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, the domestic films with the greatest number of ticket sales by year, and the highest-grossing foreign films in the Soviet Union. 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. 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.

In the mid-1960s, the Soviet box office annually sold tickets and grossed  Rbls, equivalent to (inflation-adjusted ). In 1973, annual box office admissions reached ticket sales, equivalent to (inflation-adjusted ) gross revenue and per person, more than any other country at the time. Soviet ticket prices were lower than American ticket prices, due to lower living costs in the Soviet Union. Ticket prices ranged from to in 1950, before decreasing to by the mid-1960s, then increasing to by 1973 and then by 1982.

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. Indian films had the strongest presence in the foreign blockbuster charts for four decades, followed by American films.Indian Films in Soviet Cinemas: The Culture of Movie-going After Stalin, page 75, Indiana University Press, 2005 Foreign imports included 300 Indian films (most of which were Bollywood films), 41 American films (Hollywood), and 38 French films.

Highest-grossing films

Including re-runs Title Country Release year Tickets () English Russian Original Soviet The Red Snowball Tree Калина красная USSR1974 1974 140,000,000 Disco Dancer Танцор диско India1982 1984 120,000,000 Awaara (The Vagabond) Бродяга India1951 1954 100,000,000 Amphibian Man Человек-амфибия USSR1962 1962 100,000,000 War and Peace (Part I & Part II) Война и мир USSR1966 1966 Yesenia Mexico1971 1975 91,400,000 SpartacusСпартакUSA1960196791,200,000 Pirates of the 20th Century USSR1980 1980 87,600,000 Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears USSR1980 1980 84,400,000 The Diamond Arm USSR1969 1969 76,700,000The Black TulipЧёрный тюльпанFrance1964197076,700,000 Kidnapping, Caucasian Style USSR1967 1967 76,540,000 Mera Naam Joker India1970 1972 Some Like It HotВ джазе только девушкиUSA1959196672,800,000The 7th Voyage of SinbadСедьмое путешествие СиндбадаUSA1958196070,100,000Operation Y and Shurik's Other AdventuresUSSR1965196569,600,000The Shield and the SwordUSSR1968196868,300,000The Magnificent SevenUSA1960196167,000,000The New Adventures of the Elusive AvengersUSSR1968196866,200,000The Dawns Here Are QuietА зори здесь тихиеUSSR1972197266,000,000Gentlemen of FortuneUSSR1972197265,020,000Gypsies Are Found Near HeavenТабор уходит в небоUSSR1976197664,900,000Mackenna's GoldЗолото МаккенныUnited States1969197463,000,000BobbyБоббиIndia1973197562,600,000AfonyaАфоняUSSR1975197562,200,000

Initial runs RankTitleCountryRelease yearTickets sold English RussianOriginal Soviet 1 Yesenia Mexico1971 1975 91,400,000 2 Pirates of the 20th Century USSR1980 1980 87,600,000 3 Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears USSR1980 1980 84,400,000 4 The Diamond Arm USSR1969 1969 76,700,000 5 Kidnapping, Caucasian Style USSR1967 1967 76,540,000 6 Air Crew USSR1980 1980 71,100,000 7 Operation Y and Shurik's Other Adventures USSR1965 1965 69,600,000 8 The Shield and the Sword USSR1968 1968 68,300,000 9 The Magnificent Seven USA1960 1961 67,000,000 10 The New Adventures of the Elusive Avengers USSR1968 1968 66,200,00011The Dawns Here Are QuietА зори здесь тихиеUSSR1972197266,000,00012Amphibian ManUSSR1962196265,500,00013Gentlemen of FortuneUSSR1972197265,020,00014Gypsies Are Found Near HeavenТабор уходит в небоUSSR1976197664,900,00015Awaara (The Vagabond)БродягаIndia1951195463,700,00016Mackenna's GoldЗолото МаккенныUSA1969197463,000,00017SpartacusСпартакUSA1960196763,000,00018BobbyБоббиIndia1973197562,600,00019The Red Snowball TreeКалина краснаяUSSR1974197462,500,00020AfonyaАфоняUSSR1975197562,200,000

