The Russian Guild of Cinematographers (RGC) Union of Russia was formed in 1990 as a result of Cinematographers Union decision to form within the Union professional organizations (of directors, scriptwriters, music
composers, DOPs, actors etc.), as separate legal bodies.
After registering it’s Order in 1990, RGC has united DOPs of play, documental and scientific cinema into a social organization to protect their professional interests.
First elected President of RGC was the famous DOP of “Mosfilm” Alexander Knyajinskyi. His Vice was from “Gorkogo Film Studios”, Igor Klebanov.
In 1995, after A. Knyajinskyi passed away, General Conference of RGC has elected a new President. It was Igor
Klebanov. I. Klebanov is at the same time a Secretary of Cinematographers Union (CU), a member of the Admittance
Commission of CU, and a professor of State Institute of Cinematograph, DOP department.
All the ten years of it’s existence under constantly changing political and economical conditions in the
country, RGC has been working on the protection of professional interests of DOPs:
a) Professional contracts and agreements between the DOP and production companies;
b) Recommendations concerning the DOP wages;
c) Copyright for the DOP;
d) Positioning the profession as one of the main positions of Cinematograph.
Nowadays these concerns are still actual for the RGC.
Besides, co-operating with national and foreign cinema equipment providers and producers, RGC is regularly organizing seminars and presentations of new products (lighting equipment, optics, dollies), new types of film from the world’s leading film companies etc.
RGC is helping materially the cinema’s veterans and the members of RGC in need.
RGC organizes creative seminars, demonstrations of the works of DOPs and further discussions, presentations of student works of State Institute of Cinematograph.
RGC is presenting the DOP candidates for nominations in national and international film festivals.
RGC is actively co-operating with Cinematographers Union of Russia, taking part in development of terms for the “Cinema
Law”, “Copyright Law”, “Federal Culture Program 2001 – 2005”, technical policy of Cinema Department of
Russian Ministry of Culture.
27 January 2001