Vsesoyuznyi Gosudarstvenyi Institut Kinematografii

school, Moscow, Russia

Also known as: VGIK

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June 18, 2026

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The Vsesoyuznyi Gosudarstvenyi Institut Kinematografii (VGIK) was the world's first professional film school, founded in Moscow in 1919 by the Soviet government. Its primary purpose was to train directors, technicians, and actors for the burgeoning Soviet film industry, which was nationalized and prioritized by leaders like Vladimir Lenin for its propaganda potential.12

Initially, VGIK focused on producing agitki, or re-edited newsreels for propaganda purposes, which were crucial during the Russian Civil War. The school became a hub for developing innovative filmmaking techniques, particularly in editing and montage, influenced by teachers like Lev Kuleshov and leading to the work of renowned directors such as Sergei Eisenstein and Vsevolod Pudovkin.12

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History of film
The Soviet Union
The Vsesoyuznyi Gosudarstvenyi Institut Kinematografii (VGIK; “All-Union State Institute of Cinematography”) was the first such school in the world. Initially it trained people in the production of agitki, existing newsreels reedited for the purpose of agitation and propaganda (agitprop). The agitki were transported on specially equipped…
Read More
The Vsesoyuznyi Gosudarstvenyi Institut Kinematografii (VGIK; “All-Union State Institute of Cinematography”) was the first such school in the world. Initially it trained people in the production of agitki, existing newsreels reedited for the purpose of agitation and propaganda (agitprop). The agitki were transported on specially equipped…
Read More

Russia
Motion pictures
…world’s first film school, the All-Union Institute of Cinematography in Moscow. Supported by Lenin, who recognized film’s ability to communicate his revolutionary message to illiterate and non-Russian-speaking audiences, the school initially trained filmmakers in the art of agitprop (agitation and propaganda). Like Eisenstein, who incorporated the Marxist dialectic in his…
Read More
…world’s first film school, the All-Union Institute of Cinematography in Moscow. Supported by Lenin, who recognized film’s ability to communicate his revolutionary message to illiterate and non-Russian-speaking audiences, the school initially trained filmmakers in the art of agitprop (agitation and propaganda). Like Eisenstein, who incorporated the Marxist dialectic in his…
Read More