nikita Mikhalkov)
    Actors: Badema, Bayaertu, Vladimir Gostyukhin, Baoyinhexige
  35. Boris Godunov
    Борис Годунов (Boris Godounov)
    (1989, Opera based film about the 17th century Tsar)
    (Director: Andrzej Żuławski)
    Actors: Ruggero Raimondi, Kenneth Riegel, Bernard Lefort, Paul Plishka
  36. Operation Y and Other Shurik's Adventures
    Операция Ы и другие приключения Шурика (Operatsiya 'Y' i drugie priklyucheniya Shurika)
    (1965, Comedy, 3 short movies, about a student)
    (Director: Leonid Gaidai )
    Actors: Aleksandr Demyanenko, Mikhail Pugovkin, Aleksei Smirnov, Vladimir Basov
  37. The House I Live In
    Дом, в котором я живу (Dom, v kotorom ya zhivu)
    (1957, Drama, Daily lives in Moscow appartment building from 1935 to 1950)
    (Directors: Lev Kulidzhanov, Yakov Segel)
    Actors: Valentina Telegina, Nikolai Yelizarov, Vladimir Zemlyanikin, Evgeniy Matveev
  38. Siberiade
    Сибириада (Sibiriada)
    (1979, 4h 35m Drama, Three generations survive in a village in Siberia)
    (Director: Andrei Konchalovsky)
    Actors: Vladimir Samoylov, Vitali Solomin, Yevgeny Perov, Sergey Shakurov
  39. Trial on the Road
    Проверка на дорогах (Proverka na dorogakh)
    (1986, War drama, WWII Russian POW escapes nazis and joins partisans)
    (Director: Aleksei German)
    Actors: Rolan Bykov, Anatoliy Solonitsyn, Vladimir Zamanskiy, Oleg Borisov
  40. Crime and Punishment
    Преступление и наказание (Prestuplenie i nakazanie)
    (1970, Crime drama, Based on the Dostoyevsky novel)
    (Director: Lev Kulidzhanov)
    Actors: Georgiy Taratorkin, Innokentiy Smoktunovskiy, Tatyana Bedova, Viktoriya Fyodorova
  41. A Cruel Romance
    Жестокий романс (Zhestokiy romans)
    (1984, Romantic drama, 1800s, adapted from the Russian play "Dowry-less")
    (Director: Eldar Ryazanov)
    Actors: Alisa Freyndlikh, Larisa Guzeeva, Nikita Mikhalkov, Andrey Myagkov
  42. Autumn Marathon
    Осенний марафон (Osenniy marafon)
    (1979, Romantic comedy, Professor's wife and mistress)
    (Director: Georgiy Daneliya)
    Actors: Oleg Basilashvili, Natalya Gundareva, Marina Neyolova, Evgeniy Leonov
  43. Ivan Vasilyevich Changes His Profession
    Иван Васильевич меняет профессию (Ivan Vasilevich menyaet professiyu)
    (1973, Comedy drama, time machine, 16th century Moscow, Tsar Ivan the Terrible trading places)
    (Director: Leonid Gaidai)
    Actors: Yuriy Yakovlev, Leonid Kuravlyov, Aleksandr Demyanenko, Saveliy Kramarov
  44. Twenty Days Without War
    Двадцать дней без войны (Dvadtsat dney bez voyny)
    (1977, WWII Russian war correspondent drama/romance far from the front)
    (Director: Aleksei Germa)
    Actors: Yuriy Nikulin, Lyudmila Gurchenko, Rashid Sadykov, Aleksey Petrenko
  45. They Fought for Their Country
    Они сражались за Родину (Oni srazhalis za rodinu)
    (1975, WWII epic, Red army protects a bridgehead, July 1942,)
    (Director: Sergei Bondarchuk)
    Actors: Vasiliy Shukshin, Vyacheslav Tikhonov, Sergey Bondarchuk, Georgiy Burkov
  46. Tomorrow Was the War
    Завтра была война (Zavtra byla voyna)
    (1987, Pre WWII drama, 1940, teenage girl in provincial town under Stalin)
    (Director: Yuriy Kara)
    Actors: Sergey Nikonenko, Nina Ruslanova, Vera Alentova, Irina Cherichenko
  47. The Brothers Karamazov
    Братья Карамазовы (Bratya Karamazovy)
    (1969, Drama, 3 brothers, Adaptation of Dostoeyevsky's novel)
    (Directors: Kirill Lavrov, Ivan Pyrev, Mikhail Ulyanov)
    Actors: Mikhail Ulyanov, Lionella Pyryeva, Kirill Lavrov, Andrey Myagkov
  48. The Island
    Остров (Ostrov)
    (2006, Drama, monastic life, repentance of sin)
    (Director: Pavel Lungin)
