This recognition highlights Multiplex’s exceptional resilience and continued investment in cinema exhibition despite the ongoing challenges faced in Ukraine. Under Roman’s leadership, the company has played a vital role in maintaining access to the big screen while contributing to the recovery and development of the national film ecosystem. We asked him about his day-to-day work, the moment that shaped his connection to cinema, and what makes the theatrical experience so unique.
Describe your typical day at work
I wouldn’t describe my days as “typical” - they rarely look the same. But if I had to frame it, my work is a constant zoom in and zoom out.
As a CEO, I see my role across three core areas: strategy, team, and structure. So part of my day is about keeping the bigger picture in focus - where we are going and how we evolve as a business - and part of it is about going deep into very specific issues, supporting the team or stepping into functions that need reinforcement at a given moment.
Operating in Ukraine adds another layer to this. Over the past years, and especially during the war, building and sustaining a strong team has been a continuous challenge - people relocate, get mobilised, or simply cannot operate in a stable offline environment. This means I often need to compensate for gaps, act as a mentor, and stay very close to execution when needed.
At the same time, a portion of my day is always dedicated to looking forward - exploring growth opportunities both in Ukraine and internationally. And there is always a degree of readiness required: reacting quickly to disruptions, whether it’s energy outages, infrastructure challenges, or direct impacts on our cinemas. In those moments, the priority is always the same - keeping people safe and the business resilient.
I also try to stay disciplined about my own energy. My day usually starts at 5am with running, followed by some yoga and meditation. And I try to end the day with at least some time for reading or learning - it helps me step outside the immediate context and keep perspective.
The moment you fell in love with the Big Screen
I grew up in a small town in northern Crimea - a little over twenty thousand people, and almost nothing in the way of entertainment. There was one cinema. It wasn’t even open consistently.
Going there wasn’t a casual thing. It was an event - something close to a small celebration for the family. I remember walking in and feeling genuinely overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the space. I’d probably never been inside a room that large. The screen was enormous. The sound was like nothing I’d experienced. I didn’t have the words for it then, and I’m not sure I have better ones now.
What stays with me most is this: I barely followed the film itself. I was too captivated by the fact of it - the image, the darkness, the room full of people, the sensation that something extraordinary was happening right in front of me. And that night, I couldn’t fall asleep. I was simply too full of it.
I don’t remember the title of that first film. But I remember exactly how it felt. And I think that feeling - that combination of scale, shared space, and something that simply cannot be replicated at home - is still the core of what we’re in the business of delivering.
The best thing about the cinema experience
For me, the best thing about cinema is the shared experience - but at its best, it goes far beyond just watching a film together.
I remember a screening of The Gentlemen with a group of close colleagues in one of our new boutique-format cinemas - a very intimate setting with small luxury auditoriums. We invited a film critic to join us, and what followed was not just a screening, but a deep, layered experience.
We reacted together in real time - laughing, reflecting, noticing details - and then spent a long time discussing the film afterwards, uncovering meanings that were not obvious at first glance. It was immersive, but also social. Deep, but at the same time light and enjoyable.
That’s what makes cinema unique for me - it’s not just the story on the screen, but the way it brings people together into one shared emotional and intellectual space, even if only for a couple of hours.