Cinemas of Omsk have entered the phase of withering away

The restrictions introduced in the cinema halls of Omsk at the initiative of the regional authorities led to the actual closure of three cinemas in the city at once.  From October 30, 2021, viewers will be able to attend the establishments only after receiving a QR code indicating that they have been vaccinated with a Covid-19 vaccine or have recently recovered from an illness.  According to experts, this could lead to the complete closure of all cinemas in the city.

In an interview with the local newspaper SuperOmsk, business spokesman Boris Sobko, who runs the Babylon cinema center, expressed concern that the disaster, with declining profitability and extremely low attendance of cultural centers, could be even more serious.

The entrepreneur compared the situation with the state of affairs in which Soviet cinemas found themselves in the 1990s, when video salons seized power over the viewer's attention.

Now a similar role, according to the expert, is being taken on by the online services offering premiere film screenings at home.  At the same time, city cinemas, in terms of occupancy, resemble tobacco kiosks, in which several spectators accidentally find themselves, and the employees ‘catch flies’ because of nothing to do. 

Earlier, the association of cinema owners has already contacted Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova.  Film distributors are demanding that the authorities make systemic decisions and abandon a number of measures taken in connection with the pandemic.  As a reminder, special admission norms were established for children, prohibiting them from visiting cinemas without being accompanied by adults.

Cinema halls occupancy rates also impede the smooth running of business.

The owners and directors of cinemas are asking a logical question why cultural institutions become the victims of such measures, but not the public transport, which is overcrowded with passengers during rush hours.  Experts emphasize that the entire film business in the country is going through a systemic crisis, while the measures taken only exacerbate difficult situation of the film distribution.