    Actors: Pyotr Mamonov, Viktor Sukhorukov, Dmitriy Dyuzhev, Yuriy Kuznetsov
  49. The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!
    Ирония судьбы, или С легким паром! (Ironiya sudby, ili S legkim parom!)
    (1976, TV Movie, Holiday Comedy, Romance)
    (Director: Eldar Ryazanov)
    Actors: Andrey Myagkov, Barbara Brylska, Yuriy Yakovlev, Lyubov Dobrzhanskaya
  50. The Golden Calf
    Золотой телёнок (Zolotoy telyonok)
    (1968, Crime comedy, 1930s extortion scheme)
    (Director: Mikhail Shvejtser)
    Actors: Sergey Yurskiy, Leonid Kuravlyov, Zinoviy Gerdt, Evgeniy Evstigneev
  51. Twelve Chairs
    12 стульев (12 stulev)
    (1971, Adventure comedy, search for hidden diamonds)
    (Director: Leonid Gaidai)
    Actors: Archil Gomiashvili, Sergey Filippov, Mikhail Pugovkin, Natalya Varley
  52. A Railway Station for Two
    Вокзал для двоих (Vokzal dlya dvoikh)
    (1983, Drama, romance, comedy, bad luck traveling)
    (Director: Eldar Ryazanov)
    Actors: Lyudmila Gurchenko, Oleg Basilashvili, Nikita Mikhalkov, Nonna Mordyukova
  53. White Bim Black Ear
    Белый Бим Черное ухо (Belyy Bim Chernoe ukho)
    (1977, Adventure, A lost dog looking for its master)
    (Director: Stanislav Rostotskiy)
    Actors: Vyacheslav Tikhonov, Valentina Vladimirova, Mikhail Dadyko, Ivan Ryzhov
  54. Prisoner of the Mountains
    Кавказский пленник (Kavkazskiy plennik)
    (1996, War drama, Two Russian soldiers taken prisoner)
    (Director: Sergei Bodrov)
    Actors: Oleg Menshikov, Sergey Bodrov, Susanna Mekhraliyeva, Susanna Mekhraliyeva
  55. Walking the Streets of Moscow
    Я шагаю по Москве (Ya shagayu po Moskve)
    (1964, Romantic comedy, one day of different events with friends)
    (Director: Georgiy Daneliya)
    Actors: Nikita Mikhalkov, Aleksei Loktev, Galina Polskikh, Evgeniy Steblov
  56. The General Line
    Старое и новое (Staroye i novoye)
    (1929, Silent, Modernization in rural Russia under the new Soviet state)
    (Directors: Grigoriy Aleksandrov, Sergei Eisenstein)
    Actors: Marfa Lapkina, M. Ivanin, Konstantin Vasilyev, Vasili Buzenkov
  57. The Fool
    Дурак (Durak)
    (2014, Crime drama, corrupt politics, urban decay)
    (Director: Yuri Bykov )
    Actors: Artyom Bystrov, Natalya Surkova, Yuriy Tsurilo, Boris Nevzorov
  58. Letter Never Sent
    Неотправленное письмо (Neotpravlennoye pismo)
    (1960, Survival adventure, Search for diamonds in Siberia)
    (Director: Mikheil Kalatozishvili)
    Actors: Innokentiy Smoktunovskiy, Tatyana Samoylova, Vasiliy Livanov, Evgeniy Urbanskiy
  59. Mother
    Мать (Mat)
    (1926, Silent, Film version of Gorki's great story of the 1905 revolution)
    (Director: Vsevolod Pudovkin)
    Actors: Vera Baranovskaya, Nikolay Batalov, Aleksandr Chistyakov, Anna Selivanova
  60. Kin-dza-dza!
    Кин-Дза-Дза! (Kin-dza-dza!)
