Popular and influential journal on film studies and Soviet cinema.
Sovetskii Ekran (Советский экран, Soviet Screen) was the most prominent film journal in Soviet history. Much more than just a film journal, Sovetskii Ekran was a cultural barometer of its times, chronicling the evolution of Soviet film against the backdrop of significant societal and political changes. Its pages, filled with film critiques, interviews, and reader polls, offer a comprehensive view of the cinematic landscape and its influence on Soviet culture.
Published bi-monthly, Sovetskii Ekran boasted a circulation of two million copies, making it the largest film publication in the world at the time. It was incredibly popular among film enthusiasts in the USSR, vanishing from kiosks as quickly as it arrived and passing from hand to hand.
The journal offered an unprecedented look into the production secrets and the creative lives of actors and directors—serving as a portal into the magical world of cinema. The honor of gracing its cover essentially guaranteed an instant following of adoring fans for the featured artist. People often cut out the journal covers featuring popular actors to use as posters, making it a significant cultural artifact.
Sovetskii Ekran was not just confined to domestic cinema; it also covered international film news. These articles offered Soviet citizens glimpses into global fashion trends and popular Hollywood actors. It even published an obituary of Marilyn Monroe in 1962—a time when she was virtually unknown in the USSR. The journal annually conducted surveys among its readers to announce various awards like “Best Film of the Year,” “Best Actor of the Year,” “Best Actress of the Year,” “Best Children’s Film,” and “Best Musical Film of the Year.”
Many critics consider the 1960s as the golden era of Sovetskii Ekran. Despite its popularity, the journal was subject to the return of censorship in the mid-1970s and, like Soviet cinema itself, it faced dramatic changes during the era of “Perestroika” before eventually ceasing publication after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Sovetskii Ekran is an invaluable resource for academics, researchers, and students, providing a rich primary source for exploring the socio-cultural role of cinema in the Soviet Union, the state’s role in shaping cinematic narratives, and how films were received by the general populace.
- Product Code: DA-SOVE
- Year First Published: 1925
- Archive: 1925–2003
- Language: Russian
- Country: Russia
- City: Moscow
- Frequency: Bi-monthly, some years irregular
- Format: PDF, page-based
- Producer: Infoteka
About the Archive
Sovetskii Ekran first emerged in January 1925 and continued its publication with occasional hiatuses until its final issue in 2003. Throughout its existence, it underwent several name changes:
- 1925–1928 Sovetskii Ekran
- 1929–1930 Kino i Zhizn
- 1933–1938 [not published]
- 1939–1941 Sovetskii Kinoekran
- 1942–1957 [not published]
- 1958–1990 Sovetskii Ekran
- 1991–1996, 2002 Ekran
- 1997–1998, 2003 Sovetskii Ekran
The Sovetskii Ekran Digital Archive contains all obtainable published issues from 1925 on, including over 50 years of content and approximately 32,000 pages. The archive offers scholars the most comprehensive collection available for this title, and features full page-level digitization, complete original graphics, and searchable text, and is cross-searchable with numerous other Infoteka digital resources.
Note: The publication of Sovetskii Ekran was completely suspended from 1931–1938, 1942–1956, and 1999–2001. The lack of content for these periods is not a gap but reflects the journal’s publication schedule during these times.
