Khudozhestvenny Cinema: Debut and First Year of Operation After Restoration

Khudozhestvenny is one of the world's oldest cinemas, having first opened in 1909. Its significance for the city cannot be overstated, since it hosted cult classic premieres and exhibited the first sound and color motion pictures.

The cinema reopened in 2021, following eight years of substantial restoration with new capacity as a curated premiere venue and festival center. At the same time, it remained a sacred place for cinephiles, but with a modern twist of enticing public spaces and cafes, allowing anybody to enter without purchasing a movie ticket. The curator and visionary Alexander Mamut devised the idea for the rebuilt Khudozhestvenny.

Tanya Nemirovskaya, the founder of vesnaskoro PR Bureau, was the cinema's public relations director from 2020 to 2021. She was in charge of the PR campaign covering the launch and inaugural year of operations.

The goal was to create a new institution within existing walls, develop an external image, and create a new identity. At the same time, we needed to form a team and collaborate on new operational methods.

Our core message: Khudozhestvenny was becoming a vibrant hub for the film community—movie lovers, fashion enthusiasts, and curious passers-by alike. Regarding public relations strategy, we aimed to keep the old audience while attracting new stakeholders to make Khudozhestvenny a truly trendy destination.

Another objective was to highlight the building's meticulous repair, engaging the word of mouth from the architectural community of professionals and enthusiasts. Furthermore, we had to devise a partner, influencer, and GR collaboration strategy.

The revamp team comprised director Varvara Melnikova, programming director Stas Tyrkin, event program director Galarina Dolgovykh, and commercial director Daria Shulga, with Victoria Khudyakova joining later.

Tatiana Nemirovskaya, Elizaveta Kisel, Daria Gnashko, Evgenia Moreinis, Anastasia Golubeva, and Arina Barshchevskaya.

— Secured over 1,500 media publications in 2021;
— Achieved coverage in over 20 global media outlets, including The Guardian (UK), France 24, DPA News Agency (Germany), and VOS (Spain);
— Multiple media outlets recognized the reopening of Khudozhestvenny one of the year’s most significant cultural events.
— Earned prestigious accolades, including:

• Winner of the AD Design Award
• Nominee for the Moscow Urban Forum Community Awards 2021
• Shortlisted for “Restoration of the Year” by The Art Newspaper Russia
• Finalist for the Golden Trezzini Award 2021

— Developed a comprehensive positioning strategy for the new cultural institution that included general communication style and connection with diverse target audiences—from Arbat locals to film professionals and members of high society. Khudozhestvenny was presented as a screening event venue, Moscow’s oldest cinema, and a modern cultural public hub
— Organized the official press conference and events for the reopening, attended by Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin.
— Led media support for high-profile collaborations with brands and institutions including Gucci, Hennessy, Kion, Tinkoff, the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, Beat Film Festival, MIEFF, Context Festival, The Art Newspaper Russia, Moschino, and the Moscow Transport Museum.
— Launched the “More Than Merely a Movie” campaign to mark the cinema’s 112th anniversary. The initiative collected over 130 personal stories about Khudozhestvenny from residents and visitors, which were shared via social media, the cinema’s website, and displayed in its lobby. Dedicated sections were created on the website and Instagram* account to highlight these memories.
— With over 400 mentions in society and lifestyle columns, Khudozhestvenny gained recognition as Moscow’s most fashionable cultural venue.
—Established ongoing media partnerships with Monte Carlo Radio, Afisha, The Blueprint, and Antiglianet’s Telegram channel. We also developed a distinct visual and editorial style for the cinema’s social media presence. A personal favorite case: a New Year’s message projected on the building— “May everything be like in the movies” —went viral, reaching over 100,000 users.
— Collaborated with key opinion leaders and influencers, inviting them to premieres and coordinating bespoke content. A notable example is a partnership with Esquire for the premiere of Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch,” which included a limited-edition magazine featuring Timothée Chalamet on the cover and exclusive invitations sent to top Moscow influencers.

TV: France 24, Channel One, Russia-1, Russia-24, Kultura (Russia-K), TV Rain** and others.
Radio: RBC TV, Echo of Moscow, Silver Rain, Business FM, Monte Carlo, and others.
Print and digital media: The Guardian, The Moscow Times, Kommersant, Meduza**, Vedomosti, RBC Style, Forbes, The Blueprint, Vogue, Tatler, Harper’s Bazaar, Esquire, GQ, Grazia, AD, Glamour, Afisha Daily, The Village, SRSLY, Strelka Mag, Iskusstvo Kino, KinoReporter, Bulleten Kinoprokatchika (Film Distribution Bulletin), Colta, Cinemaholics, Elle, Instyle, Buro 24/7, Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Metro, MK and others.
Telegram channels: Antiglyanets, Good Morning, Karl!, Psycho Daily, Tatler-Butler, Geroinya Tatlera (Tatler Heroine), Parnasskiy Peresmeshnik (Parnassus Mockingbird), Sergey Minaev, Kirill and Friends, Iskusstvo Kino, Super8, Cronenberg Nefiltrovanniy, Remizorro, and others.

* Recognized as an extremist organization in the Russian Federation

** Recognized as a foreign agent in the Russian Federation