    (1986, Space Sci-Fi dark comedy, Two men teleport to another planet)
    (Director: Georgiy Daneliya)
    Actors: Stanislav Lyubshin, Evgeniy Leonov, Yuriy Yakovlev, Levan Gabriadze
  61. The Garage
    Гараж (Garazh)
    (1980, Comedy drama, Biting satire, Soviet cooperative needs a parking garage)
    (Director: Eldar Ryazanov)
    Actors: Alla Budnitskaya, Eldar Ryazanov, Lyudmila Tsvetkova, Mikhail Kokshenov
  62. The Very Same Munchhausen
    Тот самый Мюнхгаузен (Tot samyy Myunkhgauzen)
    (1980 TV Movie, Fantasy drama comedy, Baron Munchhausen)
    (Director: Mark Zakharov)
    Actors: Oleg Yankovskiy, Inna Churikova, Elena Koreneva, Igor Kvasha
  63. Storm Over Asia
    Потомок Чингис-Хана (Potomok Chingis-Khana)
    (1928, silent, War drama, Mongolian herdsman helps partisans fight for the Soviets)
    (Director: Vsevolod Pudovkin)
    Actors: I. Inkizhinov, Valéry Inkijinoff, A. Dedintsev, Anel Sudakevich
  64. Brother 2
    Брат 2 (Brat 2)
    (2000, Murder thriller, Vengence action, from Moscow to Chicago)
    (Director: Aleksei Balabanov)
    Actors: Sergey Bodrov, Viktor Sukhorukov, Sergey Makovetskiy, Irina Saltykova
  65. Love and Doves
    Любовь и голуби (Lyubov i golubi)
    (1985, Comedy drama, romance, Black Sea resort)
    (Director: Vladimir Menshov)
    Actors: Aleksandr Mikhaylov, Nina Doroshina, Lyudmila Gurchenko, Sergey Yurskiy
  66. The Destiny of a Man
    Судьба человека (Sudba cheloveka)
    (1959, WWII drama, Man taken prisoner and family is killed)
    (Director: Sergey Bondarchuk)
    Actors: Sergey Bondarchuk, Pavel Boriskin, Zinaida Kirienko, Pavel Volkov
  67. Arsenal
    Арсенал (arsenál)
    (1929, Silent, War drama, Soldier in January Uprising in Kiev in 1918)
    (Director: Aleksandr Dovzhenko)
    Actors: Semyon Svashenko, Georgi Khorkov, Amvrosi Buchma, Dmitri Erdman
  68. Dead Man's Letters
    Письма мёртвого человека (Pisma myortvogo cheloveka)
    (1986, Dystopian Sci-F, Subterranean life during a nuclear war)
    (Director: Konstantin Lopushanskiy)
    Actors: Rolan Bykov, Iosif Ryklin, Viktor Mikhaylov, Aleksandr Sabinin
  69. Unfinished Piece for the Player Piano
    Неоконченная пьеса для механического пианино (Neokonchennaya pyesa dlya mekhanicheskogo pianino)
    (1977, Drama, Lost love and disillusionment in Imperial Russia)
    (Director: Nikita Mikhalkov)
    Actors: Aleksandr Kalyagin, Elena Solovey, Evgeniya Glushenko, Antonina Shuranova
  70. Courier
    Курьер (Kuryer)
    (1986, Teen drama, Romance during the fall of communism)
    (Director: Karen Shakhnazarov)
    Actors: Fyodor Dunayevsky, Anastasiya Nemolyaeva, Oleg Basilashvili, Inna Churikova
  71. The Girls
    Девчата (Devchata)
    (1962, Teenage romantic comedy, taking place in a logging camp)
    (Director: Yuriy Chulyukin)
    Actors: Nadezhda Rumyantseva, Nikolay Rybnikov, Lyusena Ovchinnikova, Inna Makarova
  72. Afonya
    Афоня (Afonya)
    (1975, Romantic comedy, Heavy drinker down on his luck finds new romance)
    (Director: Georgiy Daneliya)
