A Russian & Soviet Movie Podcast with Ally Pitts

Our host Ally Pitts has co-programmed a season of four films by the Polish director Andrzej Wajda at Oxford's Ultimate Picture Palace cinema as part of the Kinoteka Polish Film Festival 2026. To launch the season, he’ll be introducing Ashes and Diamonds there at 3pm on Sunday 12th April. https://uppcinema.com/show_type/kinoteka-on-tour-2026/ More links mentioned/alluded to in the episode: For a 30-day free trial of the streaming service Klassiki: https://klassiki.online/arussiansovietmoviepodcast/ If you use the code RUPOD50, you can get 50% off an annual subscription. https://uppcinema.com/show_type/kinoteka-on-tour-2026/ https://kinoteka.org.uk/programme/strands/kinoteka-on-tour/manchester https://kinoteka.org.uk/programme/strands/kinoteka-on-tour/edinburgh https://kinoteka.org.uk/programme/strands/kinoteka-on-tour/newcastle https://kinoteka.org.uk/programme https://letterboxd.com/ally_pitts/list/my-10-favourite-polish-films/ https://letterboxd.com/ally_pitts/list/my-klassiki-recommendations-updated-regularly/detail/ https://www.secondrundvd.com/index.html Contact us/socials: All the links for a Russian & Soviet Movie Podcast and Ally Pitts you're ever likely to want or need: linktr.ee/russiansovietmoviepodcastlinktr.ee/ally_pitts We changed the name of the show quite a while back, but the social handles/contacts are a bit of a mishmash. Letterboxd: letterboxd.com/Ally_Pitts/ Instagram: instagram.com/russiansovietmoviepodcast/ instagram.com/ally_pitts_movies_etc/ Listen to Ally's other podcast appearances on Podchaser Email: russophilesunite@gmail.com

And our host Ally Pitts is introducing the screening in Banbury! Sergei Eisenstein’s 1925 masterpiece finishes its centenary run in cinemas in the UK and Ireland on Sunday 26th October 2025 with screenings at The Light cinemas.Those The Light locations are in: Addlestone, Bolton, Bradford, Cambridge, Huddersfield, New Brighton, Redhill, Sheffield, Sittingbourne, Stockport, Thetford, Walsall, and Wisbech.The film is screening as part of The Light's Iconic strand.Ally also mentions the musician Hugo Max's current UK tour accompanying the silent films Cabinet of Dr Caligari, Nosferatu, Häxan, and Der Golem for the spooky season.Links: https://banbury.thelight.co.uk/ https://thelight.co.uk/ https://banbury.thelight.co.uk/iconichttps://hugomax.co.uk/halloween-with-hugo-uk-tour-2025https://hugomax.co.uk/scoring-silent-cinemahttps://hugomax.co.uk/upcoming-performances https://letterboxd.com/ally_pitts/list/silent-films-with-scores-by-juliet-merchant/ https://www.bfi.org.uk/bfi-film-releases/battleship-potemkin Klassiki: Battleship Potemkin is also on the streaming service Klassiki with a score by Max Reinhardt & the Instant Orchestra. For a 30-day free trial: https://klassiki.online/arussiansovietmoviepodcast/ If you use the code RUPOD50, you can get 50% off an annual subscription. https://letterboxd.com/ally_pitts/list/my-klassiki-recommendations-updated-regularly/detail/ Contact us/socials: All the links for a Russian & Soviet Movie Podcast and Ally Pitts you're ever likely to want or need: linktr.ee/russiansovietmoviepodcastlinktr.ee/ally_pitts We changed the name of the show a little while back, but the social handles/contacts are a bit of a mishmash. Email: russophilesunite@gmail.com Letterboxd: letterboxd.com/Ally_Pitts/ Instagram: instagram.com/russiansovietmoviepodcast/ instagram.com/ally_pitts_movies_etc/ Listen to Ally's other podcast appearances on Podchaser

