About
Cinema: researching Russian & Soviet film
This LibGuide recommends resources in both English and Russian. Browse the Historical Dictionary for an overview of films in English or the online Russian Encyclopedias for broader coverage of films, actors, directors, etc. Watch Russian & Soviet films on Mosfilm's and Lenfilm's YouTube channels or check films out from EGARC. Search film databases or browse journals for commentary about Russian & Soviet film.
Print and Online
Encyclopedias
Historical Dictionary of Russian and Soviet Cinema
Call Number: PN1998.2 .R578 2009
Contains information about directors, actors, and other selected terms. Film details are given under their respective directors. Includes bibliographies by time period.
- Кино-театр.ru
Encyclopedia / portal to Russian-Soviet film. Extensive coverage of Soviet and Russian movies. Find biographies, filmographies, and more for actors, directors, screenwriters, producers, composers, photographers, artists, stuntmen, etc. Browse A-Z list or search by keyword. - Энциклопедия отечественного киноPortal to Russian-Soviet cinema 1986-present; based on seven volume printed work «Сеанс — Новейшая история отечественного кино. 1986-2000» completed in 2004.
- Актеры советского и российского кино
An extensive A-Z list of actors. Includes detailed descriptions of actors' roles and the films they played in. Includes cited sources. A-Z list of films is less robust. - KM.RU Энциклопедия кино
Popular (non-academic) online encyclopedia of Russian film. - Члены киносоюза – «Киносоюз»
Brief bios of the film union members.
Bibliographies
Bibliographies
- Russian and Soviet Cinema: BibliographyExtensive bibliography of Russo-Soviet cinema (1896 to the present). Produced by the University of Pittsburgh.
- Bibliography of Books in English on Russian-Soviet CinemaMost books listed should be in KU Libraries (check the Library Catalog). Otherwise request through Interlibrary Loan.
- Pitt Slavic Film Collection - Online ListThe following films are located in the Media Resources Center at Hillman Library as part of the University of Pittsburgh's media collection. They are catalogued by letter, indicating type (BR= Blue Ray; D=Laserdisc, DVD=DVD; F/FL= Film; V= Video), followed by a four-digit number (e.g. V-2732).The collection of visual materials in Hillman Library is intended for research and teaching purposes only at the University of Pittsburgh. No materials are allowed to circulate and no materials are available through Interlibrary Loan. Under no circumstances are materials duplicated for use outside of the University of Pittsburgh.
Watch Russian Films
Watch Russian Films
- Russian Film HubA platform for watching Russian and Soviet Film. Most films are available for free, but the site links to some content hosted by other sites, such as Amazon Prime.
- Classic Russian Films (from Mosfilm) on YouTubeFree online access to a large archive of excellent Russian films. Watch films from the days of the great film pioneer Sergei Eisenstein to the present era of popular directors, such as Alexei Balabanov and Karen Shakhnazarov. Includes subtitles. Search for films or browse by category (comedy, drama, adventure, war, and melodrama).
- Lenfilm Video on YouTubeFree online access to many Russian films by Lenfilm. Browse by genre or search by keyword.
- Soviet Movies OnlineHere you can purchase online access (starting at $5.00) to old Russian and East European classic movies in English or with English subtitles online in HD (720). Movies are available on your mobiles (iOS and Android) and tablets.
- Open Language Resource CenterSearch the Catalog for Russian films. Check out films from the Center located in Wescoe Hall 4070.
Featured Film
White Sun of the Desert is the classic Russian-Soviet "western" with all the trappings you come to expect from Russian-Soviet film: indomitable Soviet hero, magnificent panoramas, peasant overtones, memorable music, beautiful women, subtle humor, penetrating irony, resonating taglines, and of course, inescapable tragedy. It is the best Soviet "cowboy" film ever made. Watch this film on Mosfilm's YouTube channel.
Databases & Indexes (of scholarly literature) for Film studies
Databases and Indexes for Film Studies
- Film & television literature index with full text (EBSCO)This is an index to film and television literature that provides cover-to-cover indexing and abstracts for more than 300 publications and selected coverage of 300 more.
Баба Яга (Г. Милляр)
Journals about Russian Cinema
Journals about Russian Cinema
- KinoKultura (Online)In English. Online journal of Russian cinema (2003 - present) plus special issues dedicated to film from East Europe and Central Asia. Includes articles, reviews, videos, list of new films by year, and bibliography of books on REECA film (1999 - present).
- Iskusstvo kino 1936-presentThe most important Russian/Soviet film journal. Full text and full image available for 1936-2011. Full text only for 2012-present. Paper issues also available 1960-present (search the library catalog to find the call number).
- Искусство кино (онлайн)The most important Soviet-Russian film journal of the 20-21st centuries. Issues 1997-present available on the web.
- Sovetskoe kinoSoviet Cinema. Journal of the Soviet Committee for cinematography and the Cinematographers Union. Indexed by Film literature index.
- Kinovedcheskie zapiskiDiscusses trends in cinematography and film culture; theory and history of film (primarily Russian); includes archival, filmographic and bibliographic materials.
- Early Russian Cinema, 1907-1918 [microform]: The Russian Cinematographic Press, 1907-1918Publication: Leiden: IDC Publishers, 2004-2006. Available for long term loan through the Center for Research Libraries (CRL). "The collection includes sophisticated, bimonthly periodicals as well as more popular weeklies released by the major Russian film studios. Containing, amongst others, interviews with movie stars and screenplays that are now irretrievably lost, these journals will prove an invaluable source of information for anyone interested in the silent movie era and Russia's entertainment industry at the eve of the Revolution." -- IDC Publishers website
History in Russian
History of Soviet Cinema
Ocherki istorii sovetskogo kino by Call Number: PN1993.5.R9 O25Publication Date: Moskva: Iskusstvo, 1956-1961.Essays on the history of Soviet Cinema. Vol. 1 (1917-1934), Vol. 2 (1935-1945), Vol. 3 (1946-1956).