The “z” gives KinoStarz a distinctive sound and identity, reflecting a specialist project that explores cinema through the lives, careers and connections of the people behind it.

Film professionals born in, or with a parent or grandparent born in, the territories of the Russian Empire, Soviet Russia, the USSR, or the Russian Federation.

The registry spans many film & TV professions, featuring people mainly from cinema’s past, alongside figures working today. Several thousand more await inclusion.

We help researchers, archivists, and authors at home and abroad trace the family origins of people featured in Ru KinoStarz/Ru KinoDynasties and develop articles and books.

Two KinoBlog posts marked the launch: an Australian film and TV actress and a South African stunt performer, both with family roots within the scope of the Ru KinoStarz registry.

Film dynasties whose founders were born in the territories of the Russian Empire, Soviet Russia, the USSR, or the Russian Federation, tracing family connections across generations.

The registry brings together over 150 people across many film & TV professions and several dozen cinema families. Dozens more people are awaiting inclusion.

Leading archives, museums, institutes, and libraries cite or link to KinoStarz materials or hold our books in their collections, extending the reach of our research.

Research and archival connections help us uncover rare facts and images, revealing overlooked film figures and untold chapters in well-known lives.

KinoBlog publishes film bios with custom photo collages. These articles form the basis of the Ru KinoStarz and Ru KinoDynasties registries, with new entries added regularly.

We work with archives, libraries, local authorities, and heirs around the world. More than 110 contributors worldwide have helped shape the project to date.

The KinoStarz ecosystem is expanding across key areas, making its resources easier to explore and analyse while supporting further research and new publications.