"The films of Alexei Balabanov are a collective portrait of our country at its most dramatic time in history," Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev wrote on Facebook.
"I liked his work. The passing of a talented director is a great loss for friends and fans alike. Condolences."
Balabanov, who made 16 films and died while working on a new production in Saint Petersburg on Saturday, was most famous in Russia for his classics "Brat" (Brother) and "Brat 2".
"Brother 2" moves a part of the action to Chicago, reflecting the steady flow of shadowy but rich Russians to the West.
More From This Section
Balabanov's 2007 film "Cargo 200" -- the name assigned to bodies returned from the Soviet Union's deeply unpopular 1980s war in Afghanistan -- was especially praised by critics.
It "is a special movie," tweeted popular Russian television personality and opposition movement member Ksenia Sobchak.
Balabanov was also highly praised for the movie "War", about Chechnya, where Russia fought two brutal campaigns in the past two decades.
"This is a tragedy -- a huge tragedy for Russian film," the Kommersant business daily wrote today.
Balabanov's friends said the director was aware of being gravely ill several months ago, but the cause of his death was not made public.