Novel photoresponsive materials based on azo-containing bifunctional ruthenium-acetylides have been synthesized. All optical switching based on the Optical Kerr Effect in the organometallic thin films based on ruthenium(II)acetylides containing an azobenzene moiety as a photochromic unit in the main pi-conjugated system dispersed in a poly(methylmethacrylate) matrix has been observed. The excitation beam was delivered from a picosecond laser at wavelength 532 nm while dynamics of induced sample birefringence was probed by a non absorbed linearly polarized beam of cw He-Ne laser (632.8 nm). The influence of ruthenium part on dynamics of molecular motions has been shown. (C) 2012 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.