THTREE-DIMENSIONAL CINEMATOGRAPHY IN THE USSR

The history of origination and development of stereo-cinema in the USSR is rooted in the 30's. But most important mark in its development is the year 1941.

In February of 1941 in Moscow, at a movie theater "Moscow" (nowadays "House of Khanzhonkov"), a premiere of three-dimensional film "CONCERT" was held. The uniqueness of this event was that due to the light absorbing raster screen the spectators could observe 3D images without any individual devices (glasses etc.)

It was the first in the world commercial demonstration of a stereofilm without glasses.

The form of the screen was unusual - an upwards extended rectangle with a ratio of the sides 5:3. Left and right frames of stereopair had the same ratio of the sides, which was dictated by their horizontal layout on one standard frame of a 35 mm film.

As far as we know, in the "Concert" movie, horizontal placement of the right and left images of stereopair on each 35 mm frame was used for the first time. In this sense it is fair to consider the given system as a first prototype of today's system "STEREO-70".

For shooting a usual for those times 35 mm camera has been used. In front of the camera two mirrors were installed. The projection of film was conducted using 35 mm film projector equipped with a similar two-mirror device.

The film consisted of several concert numbers or scenes, which most effectively presented the "third" dimension, being in front as well as behind the screen, creating impression of coming out of the screen into the hall and so forth.

Singularity of the show, visible spatiality of the images, originating without glasses and generally without any technical devices, have achieved huge success of a show. Until these days majority of the older spectators link their experience of stereo-cinema perception with unforgettable impression of youth or childhood from review of stereofilms at the "Moscow" 3D movie theater.

The Second World War, which reached the USSR several months later, had disrupted operation of the "Moscow" movie theater. It was the first in the world commercial movie theater with raster screen system, ensuring separation of the left and right images of the stereopair.