Top 100 Actors: Russia
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Aleksey Serebryakov is a Soviet and Russian theater and film actor, People's Artist of the Russian Federation.
Aleksey was born in Moscow. His mother was a doctor, father was an aircraft engineer. Aleksey studied at a music school in the bayan class and once got into a photo for a report about an educational institution, which was published in the 'Evening Moscow' newspaper. The photo caught the eye of an assistant director who was looking for a boy who looked like the actor Vadim Spiridonov, and Aleksey got into the film Otets i syn (1980), and then into the TV series Vechnyy zov (1973). Then he played the main role of Vladimir Kovalev in the film Alye pogony (1980).
In 1981, Serebryakov worked as an actor at the Syzran Drama Theater named after Aleksei Tolstoy, after he could not enter the Boris Shchukin Theater Institute. In 1986 he graduated from the State Institute of Theater Arts of Anatoli Lunacharsky (workshop of Oleg Tabakov). In 1986-1991, he was an actor at the Studio Theater under the direction of Oleg Tabakov.
In 2000, Serebryakov played crime boss Oleg Zvantsev, nicknamed 'Lawyer' in the series Banditskiy Peterburg: Advokat (2000). The next major work, which caused a wide resonance, was the main role of the battalion commander Vasiliy Tverdokhlebov in the 2004 series Shtrafbat (2004). It can be said that at that moment Serebryakov finally gained a reputation as a person who brilliantly plays ambiguous characters in ambiguous films.
He played the main role in the social drama Leviathan (2014), which was released worldwide in 2014. For this acting work, for the second time in the history of Russian cinema, he was nominated for the European Film Academy Award.26
The Penal Battalion (2004) - 5
Cargo 200 (2007) - 5
9th Company (2005) - 5
How Viktor 'The Garlic' Took Alexey 'The Stud' to the Nursing Home (2017) - 4
Leviathan (2014) - 3.5
Nobody (2021) - 3.5- Roman Madyanov was born on 22 July 1962 in Dedovsk, Istrinskiy rayon, Moskovskaya oblast, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. He is an actor, known for Leviathan (2014), 12 (2007) and Dikoe pole (2008). He has been married to Natalya Madyanova since 1992. They have one child.10
The Penal Battalion (2004) - 5
Leviathan (2014) - 5 - Actor
- Writer
- Director
Sergei Bodrov Jr. was born on December 27th, 1971 to producer and director Sergei Bodrov. He made his film debut in his father's Prisoner of the Mountains (1996) (Prisoner of the mountains) for which he won a Nika. From then on Sergei's career began. In 1997 he played a lead role in Brother (1997) which turned him into a star and made him one of the most known and beloved Russian actors.
He followed up the role with Brat 2 (2000) in 2000. He made his directorial debut in 2001 with Sisters (2001). The movie was a hit with audiences and critics alike.
In 2002 he was supposed to direct a movie, "Messenger", for which he traveled to the Caucasus mountains. On September 20th 2002, an avalanche due to a glacier slide came down from the mountains. Bodrov and his production group are still reported missing, believed killed. He is survived by his wife and two children, a four year old daughter and a two-month old son.10
Brat (1997) - 5
Brat 2 (2000) - 5- Viktor Sukhorukov was born on 10 November 1951 in Orekhovo-Zuevo, RSFSR, USSR [now Orekhovo-Zuevo, Russia]. He is an actor, known for Brat 2 (2000), The Island (2006) and Brother (1997).10
Brat (1997) - 5
Brat 2 (2000) - 5 - Actor
- Writer
- Director
In 1972 Aleksandr Bashirov came to Leningrad, filed his papers with the first Vocational School No. 57 and began to master the specialty of the tiling-mosaic, then worked at a cement plant in Vyborg. In the army he served in the tank division. In the army club Bashirov was an artist, he painted a portrait of Leonid Brezhnev in a tank helmet. After serving in the army, he entered the directing faculty of VGIK (Igor Talankin's studio, then the studio of Anatoly Vasiliev), which he graduated in 1989. Bashirov's debut as the actor of cinema took place in 1986, in Sergey Solovyov's film "Another's white and pockmarked". He married a US citizen and in 1990-1991 studied acting at the Berghof Studio in New York, periodically visiting the USSR to participate in the filming. Participated in the "Pop Mechanics" and the theatrical performances of Sergei Kuryokhin. In 1996, Bashirov organized the Deboshirfilm Studio in St. Petersburg, where he is the artistic director and teacher of the acting and directing workshop. In 1998 he became one of the founders of the Independent Cinema Festival "Pure Dreams", held in St. Petersburg.7.5
The Penal Battalion (2004) - 5
9th Company (2005) - 1.5
Cargo 200 (2007) - 1- Mikhail Skryabin was born on 28 December 1946 in Yakut ASSR, RSFSR, USSR [now Sakha (Yakutiya) Republic, Russia]. He was an actor, known for The Stoker (2010), Cargo 200 (2007) and Reka (2002). He died on 6 May 2011 in Yakutsk, Yakutia, Russia.5.5
The Stoker (2010) - 3.5
Cargo 200 (2007) - 2 - Yuri Stepanov was a popular Russian actor of film and theatre.