Sergei Eisenstein’s 1925 masterpiece is in cinemas in the UK and Ireland in late August, and through September and October 2025. UPDATE: Since this mini-episode was originally published, our intrepid host Ally Pitts has been confirmed as providing the intro to the screening at Milton Keynes Gallery on Friday 26th September at 7pm, and he's also in talks with The Light in Banbury, Oxfordshire to introduce it there too on Sunday 26th October!Battleship Potemkin is also on the streaming service Klassiki with a score by Max Reinhardt & the Instant Orchestra. Links mentioned/alluded to in the episode: https://www.bfi.org.uk/bfi-film-releases/battleship-potemkin https://uppcinema.com/show/battleship-potemkin/ https://dukeslancaster.org/whats-on/cinema/battleship-potemkin-12a https://mkgallery.org/event/battleship-potemkin-12a/ https://banbury.thelight.co.uk/ https://thelight.co.uk/ https://letterboxd.com/ally_pitts/list/silent-films-with-scores-by-juliet-merchant/ Klassiki: For a 30-day free trial of the streaming service Klassiki: https://klassiki.online/arussiansovietmoviepodcast/ https://films.klassiki.online/battleship-potemkin If you use the code RUPOD50, you can get 50% off an annual subscription. https://letterboxd.com/ally_pitts/list/my-klassiki-recommendations-updated-regularly/detail/ Contact us/socials: All the links for a Russian & Soviet Movie Podcast and Ally Pitts you're ever likely to want or need: linktr.ee/russiansovietmoviepodcastlinktr.ee/ally_pitts We changed the name of the show a little while back, but the social handles/contacts are a bit of a mishmash. Email: russophilesunite@gmail.com Letterboxd: letterboxd.com/Ally_Pitts/ Instagram: instagram.com/russiansovietmoviepodcast/ instagram.com/ally_pitts_movies_etc/ Listen to Ally's other podcast appearances on Podchaser

Matthew Chadourne, stand-up comedian, executive producer and creative director of the Oxford Comedy Festival, and co-host of the Saint Misbehavin' podcast joins host Ally Pitts to discuss this understated Oscar and Bafta-winning classic by Ukrainian-born World War II veteran Grigori Chukhrai. Links mentioned/alluded to in the episode: https://oxfordcomedyfestival.co.uk/our-acts https://oxfordcomedyfestival.co.uk/shows https://qedcomedylab.co.uk/saintmisbehavinpod https://www.criterion.com/films/343-ballad-of-a-soldier https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/201-ballad-of-a-soldier https://www.criterion.com/shop/browse/list?sort=spine_number&country=Soviet%20Union https://letterboxd.com/ally_pitts/list/ten-great-non-hollywood-world-war-ii-movies/detail/ Contact us/socials: All the links for a Russian & Soviet Movie Podcast and Ally Pitts you're ever likely to want or need: linktr.ee/russiansovietmoviepodcastlinktr.ee/ally_pitts We changed the name of the show a little while back, but the social handles/contacts are a bit of a mishmash. Email: russophilesunite@gmail.com Letterboxd: letterboxd.com/Ally_Pitts/ Instagram: instagram.com/russiansovietmoviepodcast/ instagram.com/ally_pitts_movies_etc/ Listen to Ally's other podcast appearances on Podchaser

