Iskusstvo Kino (Art of Cinema)
Corporate brand
UnclaimedA Russian film magazine focused on cinema criticism, theory, history, and industry debate.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Iskusstvo Kino, meaning “Art of Cinema,” is a Russian film publication founded in Moscow in 1931. It is one of the oldest European periodicals devoted specifically to film theory and criticism, commonly discussed alongside the British magazine Sight & Sound and France’s Cahiers du Cinéma. The publication began as Proletarskoe kino in 1931, used that title for its first year, and then appeared as Sovetskoe kino from 1933 to 1935 before adopting the name Iskusstvo Kino. Its long history makes it both a specialist cultural journal and an important record of changing Soviet and Russian attitudes toward cinema. During the Soviet period, the magazine operated within the state cultural and film system. It served as an official publication associated with the national cinema industry and carried editorials by Communist Party officials, while also publishing criticism, theoretical writing, and discussions about the relationship between films and their audiences. From 1963, it was published together with Soviet Screen by Goskino, the state body responsible for coordinating film production and distribution in the Soviet Union. This institutional position gave the magazine access to the country’s professional film culture, but also placed its editorial work within the political and ideological constraints of the period. The publication schedule changed with political and economic circumstances. It appeared monthly from its launch through 1941, when it was temporarily interrupted during the Second World War. It returned in 1945 and was issued irregularly through 1947, then appeared every two months from 1947 to 1951. Monthly publication resumed in 1952. The magazine developed a substantial professional and intellectual readership, with a circulation reported at approximately 50,000 copies during the 1980s. Its print sales fell sharply in the post-Soviet 1990s, reaching roughly 2,000 to 3,000 copies, and were reported at about 5,000 copies in 2004. Its editorial identity has been shaped by successive generations of editors, critics, scholars, and film professionals. Notable editorial periods include the tenure of Valerii Golovskoi in the 1960s and the long editorship of Daniil Dondurey from 1993 to 2017. Under Dondurey and later editors, the magazine continued to address film aesthetics and history while engaging with contemporary Russian cinema, cultural policy, festivals, and the economics of film production. Anton Dolin became editor in 2017 and sought to sustain the magazine through reader-supported financing, including a crowdfunding campaign that raised 3 million rubles. Financial and political pressure became more visible in the 2020s. The Cinema Foundation of Russia declined to sponsor the magazine in 2020; Dolin interpreted the decision as connected to his critical reviews of films supported by the foundation. A further crowdfunding campaign in 2021 raised 5 million rubles. In 2022, Russian authorities designated Dolin a foreign agent, and he left Russia. Editorial leadership subsequently passed to Stanislav Dedinsky and then Nikita Kartsev. The print edition ended in May 2023, after which the publication shifted to online distribution through its website. Iskusstvo Kino therefore remains an active editorial brand, but no longer operates in the same print form that defined most of its history.
History
Iskusstvo Kino was established in Moscow in 1931 as Proletarskoe kino. The original name lasted for one year, after which the publication was renamed Sovetskoe kino in 1933. It used that title until 1935, when it became Iskusstvo Kino, or Art of Cinema. From the beginning, the periodical specialized in cinema rather than general culture, publishing film criticism, theoretical writing, reviews, and discussion of the social role of movies. The magazine’s early decades coincided with the development of the Soviet film industry. It was a recognized official publication for the national cinema sector and included contributions or editorials reflecting Communist Party positions. At the same time, its subject matter extended beyond political commentary: the magazine considered film aesthetics, audience expectations, criticism, production, distribution, and the place of cinema in public life. This combination of institutional proximity and serious film scholarship made it a significant source for understanding Soviet cinematic culture. Publication was monthly from 1931 through 1941. It was interrupted during the Second World War and relaunched in 1945. Between 1945 and 1947 it appeared irregularly, then shifted to a bimonthly schedule from 1947 through 1951. Monthly publication resumed in 1952. In 1963, Iskusstvo Kino and Soviet Screen came under the publishing arrangements of Goskino, the newly established state organization responsible for coordinating Soviet film production and distribution. The association reinforced the magazine’s role as an industry-facing cultural journal. Editorial leadership changed repeatedly across the postwar and Soviet periods. Ivan Pyryev edited the magazine in 1946, followed by Nikolai Lebedev, Dmitri Eryomin, Vitaly Zhdan, Lyudmila Pogozheva, Yevgeny Surkov, Armen Medvedev, Yuri Cherepanov, and Konstantin Shcherbakov. Valerii Golovskoi was identified as an editor during the 1960s. The periodical also attracted international scholarly interest; American film scholar Vladimir Padunov contributed to an issue marking its eightieth anniversary. Iskusstvo Kino reached a reported print run of about 50,000 copies in the 1980s. The transition away from the Soviet system brought a severe circulation decline. Sales were reported at approximately 2,000 to 3,000 copies during the 1990s and about 5,000 copies in 2004. Daniil Dondurey served as editor from 1993 until 2017, guiding the magazine through the post-Soviet transformation and maintaining its focus on criticism, theory, and film-industry debate. Anton Dolin became editor in 2017. During his tenure, the magazine increasingly relied on direct support from readers. A crowdfunding campaign raised 3 million rubles, and a later campaign in 2021 raised 5 million rubles. In 2020, the Cinema Foundation of Russia refused to sponsor the publication. Dolin characterized the refusal as retaliation for critical reviews of films supported by the foundation, although the available reference material does not establish an independent finding of wrongdoing. Political pressure intensified in 2022, when Russian authorities designated Dolin a foreign agent. He left Russia, while editorial responsibility passed briefly to Stanislav Dedinsky and then to Nikita Kartsev. The print edition ended in May 2023. Iskusstvo Kino subsequently continued online, preserving the publication’s brand and editorial subject while ending a print run that had lasted, with interruptions, from 1931 to 2023.