He was born Yuri Konstantinovich Stepanov on June 7, 1967, in the village of Rysyevo, Irkutsk province, Russia. His father, Konstantin Stepanov, was director of a Soviet collective farm in Siberia. His mother was a schoolteacher. Young Yuri Stepanov grew up in rural Siberia. There he enjoyed fishing and hunting with his father. As a schoolboy, he caught the acting bug and joined amateur theatre in his community. From 1984 - 1988 he studied at the Irkutsk Theatrical School under Nadezda Arno and Valentina Dulova. There he was spotted by an agent and was invited to Moscow. From 1988 - 1992 he studied acting at State Institute of Theatrical Arts (GITIS) under Petr Fomenko, graduating in 1992.
Yuri Stepanov had a successful stage career with the company of Petr Fomenko in Moscow. He made memorable appearances in classical plays, most notably as flamboyant crook Chichikov in the "Dead Souls" by Nikolay Gogol and as Benjamin in "The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner, for which he was awarded the Prize of Moscow Theatrical Festival in 1993. Later he went on to play in Chekhov's "The Three Sisters" and in the Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" among other plays.
In 1991, Yuri Stepanov made his film debut in Alexander Pushkin's "Povesti Belkina." Then he went on to work with the best filmmakers in Russia, such as Danelia, Abdrashitov, German and Dostal. Stepanov made a solid performance in _Vremya tantsora (1998)_ by director Vadim Abdrashitov and later earned wide recognition as Glymov in the popular series Shtrafbat (2004) by director Nikolai Dostal.
Yuri Stepanov was married to Irina Stepanova, a costume designer. The couple had two sons and were expecting their third child; at the time of Stepanov's tragic death, his wife was 8 month pregnant. Yuri Stepanov died after a traffic accident on March 3, 2010, in Moscow, and was laid to rest next to his fellow actors, Vladislav Galkin, Aleksandr Dedyushko and Igor Starygin, in Troekurovskoe cemetery in Moscow, Russia. His tragic death caused a considerable mourning in Russia. Director Nikolai Dostal said that he lost a good friend and Russia lost a great actor.5
The Penal Battalion (2004) - 5 - Aleksey Kravchenko was born on 10 October 1969 in Moskovskaya oblast, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. He is an actor, known for Come and See (1985), 9th Company (2005) and Zaverbovannyy. He is married to Nadezhda Borisova. He was previously married to Alisa ?.5
Come and See (1985) - 5 - Actor
- Additional Crew
Yuri Yakovlev is a popular Russian actor best known for his roles in Soviet comedies 'Ironiya sydby', Ivan Vasilevich', and Kin-dza-dza! (1986).
He was born Yuri Vasilevich Yakovlev on April 25, 1928, in Moscow, Soviet Union. His father, Vasili Vasilevich Yakovlev, was a layer, and his mother, Olga Mikhailovna Ivanova, was a homemaker. Young Yakovlev was fond of acting and theatre. From 1948 - 1952 he studied acting at Shchukin Theatrical School of Vakhtangov Theatre in Moscow.
