5 Good Russian TV Series You Can’t Tear Yourself Away From

Every year, Russian TV series are starting to resemble the best Hollywood projects more and more. Young domestic streaming services allow their directors to experiment with formats and stories, and in return they receive excellent multi-part projects that even Netflix and Prime Video can envy.

We have selected 5 good Russian TV series for you – you won’t be able to tear yourself away from them.

Cicadas, 2023

Actor Evgeny Stychkin unexpectedly decided to try his hand at directing, and his project “Cicadas” amazed Kinopoisk subscribers.

A creepy story about a group of teenagers who try to figure out a mysterious death at a party with their participation, it is addictive from the first episode. The acting of Grigory Vernik, Sofia Arzhanykh and Ilya Vinogorsky perfectly immerses you in the plot, so that all 8 episodes can be watched literally in one go.

Rating on Kinopoisk – 7.6

Kalimba, 2024

Fyodor Bondarchuk as a sadistic psychologist who conducts a dangerous experiment: locking victims and their abusers in the same room.

Okko’s latest hit is terrifying from the very first episode and the tension does not drop in all 8 episodes. Bondarchuk’s acting, as always, leaves much to be desired, but the talents of Alena Mikhailova, Sergei Garmash and Pyotr Skvortsov more than cover this shortcoming of “Kalimba”.

Rating on Kinopoisk – 6.7

Topi, 2021

A group of pranksters from Moscow find themselves in a creepy abandoned village in the middle of a swamp, from which they simply cannot get out.

The mystical series directed by Vladimir Mirzoev became one of the first big hits for Kinopoisk online cinema. The paradoxical characters, the original approach to the script and the many mysteries confused some viewers. And those who managed to sit through the credits unanimously called “Swamp” a masterpiece of Russian TV.

Rating on Kinopoisk – 6.9

Host, 2020 – …

Denis Nikiforov as a former boxer who decided to take justice into his own hands in his hometown.

An adrenaline-pumping action film about a simple man fed up with constant corruption and cruelty amazed NTV viewers – the channel rarely produces such uncompromising and well-made series. Filmed according to all the rules of prestigious American cinema, “The Master” has not yet returned with a second season, but Nikiforov promises fans a continuation of the story.

Rating on Kinopoisk – 7.3

The Call of an Owl, 2013

Sergei Puskepalis and Andrei Merzlikin in a crime drama about criminal investigations in the USSR during the Thaw.

“The Cry of an Owl” is the oldest series on our list, but that doesn’t stop it from attracting modern viewers. Director and screenwriter Oleg Pogodin reinvents Soviet spy series into a thrilling and well-filmed story that will make you want to watch all 10 episodes in one go.

Rating on Kinopoisk – 8.1