History: The first "motion picture" by the cinematographers Lyumen brothers was screened on May 4, 1896 in the "Aquarium" summer theater. The film studio "Lenfilm" is now there. Showings lasted 15 minutes and consisted of a series of very short scenes. Two days later the first movie theater was opened at 46 Nevskiy Prospekt. In 1929, where the movie theater "Znanie" is now located, the first motion pictures with sound were shown.
Tickets: Tickets can be bought only for the day of the show at the ticket office (Kassa); shows start about every two hours. The schedule is printed in Kinonedelya (Film Weekly) for the following week. Most films are dubbed foreign films. The first showing (at 10 or 12) is often for children. Some theaters also have "theme weeks" that feature American, German, French, and other films. St. Petersburg holds a number of "International Film Festivals" showing the best of the local films and western films, usually in June.
Video Clubs Showing Films: Some video clubs show English and other foreign films. See VIDEOTAPE RENTALS & SALES.
Other Activities at Cinemas: for economic reasons, cinemas have been converted from time to time to many other uses, from funtime showrooms to nightclubs.