Since 1952 Yuri Yakovlev has been member of the troupe at Vakhtangov Theatre in Moscow. There his stage partners were such actors as Mikhail Ulyanov, Ruben Simonov, Boris Zakhava, Mikhail Astangov, Varvara Popova, Irina Kupchenko, Natalya Tenyakova, Yuliya Borisova, Lyudmila Maksakova, Lyudmila Tselikovskaya, Marianna Vertinskaya, Nina Ruslanova, Nikolai Plotnikov, Vasiliy Lanovoy, Vladimir Etush, Vyacheslav Shalevich, Andrei Abrikosov, Grigori Abrikosov, Boris Babochkin, Nikolai Gritsenko, Nikolai Timofeyev, Aleksandr Grave, Evgeniy Karelskikh, Sergey Makovetskiy, and Ruben Simonov, among others. His most memorable stage performances were such roles as Triletsky in 'Play without a title', a play by Anton Chekhov (1968), as Karenin in 'Anna Karenina' (1983) by director Roman Viktyuk, and the title role in 'Kasanova' (1985). Since taking the role as Pantalone in 1963, Yakovlev has been delivering acclaimed performances in the legendary Vakhtangov's production of Carlo Gozzi's comedy 'Princess Turandot'.
He shot to fame with the leading role as Prince Myshkin in _The Idiot (1958)_ by director Ivan Pyrev. During the 1960s - 1980s Yakovlev was among the most popular actors in the Soviet Union. He was best known for such roles as Ivan Vasilyevich Bunsha in Ivan Vasilyevich Changes His Profession (1973) by director Leonid Gaidai, and as Ippolit in The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath! (1976) by director Eldar Ryazanov.
Yuri Yakovlev was designated People's Actor of the USSR, was awarded the State Prizes of the USSR and Russia. He received the Order of Lenin (1988), the Order of the Red Banne of Labour (1978), and numerous awards and decorations for his works on stage and in film. He is married to Irina Leonidovna Sergeeva, and the couple has two sons and a daughter. Outside of his acting profession Yakovlev is fond of reading classical Russian literature and listening to classical music together with his friends and family.
In 1997 Yakovlev published his book titled 'Albom sudby moyey' (aka.. The album of my destiny). He is living with his family in Moscow, Russia.5
Ivan Vasilievich: Back to the Future (1973) - 5- Aleksey Zharkov was born on 27 March 1948 in Moscow, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. He was an actor, known for Ten Little Indians (1987), Leviathan (2014) and Choknutye (1991). He was married to Lyubov. He died on 5 June 2016 in Moscow, Russia.5
The Penal Battalion (2004) - 5 - Yura Borisov was born on 8 December 1992 in Reutov, Moskovskaya oblast, Russia. He is an actor, known for Compartment Number 6 (2021), Captain Volkonogov Escaped (2021) and Kalashnikov (2020). He has been married to Anna Shevchuk since 2014. They have two children.5
Compartment Number 6 (2021) - 4
Gerda (2021) - 1 - Actor
- Producer
- Director
Porechenkov was born in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) in the Russian SSR on 2 March 1969, to parents Evgeny Mikhailovich Porechenkov and Galina Nikolayevna Porechenkova. His father was a Soviet Navy officer, and his mother was a building engineer. Since his parents were busy at work, he, in gereral, was reared until the age of 5 by his grandmother in a village of Pskov Oblast, and then, before going to school, he was returned in Leningrad. In the late 1970s, his father was appointed as an inspector of the Polish Gdansk Shipyard, where Soviet ships were built, thus, in the first years of schooling, Porechenkov had to leave Leningrad and move, along with the family, to the Polish People's Republic. There, he began to study in a Soviet embassy boarding school in Warsaw. During the education period, he became interested in sports, especially boxing. After graduating from the school in 1986, he went to the Estonian SSR, where he entered the Tallinn Higher Military-Political Construction College to earn a political officer degree. Despite sporting achievements-Porechenkov earned the rank of the Candidate for Master of Sport in Boxing after his successful performance at the college championship and municipal tournament in Tallinn, he was dismissed from the college in 1990, just 10 days before his gradiation. When he returned home from Estonia, he worked in a picture framing studio, and attended Armen Dzhigarkhanyan's class in the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography (VGIK), which he had not graduated from. In 1991 he entered the Leningrad State Institute of Theatre, Music and Cinematography (LGITMiK), Veniamin Filshtinsky's class, and graduated in 1996.4.5
