🎫 Cinemas on the rise
The Russian film distribution market is showing signs of a robust recovery. According to the Cinema Fund's Unified Federal Automated Information System (EAIS), theater attendance grew for the first time in three years during the first quarter of 2026, reaching 47.9 million viewers.
This represents a 22% increase compared to the same period last year.
Box Office Records and Rising Costs
Total ticket sales soared by 37.4%, reaching a record 23.7 billion rubles. Meanwhile, the average cost of a cinema ticket also hit an all-time high, reaching 496 rubles (up from 439 rubles in 2025).
The New Year holidays were the primary driver of this success. The undisputed leader was “Cheburashka 2,” which grossed over 6 billion rubles. Rounding out the top three were the family hits “Prostokvashino” (2.4 billion rubles) and “Buratino” (nearly 2.4 billion rubles).
Foreign Content and “Shadow” Distribution
For the first time in recent years, three official foreign releases broke into the Top 10: the thriller “The Maid” (1.4 billion rubles), the horror film “Return to Silent Hill,” and the drama “Marty Supreme,” starring Timothée Chalamet.
Additionally, the short film “Sonata” secured a spot in the top ten with 535.3 million rubles. Traditionally, such projects serve as a cover for “pre-session service” (unauthorized screenings) of Hollywood blockbusters not officially released in Russia. This year, audiences used this method to watch “Avatar 3” and “Wuthering Heights” starring Margot Robbie.
Outlook for 2026
Alexey Vasyasin, head of the Cinema Park and Formula Kino networks, anticipates that total box office receipts for 2026 will reach 55–58 billion rubles. This optimism is fueled by a more balanced summer premiere schedule and the anticipated release of the international blockbuster “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.” Cinema chains are also pinning their hopes on sequels to domestic “folk” hits (“Serf 3,” “Little Domovoy Kuzya 2”) and the large-scale production “The Tale of Tsar Saltan.”
Source: RBC