    Actors: Leonid Kuravlyo, Evgeniya Simonova, Evgeniy Leonov, Saveliy Kramarov
  73. Khrustalev, My Car!
    Хрусталёв, машину! (Khrustalyov, mashinu!)
    (1998, Drama, Arrest, Anti-Semitic political campaign in 1953)
    (Director: Aleksei German)
    Actors: Yuriy Tsurilo, Nina Ruslanova, Jüri Järvet Jr., Mikhail Dementev
  74. At Home Among Strangers, a Stranger Among His Own
    Свой среди чужих, чужой среди своих (Svoy sredi chuzhikh, chuzhoy sredi svoikh)
    (1974, Civil War between the Reds and the Whites, 1917)
    (Director: Nikita Mikhalkov)
    Actors: Yuriy Bogatyryov, Anatoliy Solonitsy, Sergey Shakurov, Aleksandr Porokhovshchikov
  75. Office Romance
    Служебный роман (Sluzhebnyy roman)
    (1977, Romantic comedy drama, Shy clumsy man falls for his boss)
    (Director: Eldar Ryazanov)
    Actors: Alisa Freyndlikh, Andrey Myagkov, Svetlana Nemolyaeva, Oleg Basilashvili
  76. Watch Out for the Automobile
    Берегись автомобиля (Beregis avtomobilya)
    (1966, Crime comedy drama, Cop looking for car thief who steals only from crooks)
    (Director: Eldar Ryazanov)
    Actors: Innokentiy Smoktunovskiy, Oleg Efremov, Lyubov Dobrzhanskaya, Olga Aroseva
  77. The Thief
    Вор (Vor)
    (1997, Crime drama, Soviet Union during post-war stalinism, mother and child)
    (Director: Pavel Chukhray)
    Actors: Vladimir Mashkov, Yekaterina Rednikova, Mikhail Filipchuk, Dima Chigaryov
  78. Russian Ark
    Русский ковчег (Russkiy kovcheg)
    (2002, Fantasy, The Hermitage in St. Petersburg as living history)
    (Director: Aleksandr Sokurov)
    Actors: Sergey Dreyden, Mariya Kuznetsova, Leonid Mozgovoy, Mikhail Piotrovsky
  79. Lilya 4-Ever
    Лиля навсегда (Lilja 4-ever)
    (2002, 16 year old teen drama, Russian mafia, Human trafficking)
    (Director: Lukas Moodysson)
    Actors: Oksana Akinshina, Artyom Bogucharskiy, Pavel Ponomaryov, Liliya Shinkaryova
  80. Kidnapping, Caucasian Style
    Кавказская пленница, или Новые приключения Шурика (Kavkazskaya plennitsa, ili Novye priklyucheniya Shurika)
    (1967, Comedy drama, adventure-crime, romance, Shurik)
    (Director: Leonid Gaidai)
    Actors: Aleksandr Demyanenko, Natalya Varley, Vladimir Etush, Frunzik Mkrtchyan
  81. Assa
    Асса (Асса)
    (1987, Crime drama, Love triangle, Involving an underworld tycoon and musician)
    (Director: Sergey Solovyov)
    Actors: Natan Eidelman, Anatoly Slivnikov, German Shorr, Ilya Ivanov
  82. The Red Snowball Tree
    Калина красная (Kalina krasnaya)
    (1974, Drama, Ex-thief trying to go straight in rural Russian village)
    (Director: Vasiliy Shukshin)
    Actors: Lidiya Fedoseeva-Shukshina, Vasiliy Shukshin, Ivan Ryzhov, Mariya Skvortsova
  83. The Idiot
    Идиот (Idiot)
    (1958, Drama, Adaptation of Dostoevsky novel. 1860s Russia)
    (Director: Ivan Pyrev )
    Actors: Yuriy Yakovlev, Yuliya Borisova, Nikita Podgorny, Nikolai Pazhitnov
  84. Ten Little Indians
    Десять негритят (Desyat negrityat)
    (1987, Suspense Mystery, based on novel by Agatha Christie)