9th Company (2005) - 4.5- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Vladimir Lvovich Mashkov was born in Tula, to Natalia, a puppet theatre director, and Lev Mashkov, an actor. He worked for Oleg Tabakov's theatre where he performed in Alexander Galich's "My Big Land", Neil Simon's "Biloxy Blues", Nickolai Gogol's "The Inspector General", Jean-Batiste Moliere's "Don Juan", and other plays. As a director, he staged "A Star Hour By Local Time", "Passions For Bumbarash", "The Death-Defying Act" and Bertolt Brecht's "The Threepenny Opera".4
The Thief (1997) - 4- Artur Smolyaninov was born on 27 October 1983 in Moscow, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. He is an actor, known for 9th Company (2005), The Darkest Hour (2011) and Redirected (2014). He was previously married to Darya Melnikova.4
9th Company (2005) - 4 - Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Sergey Garmash was born on 1 September 1958 in Kherson, Ukrainian SSR, USSR [now Ukraine]. He is an actor and writer, known for 12 (2007), Hipsters (2008) and The Rifleman of the Voroshilov Regiment (1999).3.5
The Rifleman of the Voroshilov Regiment (1999) - 3.5- Actor
- Soundtrack
Pavel Derevyanko was born on 2 July 1976 in Taganrog, Rostov Oblast, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. He is an actor, known for Podelniki (2021), Fortress of War (2010) and Catherine the Great (2015).3.5
The Penal Battalion (2004) - 3.5- Actor
- Director
Andrey Merzlikin was born on 24 March 1973 in Kaliningrad, Moskovskaya oblast, RSFSR, USSR [now Korolev, Russia]. He is an actor and director, known for Fortress of War (2010), Strayed (2009) and Gq (2012). He has been married to Anna Osokina since March 2006. They have three children.3.5
The Penal Battalion (2004) - 3.5- Sound Department
Alexey Pushkin is known for Empire V (2023).3.5
The Penal Battalion (2004) - 3.5- Gregori-Said Bagov was born on 17 February 1958 in Grozny, Russia, USSR. He is an actor, known for Duduk (2013), Shtrafbat (2004) and Zaveshchanie Lenina (2007).3.5
The Penal Battalion (2004) - 3.5 - He made his stage and screen debut in mid 1970's as schoolboy. In 1982-1984 Yefremov served in Soviet Army. In 1987 he graduated from the Moscow Art Theatre School.
Yefremov was married four times, has six children. His first wife was the editor Asya Vorobieva, their son Nikita Efremov is a Sovremennik Theatre actor. His second wife was the actress Evgeniya Dobrovolskaya, their son Nikolay Efremov is also an actor. His third wife was actress Kseniya Kachalina, they have a daughter Anna Mariya. His fourth wife is audio engineer Sofiya Kruglikova, they have daughters Vera and Nadezhda, and son Bori.
From 2009 on Yefremov presents Channel One show Zhdi Menya (1998), dedicated to search of long lost relatives and friends.
In 2010's he collaborated Dmitry Bykov over their project "Citizen Poet" (a pun on Nikolai Nekrasov's poem "Poet and Citizen"). Yefremov reads poems, written by Bykov, which are usually satirical comments on the contemporary Russian society, politics and culture. Each poem parodies the style of a famous poet of the past, e.g. Pushkin, Nekrasov, Kipling, among others. It was originally broadcast on Dozhd TV channel, but the original project was closed, because the poems were too critical towards Russian government. Currently, the show is hosted in audio format by Echo of Moscow radio station.3
9th Company (2005) - 3 - Sergei Makovetsky is a popular Russian actor best known for his leading roles in Duska (2007) by director Jos Stelling and in 12 (2007) by director Nikita Mikhalkov.