Highest-grossing by year Year English title Russian title Country Original release Tickets sold 1940The FightersИстребителиSoviet Union193927,100,0001944Six P.M.В шесть часов вечера после войныSoviet Union194426,100,0001945Guilty Without GuiltБез вины виноватыеSoviet Union194528,910,0001946The Stone FlowerКаменный цветокSoviet Union194623,170,0001947Secret AgentПодвиг разведчикаSoviet Union194722,730,0001948The Young GuardМолодая гвардияSoviet Union194842,400,0001949Encounter at the ElbeВстреча на ЭльбеSoviet Union194924,200,0001950Brave People (The Horsemen)Смелые людиSoviet Union195041,200,0001951In Peaceful TimeВ мирные дниSoviet Union195123,500,0001952Tarzan the Ape ManТарзанUnited States193242,900,0001953Lyubov YarovayaЛюбовь ЯроваяSoviet Union195346,400,000 1954 Awaara (The Vagabond) БродягаIndia1951 63,700,000 1955Private IvanСолдат Иван БровкинSoviet Union195540,370,000 1956Carnival NightКарнавальная ночьSoviet Union195648,640,000 1957The SistersСёстрыSoviet Union195742,500,000 1958Over TissaНад ТиссойSoviet Union195845,740,000 1959E. A. — Extraordinary AccidentЧ. П.-Чрезвычайное ПроисшествиеSoviet Union195947,500,000 1960Far from the MotherlandВдали от РодиныSoviet Union196042,000,000 1961El Murra el Maghoula (The Unknown Woman)Неизвестная женщинаUnited Arab Republic195937,900,000 1962The Magnificent SevenВеликолепная семёркаUnited States196067,000,000 1963Optimistic TragedyОптимистическая трагедияSoviet Union196346,000,000 1964The Alive and the DeadЖивые и мёртвыеSoviet Union196441,500,000 1965Operation Y and Shurik's Other Adventures Операция „Ы“ и другие приключения ШурикаSoviet Union196569,600,000 1966War and Peace – Part I: Andrei BolkonskyВойна и мир: Андрей БолконскийSoviet Union196658,300,000 1967 Kidnapping, Caucasian Style Кавказская пленница, или Новые приключения ШурикаSoviet Union1967 76,540,000 1968The Shield and the SwordЩит и мечSoviet Union196868,300,000 1969 The Diamond Arm Бриллиантовая рукаSoviet Union1969 76,700,000 1970 The Black Tulip Чёрный тюльпанFrance / Italy / Spain1964 47,800,000 1971OfficersОфицерыSoviet Union197153,400,000 1972Gentlemen of FortuneДжентльмены удачиSoviet Union197265,020,000 1973The Headless HorsemanВсадник без головыSoviet Union197364,900,000 1974 Mackenna's Gold Золото МаккенныUnited States1969 63,000,0001975YeseniaЕсенияMexico197191,400,000 1976 Gypsies Are Found Near Heaven Табор уходит в небоSoviet Union1976 64,900,000 1977The Age of Innocence (Minors)НесовершеннолетниеSoviet Union197744,600,000 1978 Barood (Gunpowder) МстительIndia1976 60,000,000 1979 The Woman who Sings Женщина, которая поётSoviet Union1979 54,900,000 1980Pirates of the 20th CenturyПираты ХХ векаSoviet Union198087,600,000 1981Teheran 43Тегеран-43Soviet Union198147,500,000 1982Sportloto-82Спортлото-82Soviet Union198255,200,000 1983 The Taming of the Scoundrel Укрощение строптивогоItaly1980 56,000,000 1984 Disco Dancer Танцор дискоIndia1982 60,900,000 1985The Most Charming and AttractiveСамая обаятельная и привлекательнаяSoviet Union198544,900,000 1986Double TrapДвойной капканSoviet Union198642,900,000 1987A Man from the Boulevard des CapucinesЧеловек с бульвара КапуциновSoviet Union198739,800,000 1988 Little Vera Маленькая ВераSoviet Union1988 54,900,000 1989Crocodile Dundee IIКрокодил Данди 2Australia198845,800,000

Highest-grossing domestic films

Including re-runs Russian title English title Year Tickets sold () Калина красная The Red Snowball Tree 1974 140,000,000 Человек-амфибия Amphibian Man 1962 100,000,000 Война и мир War and Peace (Part I and Part II) 1966 Pirates of the 20th Century 1980 87,600,000 Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears 1980 84,400,000 The Diamond Arm 1969 76,700,000 Kidnapping, Caucasian Style 1967 76,540,000Свадьба в МалиновкеWedding in Malinovka196774,600,000 Air Crew 1980 71,100,000 Operation Y and Shurik's Other Adventures 1965 69,600,000 The Shield and the Sword 1968 68,300,000The New Adventures of the Elusive Avengers196866,200,000А зори здесь тихиеThe Dawns Here Are Quiet197266,000,000Gentlemen of Fortune197265,020,000Табор уходит в небоGypsies Are Found Near Heaven197664,900,000АфоняAfonya197562,200,000Корона Российской империи, или Снова НеуловимыеThe Crown of the Russian Empire, or Once Again the Elusive Avengers197360,800,000Иван Васильевич меняет профессиюIvan Vasilievich: Back to the Future197360,700,000МачехаStepmom197359,400,000Служебный романOffice Romance197858,400,000

Initial runs Rank Russian title English title Year Tickets sold 1 Pirates of the 20th Century 1980 87,600,000 2 Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears 1980 84,400,000 3 The Diamond Arm 1969 76,700,000 4 Kidnapping, Caucasian Style 1967 76,540,0005Свадьба в МалиновкеWedding in Malinovka196774,600,000 6 Air Crew 1980 71,100,000 7 Operation Y and Shurik's Other Adventures 1965 69,600,000 8 The Shield and the Sword 1968 68,300,000 9 The New Adventures of the Elusive Avengers 1968 66,200,00010А зори здесь тихиеThe Dawns Here Are Quiet197266,000,000 11 Amphibian Man 1962 65,500,000 12 Gentlemen of Fortune 1972 65,020,00013Табор уходит в небоGypsies Are Found Near Heaven197664,900,00014Калина краснаяThe Red Snowball Tree197462,500,00015АфоняAfonya197562,200,00016Корона Российской империи, или Снова НеуловимыеThe Crown of the Russian Empire, or Once Again the Elusive Avengers197360,800,00017Иван Васильевич меняет профессиюIvan Vasilievich: Back to the Future197360,700,00018МачехаStepmom197359,400,00019Служебный романOffice Romance197858,400,00020Война и мир: Андрей БолконскийWar and Peace – Part I: Andrei Bolkonsky196658,300,000

Highest-grossing by year