- 2023
Print edition discontinued
[1]The print magazine ended in May and the brand moved to online distribution.
- 2021
Crowdfunding campaign raised 5 million rubles
[1]A reader-financing campaign raised approximately 5 million rubles for the publication.
- 2017
Anton Dolin became editor
[1]Dolin succeeded Dondurey and later introduced reader-supported fundraising efforts.
- 1993
Daniil Dondurey became editor
[1]Dondurey began a long editorial tenure that continued through the post-Soviet period until 2017.
- 1980
High-circulation Soviet period
[1]The magazine’s reported print run reached approximately 50,000 copies during the 1980s.
- 1963
Publishing association with Goskino
[1]Iskusstvo Kino began publication through the newly established state film organization Goskino, alongside Soviet Screen.
- 1952
Monthly schedule restored
[1]After a period of irregular and bimonthly publication, the magazine returned to a monthly schedule.
- 1945
Postwar relaunch
[1]The magazine returned after its wartime interruption, initially appearing irregularly.
- 1941
Publication interrupted during the Second World War
[1]The monthly publication was temporarily suspended during wartime.
- 1935
Renamed Iskusstvo Kino
[1]The publication began using the title Iskusstvo Kino, meaning Art of Cinema.
Products and positioning
A specialist Russian cinema journal combining film criticism, theory, history, and industry analysis, with a legacy spanning the Soviet and post-Soviet periods and a current emphasis on online publication.
Film periodical · 1931
Iskusstvo Kino print magazine
The principal historical product was a specialist Russian-language film magazine published in print from 1931 until May 2023, with wartime and scheduling interruptions. It carried film reviews, theoretical essays, historical research, interviews, editorials, and analysis of the film industry and cultural policy. During the Soviet era it occupied an official position within the state cinema system, while later issues addressed the changing conditions of Russian film culture and criticism.
Digital media · 2023
Iskusstvo Kino online publication
The online edition is the continuation of the Iskusstvo Kino editorial brand after the end of print publication in 2023. It preserves the magazine’s focus on cinema criticism, theory, history, and industry discussion in digital form through the publication’s website.
Marketing campaigns
- 2021Second reader crowdfunding campaign
Russia
After the Cinema Foundation declined sponsorship in 2020, Iskusstvo Kino again appealed to readers for financial support.
Outcome. The campaign raised approximately 5 million rubles.
- 2017Reader crowdfunding campaign
Russia
A crowdfunding effort organized during Anton Dolin’s editorship sought direct reader support for continued publication and raised approximately 3 million rubles.
Outcome. The campaign provided additional financing for the magazine, although the publication later required another fundraising campaign.
Brand decisions
2023
Shift from print to online publicationStrategyBackground
The magazine faced long-term circulation and financing pressures, following a substantial decline from its reported Soviet-era print run.
Action taken
Iskusstvo Kino ended its print edition in May and continued as an online publication.
Aftermath
The brand remained active digitally under editor Nikita Kartsev, while its long-running print format was discontinued.
2020
Continuation after loss of Cinema Foundation sponsorshipStrategyBackground
The Cinema Foundation of Russia refused to sponsor the magazine. Editor Anton Dolin said he viewed the decision as connected to his critical reviews of films supported by the foundation.
Action taken
The publication continued through other support mechanisms, including a later reader crowdfunding campaign.
Aftermath
The magazine remained dependent on alternative financing and subsequently moved from print to online distribution in 2023.
Sources2 sources
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