He was born Sergei Vasilevich Makovetsky on June 13, 1958, in Darnitsa, a suburb of Kiev, Soviet Union (now Kyiv, Ukraine). He was raised by a single mother, was a good swimmer and water polo player and candidate to Soviet National Team, but his mother strongly objected his sports career. After failing to enter the Kiev Theatrical College, he worked as a stage decorator for one year, then moved to Moscow in his pursuit of an acting career. In Moscow Makovetsky was rejected by several acting schools, then he was drafted in the Soviet Army, but he managed to fool the Army doctors by using his acting skills to show symptoms of serious illnesses. Eventually his persistence and determination paid off, and his natural talent was recognized. From 1977 - 1980 he studied acting at the Shchukin Theatrical School of Vakhtangov Theatre in Moscow, graduating as an actor in 1980 from the class of Alla Kazanskaya.
Since 1980 Makovetsky has been member of the troupe at Vakhtangov Theatre in Moscow. There his stage partners were such actors as Mikhail Ulyanov, Vasiliy Lanovoy, Yuliya Borisova, Lyudmila Maksakova, Alla Kazanskaya, Irina Kupchenko, Lyudmila Tselikovskaya, Mariya Aronova, Marianna Vertinskaya, Elena Dobronravova, Yuriy Yakovlev, Vladimir Etush, Vyacheslav Shalevich, Nikolai Timofeyev, Aleksandr Grave, Vladimir Simonov, Vladimir Koval, Viktor Zozulin, Evgeniy Karelskikh, Aleksandr Koznov, Vladimir Vdovichenkov, Mikhail Vaskov, Andrei Zaretsky, Nonna Grishaeva, Mariya Aronova, Elena Sotnikova, Anna Dubrovskaya, Olga Tumaykina, Maksim Sukhanov, and Viktor Dobronravov, among others.
His most memorable stage performances included such roles as Iago in the Shakespeare's 'Othello' (1980s), as Gorodnichy in 'Revizor' (1990s) (aka.. Ispector general) based on the classic play by Nikolay Gogol, and as Gan-za-Lin in 'Zoikina kvartira' based on the eponymous play by Mikhail A. Bulgakov, among other plays. In 1998 Makovetsky created the title character in Molière's 'Amfitrion' and the play has been a continuous success for 9 seasons in a row. Since the 2003 premiere of 'Chaika', Makovetsky has been delivering critically acclaimed performances as Trigorin opposite Lyudmila Maksakova and Yuriy Yakovlev. He also appeared in several stage productions by director Roman Viktyuk.
Sergei Makovetsky was designated People's Actor of Russia, and received numerous awards for his works on stage and in films. He is one of the highest paid actors in today's Russia. Sergei Makovetsky is living and working in Moscow, Russia.3
Brat 2 (2000) - 3 - Actor
- Writer
- Music Department
Dmitriy Nazarov was born on 4 July 1957 in Moscow, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. He is an actor and writer, known for The Kitchen (2012), Kukhnya v Parizhe (2014) and Evil Magician (2016). He is married to Olga Vasileva. They have two children.3
The Penal Battalion (2004) - 3- Aleksandr Sergeevich Demyanenko was born on May 30, 1937, in Ekaterinburg (Sverdlovsk), Russia. His father, named Sergei Demyanenko, was an actor in Moscow, but moved to live in Sverdlovsk in the 1930's. Young Aleksandr Demyanenko was spending much time with his father at his acting class. From the age of 9 to15 he went to Sverdlovsk Music School and studied singing and piano. He failed his entry exams at the Moscow Art Theatre in 1954, and became a student at the Law School of the Sverdlovsk University. From there Demyanenko escaped in less than a year.
In 1955, Demyanenko successfully passed all acting tests and became a student at the Moscow Thatre Institute, GITIS. There he was cast for his first film work, a supporting role in 'Veter' (1958), a film by directors Aleksandr Alov and Vladimir Naumov. Demyanenko graduated from the Moscow Theatre Institute (GITIS) in 1959, and worked as an actor at the Moscow Theatre of Mayakovsky under the directorship of Andrei Goncharov. He still did not have a place to live in Moscow, and was unsettled.
