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List of highest-grossing films in the Soviet Union

This is the list of highest-grossing films in the Soviet Union, in terms of box office admissions (ticket sales). It includes the highest-grossing films in the Soviet Union (USSR), the highest-grossing domestic Soviet films,[1] the domestic films with the greatest number of ticket sales by year,[2] and the highest-grossing foreign films in the Soviet Union.[3] Note that, in line with the definition above, this list does not include any Soviet television series or television movies, which were not shown in cinemas of the Soviet Union.

The annual list includes sales during each year only, which often means that the total number of tickets sold was bigger. As an example, according to the list below the film The Red Snowball Tree, the top seller of the year 1974, sold 62.5 million tickets during that year. But the total number of sold tickets during all years was bigger; Boris Pavlenok, former deputy director of the USSR GosKino, estimated 140 million.[4] This figure is comparable to some of the United States' all-time highest ticket sellers, such as The Sound of Music, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and Titanic, exceeding the latter's estimated ticket sales of 135.5 million.[5]

In the mid-1960s, the Soviet box office annually sold 4 billion tickets and grossed 1 billion Rbls,[6] equivalent to $1.11 billion[7] (inflation-adjusted $11 billion). In 1973, annual box office admissions reached 4.5 billion ticket sales, equivalent to $2 billion (inflation-adjusted $14 billion) gross revenue and 17.7 admissions per person, more than any other country at the time.[8] Soviet ticket prices were lower than American ticket prices,[9][8] due to lower living costs in the Soviet Union.[9] Ticket prices ranged from 0.50 Rbl to 6 Rbls in 1950,[10] before decreasing to 0.25 руб by the mid-1960s,[11] then increasing to $0.47 by 1973[8] and then 0.50 Rbl by 1982.[9]

Both domestic Soviet films and foreign films were shown, the latter having a limited quota and thus drawing higher average ticket sales than domestic productions.[12][6] Indian films had the strongest presence in the foreign blockbuster charts for four decades, followed by American films.[13][12] Foreign imports included 300 Indian films[14] (most of which were Bollywood films), 41 American films (Hollywood), and 38 French films.[12][6]

Highest-grossing films

Including re-runs

Initial runs

Highest-grossing by year

Highest-grossing domestic films

Including re-runs

Initial runs

Highest-grossing by year

Highest-grossing foreign films

This is a list of foreign films that sold the most tickets at the Soviet box office.[3] Among the foreign films that sold more than 20 million tickets in the Soviet Union, 50 were Indian films (Bollywood),[23][22] the highest from any nation,[12] followed by 41 American films (Hollywood) and 38 French films.[12]

Including re-runs

Initial runs

Highest-grossing by year

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Estimates based on number of tickets sold at average ticket price of 25 kopecks,[11] unless otherwise noted.
  2. ^ 0.791 Rbl per dollar in 1984[7]
  3. ^ 4 Rbls per US dollar from 1950 to 1960[7]
  4. ^ 35 million re-run admissions up until 1964-1966,[25] average Soviet ticket price of 25 kopecks in the mid-1960s[11]
  5. ^ a b c d 0.9 Rbl per dollar from 1961 to 1971[7]
  6. ^ a b c Awaara in the Soviet Union:
    • Initial run – 29 million Rbls[26] ($7.25 million)[n 3] in 1954 ($82 million adjusted for inflation)
    • Re-runs – 8.75 million Rbls[n 4] ($9.72 million)[n 5] ($91 million adjusted for inflation)