Host Ally Pitts highlights the 40th anniversary of Come and See, directed by Elem Klimov, shares news about a season of films on the theme of anti-fascism at the Ultimate Picture Palace in Oxford, and brings attention to a couple of other anti-fascist/anti-totalitarian/anti-cult of personality films. Links mentioned/alluded to in the episode: Antifa on screen at the Ultimate Picture Palace in Oxford https://uppcinema.com/show_type/classic-season-antifa-on-screen/ Klassiki For a 30-day free trial of the streaming service Klassiki: klassiki.online/arussiansovietmoviepodcast/ If you use the code RUPOD50, you can get 50% off an annual subscription. Ally’s Klassiki recommendations Come and See & Elem Klimov https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/a-russian-soviet-movie-podcast-594862/episodes/come-and-see-elem-klimov-1985-41611107 https://uppcinema.com/show/come-and-see/ https://letterboxd.com/thetop100/list/the-greatest-films-ever-made-as-selected/ https://www.criterion.com/films/28895-come-and-see https://princecharlescinema.com/whats-on/ The Cremator & Juraj Herz https://uppcinema.com/show/the-cremator/ Sun 11th and Mon 12th MAY https://uppcinema.com/show_type/classic-season-antifa-on-screen/ https://www.secondrundvd.com/release_cremator_bd.html https://klassiki.online/caught-by-the-night-gothic-visions-juraj-herz-podcast/ The Great Dictator, Charlie Chaplin, Pamela Hutchinson, and Eccentricism in Leningrad https://uppcinema.com/show/the-great-dictator/ https://pamhutch.wordpress.com/in-person/ https://www.bfi.org.uk/lists/10-great-films-1925 Includes The Gold Rush and Battleship Potemkin https://klassiki.online/ian-christie-eccentrism-soviet-avant-garde-podcast/ Ordinary Fascism & Mikhail Romm https://letterboxd.com/ally_pitts/film/triumph-over-violence/ Repentance & Tengiz Abuladze https://letterboxd.com/film/repentance/ https://films.klassiki.online/repentance Contact us/socials: All the links for a Russian & Soviet Movie Podcast and Ally Pitts you're ever likely to want or need: linktr.ee/russiansovietmoviepodcastlinktr.ee/ally_pitts We changed the name of the show a little while back, but the social handles/contacts are a bit of a mishmash. Email: russophilesunite@gmail.com Letterboxd: letterboxd.com/Ally_Pitts/ Instagram: instagram.com/russiansovietmoviepodcast/ instagram.com/ally_pitts_movies_etc/ Listen to Ally's other podcast appearances on Podchaser

Matthew Chadourne, stand-up comedian, executive producer and creative director of the Oxford Comedy Festival, and co-host of the Saint Misbehavin' podcast joins host Ally Pitts to talk about his various comedy and movie-related projects. This is designed to serve as an appetizer for an upcoming episode on Grigory Chukrai’s Ballad of a Soldier with Matthew as the guest, which will be released on this feed as soon as it's edited. Links mentioned/alluded to in the episode: https://oxfordcomedyfestival.co.uk/our-acts https://oxfordcomedyfestival.co.uk/shows https://qedcomedylab.co.uk/saintmisbehavinpod https://www.secondrundvd.com/index.htmlhttps://www.magd.ox.ac.uk/magdalen-monday-movies/ All the Best Lines Ninotchka episode with Ally as the guest Contact us/socials: All the links for a Russian & Soviet Movie Podcast you're ever likely to want or need: linktr.ee/russiansovietmoviepodcast We changed the name of the show a little while back, but the social handles/contacts are a bit of a mishmash. Email: russophilesunite@gmail.com Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/Ally_Pitts/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/russiansovietmoviepodcast/ https://www.instagram.com/ally_pitts_movies_etc/ Listen to Ally's other podcast appearances on Podchaser

In your home and maybe in your town? Links mentioned/alluded to in the episode: All the links for a Russian & Soviet Movie Podcast you're ever likely to want or need: linktr.ee/russiansovietmoviepodcast For a 30-day free trial of the streaming service Klassiki: https://klassiki.online/arussiansovietmoviepodcast/ If you use the code RUPOD50, you can get 50% off an annual subscription. https://kinoteka.org.uk/programme https://www.instagram.com/gulpfictionbooks/ https://letterboxd.com/ally_pitts/list/my-10-favourite-polish-films/ https://letterboxd.com/ally_pitts/list/my-klassiki-recommendations-updated-regularly/detail/ https://www.secondrundvd.com/index.html Contact us/socials: All the links for a Russian & Soviet Movie Podcast you're ever likely to want or need: linktr.ee/russiansovietmoviepodcast We changed the name of the show a little while back, but the social handles/contacts are a bit of a mishmash. Email: russophilesunite@gmail.com Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/Ally_Pitts/ Listen to Ally's other podcast appearances on Podchaser