At that time Demyanenko played more roles in the films produced at the Lenfilm Studion in St. Petersburg (then Leningrad). There he was invited to have a permanent job as an actor with the Lenfilm Studio. The offer included an apartment. In 1961, Demyanenko moved to Leningrad, settled in a nice apartment and eventually built his 'Dacha' at the resort of Sosnovo, near Finland. He later married an assistant director from the Lenfilm Studios. He had no interest in going back to Moscow, and actually turned down many offers from the Moscow theatres and film studios.
Demyanenko shot to fame after he played the leading role of 'Shurik' in 'Operatsiya Y i drugie priklyucheniya Shurika' (1965), a popular comedy by director Leonid Gaidai. His next work with Leonid Gaidai in the comedy 'Kavkazskaya Plennitsa' (1966) was even more popular. It became a huge Soviet blockbuster. Gaidai made a well-crafted film where everything works just right. Natalya Varley with the team of four men - Demyanenko as 'Shurik', and his brilliant partners Yuriy Nikulin, Georgiy Vitsin, and Evgeniy Morgunov, created a memorable acting ensemble.
Demyanenko made a nice work in one of the best comedies from Leonid Gaidai, 'Ivan Vasilievich: Back to the Future'. In this film Demyanenko's character 'Shurik' builds a working Time Machine that throws a pair of Soviet jerks into the 16-th century Moscow under the Czar Ivan the Terrible. At the same time the Czar Ivan the Terrible goes into the year 1973 in the Soviet time Moscow. 'Shurik', played by Demyaneko, became a special character, that connected three comedies, directed by Leonid Gaidai.
His tremendous popularity in the character of 'Shurik' came at a painful price. Demyanenko was called 'Shurik' everywhere. That image got stuck in the public perception of actor Demyanenko. He was avoided by most film directors, because of his extreme popularity in the image of 'Shurik'. At that time he suffered from alcohol dependency. He also had a heart attack, which was not treated properly at that time. He briefly worked on stage at the Akimov Theatre of Comedy. He also went back to Lenfilm Studios, where he made voice-overs in more than 100 Russian and foreign films.
During his last years, from 1995-1999, Aleksandr Demyanenko worked on stage at the St. Petersburg Theatre 'Priyut Komedianta'. He died on August 22, 1999, of a heart failure, in St. Petersburg, Russia.3
Ivan Vasilievich: Back to the Future (1973) - 3 - Actor
- Director
- Writer
Mikhail Ulyanov was a notable Russian actor and director, who was also an important Soviet political figure, Member of the Central Committe of the Communist Party, Co-Chairman, with Kirill Lavrov, of Theatrical Union of the USSR, and the leader of Vakhtangov Theatre in Moscow, Russia.
He was born Mikhail Aleksandrovich Ulyanov, on November 20, 1927, in the village of Bergamak, Omsk province, Soviet Union. His father, Aleksandr Andreevich Ulyanov, was Chairman of a Soviet collective farm, then Mayor of the town of Tara, Russia. His mother, Elizaveta Mikhailovna Ulyanova, was a homemaker. Young Mikhail Ulyanov enjoyed a rather privileged life during his childhood and youth, because of his father's position in the Soviet Communist Party. Eventually, Ulyanov himself joined the Soviet Communist Party, a move that helped his career. His name was similar to that of the founder of the Soviet Communist Party, Ulyanov-Lenin, a fact that helped Ulyanov to get to play the character of Lenin, the most lucrative stage and film character in the former Soviet Union.