    (Director: Stanislav Govorukhin)
    Actors: Vladimir Zeldin, Tatyana Drubich, Aleksandr Kaydanovskiy, Aleksey Zharkov
  85. Farewell
    Прощание (Proshchanie)
    (1983, Drama, Construction of a dam threatens a small village)
    (Director: Elem Klimov)
    Actors: Stefaniya Stanyuta, Lev Durov, Aleksey Petrenko, Leonid Kryuk
  86. Wings
    Крылья (Krylya)
    (1966, Drama, Former female fighter pilot struggles in peacetime)
    (Director: Larisa Shepitko)
    Actors: Mayya Bulgakova, Zhanna Bolotova, Panteleymon Krymov, Leonid Dyachkov
  87. White Sun of the Desert
    Белое солнце пустыни (Beloe solntse pustyni)
    (1969, Action adventure, Period drama, Red Army soldier)
    (Director: Vladimir Motyl)
    Actors:Anatoliy Kuznetsov, Pavel Luspekayev, Spartak Mishulin, Kakhi Kavsadze
  88. The Italian
    Итальянец (Italyanets)
    (2005, Drama, 5 year old Russian boy adopted by an Italian family)
    (Director: Andrey Kravchuk)
    Actors: Nikolay Spiridonov, Mariya Kuznetsova, Nikolay Reutov, Yuriy Itskov
  89. Country of the Deaf
    Страна глухих (Strana glukhikh)
    (1998, Crime drama, Girlfriend becomes stripper to pay off boyfriens's debt)
    (Director: Valeriy Todorovskiy)
    Actors: Chulpan Khamatova, Dina Korzun, Maksim Sukhanov, Nikita Tyunin
  90. The Rifleman of the Voroshilov Regiment
    Ворошиловский стрелок (Voroshilovskiy strelok)
    (1999, Crime drama, Revenge for rape of daughter)
    (Director: Stanislav Govorukhin)
    Actors: Mikhail Ulyanov, Anna Sinyakina, Aleksandr Porokhovshchikov, Irina Rozanov
  91. Uncle Vanya
    Дядя Ваня (Dyadya Vanya)
    (1970, Drama, Adaptation of Chekhov play, Romantic tension in tsarist Russia)
    (Director: Andrei Konchalovsky)
    Actors: Innokentiy Smoktunovskiy, Sergey Bondarchuk, Irina Kupchenko, Irina Miroshnichenko
  92. Mother and Son
    Мать и сын (Mat i syn)
    (1997, Drama, Man takes his dying mother for a walk in the countryside)
    (Director: Aleksandr Sokurov)
    Actors: Aleksei Ananishnov, Gudrun Geyer
  93. Spring on Zarechnaya Street
    Весна на Заречной улице (Vesna na Zarechnoy ulitse)
    (1956, Romantic drama, Female teacher falls for student)
    (Directors: Marlen Khutsiev, Feliks Mironer )
    Actors: Nina Ivanova, Nikolay Rybnikov, Vladimir Gulyaev, Valentina Pugachyova
  94. Enchanted Desna
    Зачарованная Десна (Zacharovannaya Desna)
    (1964, Biography drama-fantasy, A magical childhood in Ukraine)
    (Director: Yuliya Solntseva)
    Actors: Evgeniy Samoylov, Vladimir Goncharov, Evgeniy Bondarenko, Zinaida Kirienko
  95. The End of St. Petersburg
    Конец Санкт-Петербурга (Konets Sankt-Peterburga)
    (1927, Silent, Drama, Man forced to fight in World War I)
    (Directors: Mikhail Doller, Vsevolod Pudovkin)
    Actors: Aleksandr Chistyakov, Vera Baranovskaya, Ivan Chuvelyov, Vladimir Obolensky
  96. Peter the First
    Пётр Первый (Pyotr pervyy I)
    (1937, Historical drama, Life and times of Tsar Peter I)
    (Director: Vladimir Petrov)
