Russian World Studios was founded in 1998 by Yuri Sapronov and Andrei Smirnov, and is one of the largest film and television production companies in the Russian market. As of 2008, the company has produced or serviced over 400 film and television projects. The studio has worked with Sony Pictures Television International, Hallmark Entertainment, HBO Films, and Beacon Pictures. RWS offers a range of film production services as well as their own distribution department, which sells in-house film and TV series on the international market. The company's film studios are located in Moscow and St. Petersburg. At the end of 2007 RWS joined JSFC "Sistema," the largest diversified holding company in Russia. This new partnership has allowed RWS to focus on three main areas of growth: studio faciliti