Host Ally Pitts looks back at some highlights of 2024 and looks ahead to 2025.Note from Ally: Unfortunately, the audio for this episode is not up to the usual standard due to a mistake on my part. On balance I thought it was better to release it now as is rather than defer a week until I'd have time to re-record. Thanks for understanding, and please excuse the sound being a little rougher than I'd like on this occasion. Links mentioned/alluded to in the episode: Support the show and Ally's other movie-related projects at ko-fi.com Issue 48 of Film Stories magazine, featuring Ally's article on The Point in Milton Keynes, the UK's first multiplex cinema/movie theater. Ally on The Top 100 podcast with Tim Coleman: Man with a Movie Camera (Dziga Vertov; 1929) Ally on The Pink Smoke podcast with Martin Kessler: The Queen of Spades (Thorold Dickinson; 1949) The Ultimate Picture Palace, Oxford's independent cinema The Fright Pub horror movie podcast Ally's notes on Lawrence of Arabia for the Danger Close war movie podcast https://letterboxd.com/ally_pitts/list/my-top-10-first-time-watches-of-2024/detail/ https://letterboxd.com/ally_pitts/list/my-top-5-re-watches-of-2024/detail/ https://letterboxd.com/ally_pitts/list/my-top-10-klassiki-watches-of-2024/detail/ https://letterboxd.com/ally_pitts/list/my-top-10-mubi-watches-of-2024/detail/ Streaming service free trials: For a 30-day free trial of Klassiki: https://klassiki.online/arussiansovietmoviepodcast/ If you use the code RUPOD50, you can get 50% off an annual subscription.For a 30-day free trial of MUBI: https://mubi.com/russiansovietpod Contact us/socials: All the links for a Russian & Soviet Movie Podcast you're ever likely to want or need: linktr.ee/russiansovietmoviepodcast We changed the name of the show a little while back, but the social handles/contacts are a bit of a mishmash. Email: russophilesunite@gmail.com Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/Ally_Pitts/ Listen to Ally's other podcast appearances on Podchaser

Ally Pitts announces a screening of Lev Kuleshov’s By the Law; 3pm on Sunday 24th November '24 at the Barbican Cinema, and a screening of Sergei Eisenstein's Battleship Potemkin at the Winter Gardens in Morecambe in Lancashire on at 7.15pm on Saturday 30th November '24. Links mentioned/alluded to in the episode: https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2024/event/silent-film-live-music-by-the-law https://www.northernsilents.com/whats-on/battleship-potemkin-morecambe https://www.northernsilents.com/silents-by-the-sea Ally Pitts on The Top 100 podcast with Tim Coleman: Man with a Movie Camera (Dziga Vertov; 1929) Contact us/socials: All the links for a Russian & Soviet Movie Podcast you're ever likely to want or need: linktr.ee/russiansovietmoviepodcast We've changed the name of the show, but the social handles/contacts are a bit of a mishmash. Email: russophilesunite@gmail.com Twitter (or 'X', if you really insist): @RussophilesU Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/Ally_Pitts/https://letterboxd.com/ally_pitts/films/reviews/ https://letterboxd.com/ally_pitts/list/enjoy-the-silents-my-silent-film-recommendations/ https://letterboxd.com/ally_pitts/list/silent-films-with-scores-by-juliet-merchant/ Listen to Ally's other podcast appearances on Podchaser

