📽 Cinema Attendance in Russia Declines for the Third Year

Audience numbers have been falling for three consecutive years and are now nearly half of what they were in pre-pandemic 2019. These figures come from the Unified Automated Information System (UAIS) of the Cinema Fund.

Despite declining attendance, box office revenue increased by 10%, surpassing 46 billion rubles.

Revenue growth is directly linked to rising ticket prices — up 18% year-on-year — bringing the average ticket cost to more than 425 rubles. Experts consider this increase justified due to inflation and growing operational expenses.

Market analysts attribute the audience drop to a weak release slate (especially during the summer) and the absence of major 18+ titles.

The Ministry of Culture expects total box office revenue to reach 50 billion rubles by the end of the year. During the New Year holidays of 2026, the main hits are projected to be family films: Pinocchio, Cheburashka 2, and Prostokvashino.