Digital Cinema Brings Movies to Russia’s Remote Regions
The technology is giving residents of far-flung northern communities access to modern cultural content.
A private company in Russia’s Sakha Republic (Yakutia) has developed a digital cinema system designed to bring movie screenings to some of the country’s most remote areas. Yakutsk-based ExtraCinema has rolled out a secure digital distribution platform that, in 2025 alone, provided regular access to contemporary video content for about 118,000 residents across the region.
The system is designed to protect both content and copyright. According to the company, screenings are organized using a universal content-delivery technology, with programming curated individually for each of the 77 online cinemas connected to the network. The platform is built to operate under varying connectivity conditions and can function even in very small settlements with populations of fewer than 200 people.
A Regional Best Practice
The Yakutia-based solution is the first of its kind in Russia. Despite its regional focus, it has generated roughly one-fifth of total box-office revenue for Yakut cinema. The republic actively supports local film studios, and Yakutia now ranks second only to Moscow in the number of films produced nationwide.
ExtraCinema’s technology has been included in a list of best regional practices compiled by Russia’s Agency for Strategic Initiatives. The company says its goal is to build an affordable, technologically independent digital cinema network that can eventually operate across the entire country.