Host Ally Pitts shares news about two exhibitions running in 2024 that feature the work of artist Alexandra Exter. He also discusses a previous film covered on the podcast, Aelita, which she worked on as a costume designer and set decorator. The Royal Academy of Art's exhibition is In the Eye of the Storm: Modernism in Ukraine from 1900 to the 1930s. That's in London and runs until 13th October 2024 The Ukrainian Museum's exhibition is Alexandra Exter: The Stage is a World. That's in New York City and is running from 27th September 2024 until 19 January 2025 Links mentioned in the episode:https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibition/eye-of-the-storm https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/article/start-here-modernism-in-ukraine Art by previous guest Sarah Roberts:https://sarahkathleenroberts.com/ https://slaviclitpod.com/aelita-1924-by-protazanov/ https://www.theukrainianmuseum.org/alexandra-exter-the-stage-is-a-world/ https://klassiki.online/yuliya-solntseva-hidden-history-soviet-queen-of-film/ https://klassiki.online/podcast/ For a 30-day free trial of the streaming service Klassiki: https://klassiki.online/arussiansovietmoviepodcast/ If you use the code RUPOD50, you can get 50% off an annual subscription. Contact us/socials: All the links for a Russian & Soviet Movie Podcast you're ever likely to want or need: linktr.ee/russiansovietmoviepodcast We've changed the name of the show, but the social handles are a bit of a mishmash. Email: russophilesunite@gmail.com Twitter (or 'X', if you really insist): @RussophilesU Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/Ally_Pitts/ Listen to Ally's other podcast appearances on Podchaser

International(?) man of mystery Lyn Seren joins Ally Pitts to discuss Andrei Tarkovsky's penultimate film. We also talk about rückenfigurs and Milton Keynes artists Boyd & Evans a bit! Links mentioned/alluded to in the episode: International Association for Suicide Prevention’s directory: https://www.iasp.info/suicidalthoughts/ UK: https://www.samaritans.org/ US: https://988lifeline.org/ All the links for a Russian & Soviet Movie Podcast you're ever likely to want or need: linktr.ee/russiansovietmoviepodcast For a 30-day free trial of the streaming service Klassiki: https://klassiki.online/arussiansovietmoviepodcast/ If you use the code RUPOD50, you can get 50% off an annual subscription. Milton Keynes-based artists Boyd & Evans: https://www.boydandevans.com/ British-Russian comedian Olga Koch: https://www.rocknrolga.com/ Oxford Comedy Festival: https://oxfordcomedyfestival.co.uk/ Contact us/socials: We've changed the name of the show, but the social handles are a bit of a mishmash. Email: russophilesunite@gmail.com Twitter (or 'X', if you really insist): @RussophilesU Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/Ally_Pitts/ Listen to Ally's other podcast appearances on Podchaser

Saint Audio Podcast Festival is happening over the late May Bank Holiday Weekend (that's 23-26 May), in Oxford, UK! See you there, maybe? Links mentioned in the episode: Saintaudiopodcastfestival.com Screening of Spice World (1997) at the Ultimate Picture Palace, presented by The Flop House podcast. Contact us/socials: (We've changed the name of the show, but the social handles are a bit of a mishmash). Email: russophilesunite@gmail.com Twitter (or 'X', if you really insist): @Russophiles Instagram: instagram.com/russiansovietmoviepodcast/ Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/Ally_Pitts/ Listen to Ally's other podcast appearances on Podchaser

Professor Catriona Kelly will be discussing her new book Russian Food Since 1800: Empire at Table with previous guest on this show, Alissa Timoshkina at Pushkin House in London on Friday 15th March 2024. It's an in-person & online hybrid event, which will from 6.30 to 8.00 pm GMT. Find out more about the event and buy tickets at pushkinhouse.org Our episode on Little Vera (dir. Vasily Pichul; 1988). Contact us: (We've changed the name of the show, but the social handles are staying the same for now). Email: russophilesunite@gmail.com Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/Ally_Pitts/ The platform formerly known as Twitter: @RussophilesU Listen to Ally's other podcast appearances on Podchaser