Science fiction and fantasy have been part of mainstream
Russian literature since the 19th century. Russian fantasy developed from the centuries-old traditions of
Russian mythology and
folklore. Russian science fiction emerged in the mid-19th century and rose to its
golden age during the Soviet era, both in cinema and literature, with writers like the
Strugatsky brothers,
Kir Bulychov, and
Mikhail Bulgakov, among others. With the fall of the
Iron Curtain, modern Russia experienced a renaissance of fantasy. Outside modern Russian borders, there are a significant number of Russophone writers and filmmakers from Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan, who have made a notable contribution to the genres.