    Actors: Nikolai Simonov, Nikolay Cherkasov, Alla Tarasova, Mikhail Zharov
  97. Dear Comrades!
    Дорогие товарищи! (Dorogie tovarishchi)
    (2020, Drama, Search for missing daughter after bloody government crackdown on workers strike)
    (Director: Andrei Konchalovsky)
    Actors: Yuliya Vysotskaya, Sergei Erlish, Yuliya Burova, Andrey Gusev
  98. Hard to Be a God
    Трудно быть богом (Trudno byt bogom)
    (2013, Drama Sci-fi, In the future scientists meddle in affairs of a medieval-like planet)
    (Director: Aleksei German)
    Actors: Leonid Yarmolnik, Aleksandr Chutko, Yuriy Tsurilo, Evgeniy Gerchakov
  99. The Barber of Siberia
    Сибирский цирюльник (Sibirskiy tsiryulnik)
    (1998, Romantic drama, Russia in 1885, love story)
    (Director: Nikita Mikhalkov)
    Actors: Julia Ormond, Oleg Menshikov, Aleksey Petrenko, Richard Harris
  100. Arrhythmia
    Аритмия (Aritmiya)
    (2017, Drama, Paramedic and wife have marital friction)
    (Director: Boris Khlebnikov)
    Actors: Aleksandr Yatsenko, Irina Gorbacheva, Nikolay Shrayber, Lyudmila Motornaya
Battleship Potemkin movie poster
Man with a Movie Camera movie poster
Stalker movie poster
Andrei Rublev movie poster
Solaris movie poster
The Mirror movie poster

10 Greatest Russian Animated Films

Background: Russian animated films date back to the early 20th century. The art form began to gain prominence in the 1920s and 1930s, with the Soviet Union fostering state-supported studios like Soyuzmultfilm, which became a cornerstone of Russian animation. Early works were heavily influenced by political themes and folklore, blending propaganda with traditional storytelling. Post-World War II, Russian animation flourished, producing iconic films such as "The Snow Queen" (1957), which gained international acclaim. The 1960s and 1970s marked a golden era for Russian animated films, with the creation of beloved characters and the adaptation of literary classics. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the industry faced challenges but gradually revived through independent studios and modern techniques.

    The Snow Queen movie poster
  1. The Snow Queen
    Снежная королева (Snezhnaya koroleva) (1957, 1h 14m) Director: Lev Atamanov
  2. Hedgehog in the Fog
    Ежик в тумане (Yozhik v tumane) (1975, 11m) Director: Yuri Norstein
  3. The Scarlet Flower
    Аленький цветочек (Alenkiy tsvetochek) (1952, 42m) Director: Lev Atamanov
  4. The Nutcracker
    Щелкунчик (Shchelkunchik) (1973, 27m) Director: Boris Stepantsev
  5. Once Upon a Time there Lived a Dog
    Жил-был пёс (Zhil-byl pyos) (1982, 10m) Director: Eduard Nazarov
  6. The Mystery of the Third Planet
    Тайна третьей планеты (Tayna tretey planety) (1981, 48m) Directors: Roman Kachanov, Glenn Stanton
  7. Karlson Returns
    Карлсон вернулся (Karlson vernulsya) (1970, 20m) Director: Boris Stepantsev
  8. The Tale of Tales
    Сказка сказок (Skazka skazok) (1979, 29m) Director: Yuri Norstein
  9. The Glass of Harmonica!
    Стеклянная гармоника (Steklyannaya garmonika) (1968, 19m) Director: Andrey Khrzhanovskiy
  10. The Twelve Months
    Двенадцать месяцев (Dvenadtsat mesyatsev) (1956, 55m) Directors: Mikhail Botov, Ivan Ivanov-Vano
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Edited By: Lew
List Begun: 2026-10-16
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