Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Mosfilm Film Concern – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Mosfilm announces the wide release of Andrei Tarkovsky's legendary film "Andrei Rublev" in a state-of-the-art digital restoration in 4K resolution. The restored version will premiere on February 21 at Mosfilm's Cinema Center (Mosfilm Cinema Park), and will be shown to audiences across Russia on February 22.
Mosfilm CEO and film director Karen Shakhnazarov: "The film 'Andrei Rublev' is an outstanding artistic achievement of our cinema. It is an entire system of images that has become an important part of our national culture. It is precisely these films, with their enduring value, that must be carefully preserved and brought back to the screen."
Karen Shakhnazarov also noted that Andrei Rublev (1966) wasn't a box office hit in its release year, but its true artistic value is borne out by time. "Where are those box-office hits that were released simultaneously with Tarkovsky's film? And Rublev has been watched for so many years now! We're releasing it theatrically to mark its 60th anniversary. Just think about it: the film has been around for so many decades, and it's constantly being requested for screenings all over the world," the head of the Mosfilm film company emphasized. He also added that over these decades, the film has likely reached more viewers than even the highest-grossing Soviet hits.
"It's especially worth noting that we regularly screen classics at Mosfilm's Cinema Center, and 'Andrei Rublev'—Tarkovsky's most popular film—is more popular than all the others," emphasized Karen Shakhnazarov, explaining the decision to restore and re-release the film by citing the large and devoted audience that appreciates such films. "Therefore, we will, of course, continue restoring our film library. All of Andrei Tarkovsky's films shot at Mosfilm have been restored. But we are also giving a new lease of life to films by other directors—Gaidai, Ryazanov, Daneliya, Menshov, Klimov, and others."
The film studio plans to re-release several more of Andrei Tarkovsky's films shot at Mosfilm in 2026: Solaris, Mirror, Stalker, and Ivan's Childhood. All films have also undergone frame-by-frame digital image and sound restoration.
The painstaking work of restorers
Telekino specialists performed a frame-by-frame digital restoration to bring Andrei Tarkovsky's masterpiece back to the big screen in pristine quality. The film is now available in 4K resolution with restored image and sound.
The work was extremely complex: restorers had to manually align long shots with varying density and brightness. Shots featuring fog and rain required particular attention. Maintaining the black-and-white aesthetic, the restorers meticulously maintained a black-and-white balance, working with numerous shades of gray to avoid losing detail. The primary objective was to preserve the authentic film texture of the image, harmoniously merging shots within scenes. Working with the film source material—the intermediate positive—restorers also had to deal with unusual defects and artifacts, such as networks of fine cracks in the emulsion layer on individual shots, similar to craquelure in painting, which required lengthy and painstaking work.
History of creation: a masterpiece born in struggle
The idea for a film about the great icon painter came from actor Vasily Livanov, who envisioned himself in the lead role and came up with the original title, "The Passion According to Andrei." Tarkovsky submitted a proposal for the film back in 1961. Filming, which spanned years, was incredibly complex and took place in Suzdal, Pskov, Vladimir, and Moscow. Scenes on location were sometimes shot in extreme conditions, and some scenes nearly led to real-life emergencies at historical monuments.
After much hesitation, the director cast Anatoly Solonitsyn in the lead role. His performance was an example of incredible dedication: to realistically portray his vow of silence, the actor actually did not speak for four months. Rolan Bykov came up with all the details of his buffoon himself, and Nikolai Burlyaev had to "rejuvenate" for the role of Boriska.
Despite the creative feat of the film crew, the film's fate proved difficult. It was harshly criticized and effectively banned. Its triumph at the 1969 Cannes Film Festival occurred partly against the wishes of film officials. The film received a limited Soviet release only in 1971, in a shortened version, and the full version was released only during Perestroika.
Today, "Andrei Rublev" is recognized as one of the greatest films in world cinema. The latest restoration and new release are Mosfilm's tribute to the genius of Andrei Tarkovsky and a unique opportunity for a new generation of viewers to see this film as it was conceived and created by its creators—on the big screen.
PRESS RELEASE
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