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Kudryavtsev, Sergey (4 July 2006). "Отечественные фильмы в советском кинопрокате" [Domestic Films in Soviet Film Distribution]. LiveJournal (in Russian). Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Лидеры проката" [Rental Leaders]. KinoKultura (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2012-05-10. Retrieved 2012-10-09.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y Kudryavtsev, Sergey (4 July 2006). "Зарубежные фильмы в советском кинопрокате" [Foreign Films in Soviet Film Distribution]. LiveJournal (in Russian). Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  4. ^ a b c "Interview with Boris Pavlenok, deputy director of the USSR GosKino". Kommersant.ru (in Russian). 10 March 2003. Retrieved 2012-10-09.
  5. ^ "Top Lifetime Adjusted Grosses". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  6. ^ a b c Kalinovsky, Artemy M.; Daigle, Craig (2014). The Routledge Handbook of the Cold War. Routledge. p. 357. ISBN 978-1-134-70065-3.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g "Archive". Central Bank of Russia (in Russian). Archived from the original on 29 December 2009. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Cinema Going". The Asian Messenger. 1–4. Center for Communication Studies, Chinese University of Hong Kong: 2. 1975. More Russians (4.5 billion) go to the movies more times (an average of 17.7 times per person) each year than people in any other country, according to UNESCO statistics for 1973, the last year for which figures are available. Tailing the Russians are Singaporeans, 17.1 times a year, and Hong Kong people, 15.1 times a year. Italians go 10 times, Britons 2.4 times and Frenchmen 3.5 times a year. The high frequency of movie going in Russia is attributed to the low price of movie admission, the drab quality of Soviet TV and the difficulty in getting seats at a restaurant or other places of entertainment. In Russia, where a movie ticket costs about 47 US cents, there are 154,200 cinemas.
  9. ^ a b c Soviet Military Review. Krasnaya Zveda Publishing House. 1982. p. 7.
  10. ^ "Political Affairs". Political Affairs. 29. New Century Publishers: 80. 1950. In moving picture theaters the price of tickets ranges from 2-6 roubles at first-run houses, and from 50 kopecks to 1 Rbl. 50 kop. in neighborhood houses and clubs.
  11. ^ a b c Roth-Ey, Kristin (2011). "Chapter 1: The Soviet Film Industry" (PDF). Moscow Prime Time: How the Soviet Union Built the Media Empire that Lost the Cultural Cold War. Cornell University Press. pp. 47–8. ISBN 978-0-8014-4874-4.
  12. ^ a b c d e Roth-Ey, Kristin (2011). "Chapter 1: The Soviet Film Industry" (PDF). Moscow Prime Time: How the Soviet Union Built the Media Empire that Lost the Cultural Cold War. Cornell University Press. p. 44. ISBN 978-0-8014-4874-4.
  13. ^ Indian Films in Soviet Cinemas: The Culture of Movie-going After Stalin, page 75, Indiana University Press, 2005
  14. ^ "With love from India to Russia". Russia Beyond. 22 October 2009.
  15. ^ group=n
  16. ^ group=n
  17. ^ a b "How film flourished in the USSR". Humanities Division. University of Oxford. 6 December 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  18. ^ a b "Война и мир: Андрей Болконский" [War and Peace: Andrei Bolkonsky]. Kinopoisk (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-04-02.
  19. ^ a b "Война и мир: Наташа Ростова (1966)" [War and Peace: Natasha Rostova (1966)]. Kinopoisk (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-04-02.
  20. ^ "Мое имя Клоун (Mera Naam Joker, 1970)". KinoPoisk (in Russian). Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  21. ^ a b "«Неизвестная женщина» (El murra el maghoula, 1959)" [The Unknown Woman]. Kinopoisk (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-04-06.
  22. ^ a b c d e f g Kudryavtsev, Sergey (3 August 2008). "Зарубежные популярные фильмы в советском кинопрокате (Индия)" [Popular Foreign Films (Indian) in Soviet Film Distribution]. LiveJournal (in Russian). Retrieved 7 February 2019.
  23. ^ Rajagopalan, Sudha (2005). A Taste for Indian Films: Negotiating Cultural Boundaries in Post-Stalinist Soviet Society. Indiana University. p. 312.
  24. ^ a b Naralenkova, Oxana (10 September 2009). "Bollywood returns to Russian screens". Russia Beyond. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  25. ^ a b "You Asked It - Padmaavat Is Bigger Than Mughal E Azam?". Box Office India. 8 March 2018.
  26. ^ Rajagopalan, Sudha (2005). Indian Films in Soviet Cinemas: The Culture of Movie-going After Stalin. Indiana University Press. p. 86. ISBN 9780253220998. The purchase of Shree 420 (Mr 420/Gospodin 420) followed a letter from a Soveksportfil'm representative in Bombay to officials in Moscow in which the former wrote: We are in a delicate situation with Raj Kapoor. He feels he is not being offered enough for Mr 420 despite the fact that 'The Vagabond' raised 29 million roubles for the Soviet state.
  27. ^ "Мое имя Клоун (Mera Naam Joker, 1970)". KinoPoisk (in Russian). Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  28. ^ "«Месть и закон» (Sholay, 1975)". KinoPoisk (in Russian). Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  29. ^ a b Soviet Military Review. Krasnaya Zveda Publishing House. 1982. p. 7. A cinema ticket costs 50 copecks in Moscow and 3.5 dollars in New York.
  30. ^ "«Виннету — сын Инчу-Чуна» (Winnetou - 2. Teil, 1964)". Kinopoisk (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-04-02.
  31. ^ "The Great Waltz". Kinopoisk (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-04-06.
  32. ^ "«Серенада солнечной долины» (Sun Valley Serenade, 1941)". Kinopoisk (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-04-06.
  33. ^ "«Сестра его дворецкого» (His Butler's Sister, 1943)". Kinopoisk (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  34. ^ Kudryavtsev, Sergey (16 July 2006). "Зарубежные фильмы в советском кинопрокате, часть 4" [Foreign Films in Soviet Film Distribution, Part 4]. LiveJournal (in Russian).
  35. ^ "I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang". Kinopoisk (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  36. ^ "Das indische Grabmal". Kinopoisk (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  37. ^ "«Дитя Дуная» (Kind der Donau, 1950)". Kinopoisk (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  38. ^ "Der Tiger Akbar". Kinopoisk (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  39. ^ "Das Herz einer Frau". Kinopoisk (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  40. ^ "Fanfan la tulipe". Kinopoisk (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-04-06.
  41. ^ "«Любовь и слезы» (Hub wa demoue, 1955)" [Love and Tears]. Kinopoisk (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-04-06.
  42. ^ "Una cita de amor". Kinopoisk (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-04-06.
  43. ^ "La sorcière". Kinopoisk (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-04-06.
  44. ^ "12 Mädchen und 1 Mann". Kinopoisk (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-04-06.
  45. ^ "«Кто вы, доктор Зорге?» (Qui êtes-vous, Monsieur Sorge?)". Kinopoisk (in Russian). Retrieved 27 March 2022.
  46. ^ Kudryavtsev, Sergey (7 July 2006). "Зарубежные фильмы в советском кинопрокате, часть 2" [Foreign Films in Soviet Film Distribution, Part 2]. LiveJournal (in Russian).
  47. ^ "«Среди коршунов» (Unter Geiern, 1964)" [Among Vultures]. Kinopoisk (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-04-06.
  48. ^ "Doslo doba da se ljubav proba". Kinopoisk (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-04-06.
  49. ^ "Convoy". Kinopoisk (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-04-06.
  50. ^ "«Человек со звезды» (Starman, 1984)". Kinopoisk (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-04-06.

External links