10 male sex symbols of Russian cinema (PHOTOS)

1. Ivan Yankovsky

The undisputed leader of the last couple of years, topping all lists of the sexiest men in Russia. Coming from an acting dynasty, he has been starring in movies for a long time and was noted for the most scandalous bed scene of recent years, in the movie ‘Text’ (2019). But, nationwide popularity came after the main role in the TV show ‘The Boy's Word: Blood on the Asphalt’ (2023). And, in 2024, Yankovsky is starring in a new series based on ‘Crime and Punishment’ by Fyodor Dostoevsky, in which he  plays Raskolnikov.

2. Yuri Borisov

Yuri Borisov initially played minor roles in many TV shows and movies, but success began to come from the late 2010s, when the actor was already landing the roles of main movie characters: the war movie ‘T-34’ (2019), ‘AK-47’ (2020), where he plays Mikhail Kalashnikov, the second season of the acclaimed ‘To the Lake’ (2020) TV show, Grand Prix winner at Cannes and Oscar nominee ‘Compartment No. 6’ (2021), as well as the recent Cannes’ Palme d'Or winner ‘Anora’ (2024) by American director Sean Baker. Yuri manages to portray very different characters. He can be rude and brutal, which his appearance contributes to, or subtle and vulnerable. 

3. Pavel Priluchny

Priluchny has a “bad boy” movie role reputation. His early works contributed to that: the cyberpunk action movie ‘Hooked on the Game’ (2009) and the TV show ‘Closed School’ (2011). Greater fame came in 2014, thanks to the ‘Silver Spoon’ (2014-2018) detective series, where Paul plays the main role, the son of an oligarch who lives his life in nightclubs, but suddenly is forced to work in the police, in the operational department. Netflix even bought the TV show for broadcast in the U.S. One of his latest roles is as a pimp in the TV show ‘Life on call’ (2022).

4. Alexander Petrov

Not long ago, it seemed that Petrov was playing literally all the main male roles in Russian cinema and that there were no other young actors. His career include playing key characters in the long-running TV show ‘Policeman from Rublevka’ (2016), the military drama ‘T-34’ (2019) and sports melodrama ‘Ice’ (2018), as well as the biopic ‘Streltsov’ (2020) and dozens of other productions. Producers assess him as a very professional and talented actor who instantly slips into the role, especially the heroes of the “neurasthenic type”.

5. Danila Kozlovsky

Handsome Kozlovsky began his career from a young age, starring in various TV shows and teen movies. By the 2010s, he was one of the most recognizable Russian actors, playing leading roles in such box-office hits as ‘The Spy’ (2012), ‘Soulless’ (2012), ‘Legend №17’ (2013), ‘Flight Crew’ (2016), ‘Matilda’ (2017). McMafia (2018) and ‘Viking’ (2016). In the latter, he so convincingly played the Old Rus’ Prince Vladimir, that he was invited to play Oleg the Prophetic in the 6th season of the hit TV show ‘Vikings’ (2019-2020) about the Scandinavian king Ragnar Lodbrok.

6. Alexander Kuznetsov

Kuznetsov has been praised for his work in the historical fantasy ‘The Scythian’ (2018) and ‘Heart of Parma’ (2022), as well as in a number of TV shows. World fame came after he played the role of ‘Helmut’ in the ‘Harry Potter’ spin-off, the movie ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore’ (2022). 

7. Yevgeny Tsyganov

It seems that Tsyganov's face always expresses a lack of emotion and even some melancholy. But, his cold looks are terribly loved by the audience. And the ability to play a variety of characters, he has been casted regularly since 2006 and his debut role in the movie ‘Piter FM’. His presence is almost always a sign of quality, as he chooses only the most interesting projects. Some of his most notable works include: ‘The Man Who Surprised Everyone’ (2018), ‘Territory’ (2015), the TV show ‘The Thaw’ (2013) and ‘Dead Lake’ (2019), as well as the recent movie adaptation of Bulgakov's ‘The Master and Margarita’ (2024), where he acted opposite his wife in real life, Yulia Snigir.

8. Dmitry Nagiyev

Nagiyev has been starring in movies for three decades, mostly in comedies. In the 1990s, he performed a variety of roles in the comedy sketch show ‘Look out, modern!’, then played in the detective series ‘Kamenskaya’ (2000). Fame and the role of sex symbol came to him later, when he appeared in the image of a brutal, bald “alpha male”. In the TV show ‘Kitchen’ (2012-2016) he played a parody of himself, that is, a famous actor with money and fame. And, lately, he has been dubbed Russia’s main “gym teacher” after his role as a former gangster and gym teacher in the TV show ‘The PE teacher’ (2014-2017).

9. Sergei Bezrukov

People joke that Sergei Bezrukov has played absolutely every role possible, from Pushkin and Vysotsky to even Jesus Christ! His career includes dozens of major roles in the most iconic movies and TV shows. Only recently did the actor manage to shake off the glory of playing 1990s gangster Sasha White from the TV show ‘Brigada’ (2002).

10. Miloš Biković

This handsome actor with Serbian roots is already perceived as a “homegrown” talent in the Russian cinema world and has won the hearts of Russian viewers with roles in a number of movies. Milos performed one of the main roles in the TV show ‘Hotel Eleon’ (2018). And his fame skyrocketed after starring in the movie ‘Serf’ (2019), which went on to become a Russian box-office hit. In it, Biković plays a spoiled son, who gets everything on a “silver spoon”, which prompts his parents to play a prank on him, in order to try to re-educate him. He allegedly “time travels” back to the days of serfdom and the death penalty in Russia and, of course, mayhem ensues. The Serbian also starred in the movie ‘The Challenge’ (2023), which was partially filmed in space, however, he himself did not get to fly to the ISS.