June 05, 2024

Make Fairy Tales, not War


Make Fairy Tales, not War
The Aurora movie theater, St. Petersburg. The Russian Life files

According to Russian independent outlet Agentsvo, the state Cinema Fund and the Ministry of Culture have spent over R1.7 billion ($18.8 million) on fairy tale films released in 2024. This is a record and surpasses government spending on war films to be released this year.

In the first five months of 2024, Russia has released three fairy tale films: “Bremenskie muzykanty”  ("The Bremen Town Musicians"), “Letuchy Korabl” ("The Flying Ship"), and the sci-fi “100 Let Tomu Vperyod” ("100 Years Ahead"). Additionally, three more state-funded fairy tale films will be released later this year: "Vasilisa," "Ognivo" (“The Tinderbox"), and “Samaya Bolshya Luna” ("The Biggest Moon"), with the Cinema Fund spending half a billion rubles on them. In total, R2.2 billion ($24.3 billion) has been allocated for all fairy tale films released or set to be released this year.

Spending on fairy tale films has been on the rise since 2015. That year, about R200 million ($2.2 million) was spent on the genre. The share of government spending on fairy tales grew from 5.3 percent in 2015 to 36.2 percent in 2024.

In contrast, the government has spent R1 billion ($11 million) on war films. This year, five war films have been released: three about World War II, one about the commander of the Alpha special squad, and one about the ongoing Russian war in Ukraine: “Pozyvnoy 'Passazhir'" ("Code Name: 'Passenger'").

One reason for the increased funding for fairy tale films may be their greater popularity. Fantasy films released this year have gotten 15.5 million views. “Bremenskie muzykanty” was the most popular, with 8.3 million views. “Letuchiy Korabl” and “100 Let Tomu Vpered” each attracted 3.7 million viewers.

In comparison, military films drew significantly fewer viewers, totaling about 2.5 million. The most popular war film was "Vozdukh” ("Air"), directed by Alexei German Jr., about Soviet female pilots during World War II, which had 1.5 million viewers. “Komandir” ("Commander") about the commander of the Alpha special unit, attracted 490,000 viewers, and “Pozivnoy ‘Passazhyr’," about a Moscow writer who went to the war in Donbas, had 420,000 viewers.

Films about the Russian war in Ukraine have not been popular. For instance, the 2023 film “Svidetel” ("Witness”), which depicts fictitious crimes by the Ukrainian military, was watched by less than 50,000 persons, with an average attendance of five people per showing.

You Might Also Like

Disability Numbers Soar
  • May 30, 2024

Disability Numbers Soar

Disability numbers have seen a drastic increase since the beginning of the war. 
New Leonardos at the Hermitage?
  • May 23, 2024

New Leonardos at the Hermitage?

An exhibit backed by a close associate of the Kremlin claims, erroneously, to show paintings newly attributed to Leonardo da Vinci. 
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Murder at the Dacha
July 01, 2013

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka
November 01, 2012

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.

Murder and the Muse
December 12, 2016

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.

Survival Russian
February 01, 2009

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

Jews in Service to the Tsar
October 09, 2011

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.

93 Untranslatable Russian Words
December 01, 2008

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

Steppe
July 15, 2022

Steppe

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.

Fish
February 01, 2010

Fish

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955