From 1946 - 1950 Ulyanov studied acting at Shchukin Theatrical School of Vakhtangov Theatre in Moscow, under Boris Zakhava, graduating in 1950 as an actor. Since 1950 until his death in 2007, Ulyanov was a permanent member of the troupe at Vakhtangov Drama Theatre. There his stage partners were such actors as Vasiliy Lanovoy, Ruben Simonov, Mikhail Astangov, Boris Zakhava, Varvara Popova, Yuliya Borisova, Lyudmila Maksakova, Lyudmila Tselikovskaya, Marianna Vertinskaya, Nina Ruslanova, Irina Kupchenko, Natalya Tenyakova, Nikolai Plotnikov, Yuriy Yakovlev, Vladimir Etush, Vyacheslav Shalevich, Andrei Abrikosov, Grigori Abrikosov, Boris Babochkin, Nikolai Gritsenko, Nikolai Timofeyev, Aleksandr Grave, Evgeniy Karelskikh, Sergey Makovetskiy, and other notable Russian actors.
In 1987, Mikhail Ulyanov became artistic director of the Vakhtangov Theatre in Moscow. During the course of his career, Ulyanov was closely watched by the Communist Party and also by Ekaterina Furtseva, the most powerful woman in the 1960s - 1970s Soviet Union as Minister of Culture, she ordered Ulyanov to "keep playing Lenin and other role-models" for the Soviet people. Eventually Ulyanov became known for his portrayal of exemplary communists, Soviet-era heroes, and other characters typical of the Soviet propaganda on stage and in film. Ulyanov played the character of Marshal Georgi Zhukov in several Soviet war films. Although, he never met the legendary Marshal Zhukov, Ulyanov became the officially approved impersonator of the famous Soviet military leader. Ulyanov's facial expression closely resembled that of Marshal Georgi Zhukov, so Ulyanov's face was used as a model for the monument to Zhukov in Moscow.
With the official recognition in the roles as Lenin and Zhukov, Ulyanov was granted more flexibility in his artistic choices, he enjoyed the privilege of playing several roles that opened the true range of his acting talent. In 1970 Ulyanov played one of his best roles ever as General Charnota, a White Russian émigré, in Beg (1971), an epic film by directors Alov and Naumov. In 1979, a few years after the death of actor-director Vasiliy Shukshin, Ulyanov directed a stage production of Shukshin's unfinished project "Ya prishel dat vam volyu" (aka.. I came to let you free). In that production, Ulyanov played the leading role as Stepan Razin, Russian historic hero of the 17 century, who was the Cossac leader of a major popular uprising against the Russian Tzar, and was brutally executed by the Russian government at the Red Square in Moscow.
During the political changes in the 1980s Soviet Union, Ulyanov was critical of dramatic social shifts caused by "perestroika" and "glasnost" initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev. However, Ulyanov continued playing the character of V. I. Lenin in numerous productions on stage and on Soviet National television. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, he expressed his disappointment with the drastic socio-economic changes and cultural chaos in the post-Soviet Russia. He played a number of patriotic, violent and controversial characters in several films made during the post-Soviet era. During the 2000s, Ulyanov used his star power to help his less fortunate colleagues in Russian Theatrical Union. He also supported the politics of Russian President.
From 1976 - 1990, Ulyanov served as Permanent Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the USSR. In the course of his acting career spanning over 50 years, Ulyanov received numerous Soviet and Russian awards and decorations, such as the Order of Lenin (twice), Order of October Revolution, and was awarded Lenin's Prize and State Prize of the USSR. He died of a heart failure on March 26, 2007, in Moscow, and was laid to rest in Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow, Russia.3
The Rifleman of the Voroshilov Regiment (1999) - 3- Actor
- Soundtrack
Oleg Valerianovich Basilashvili was born on September 26, 1934, in Moscow, USSR. His father, named Valerian Basilashvili, was a director of the Moscow Polytechnical College. His mother, named Irina Ilyinskaya, was a teacher of linguistics.
His father made up a story that his grandfather was a Colonel in the Imperial Army of the Tsar Nicholas II, then married a Polish lady, and settled down, becoming a policeman. He also fabricated a story that grandfather once arrested a dangerous criminal, named Dzhugashvili, who was really Joseph Stalin. In reality Basilashvili's maternal grandfather was a Russian orthodox priest and an architect, who participated in the construction of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow. During the Second World War young Oleg Basilashvili was evacuated from Moscow to the Transcaucasian republic of Georgia. There went to a primary school and lived with his paternal grandfather until the end of WWII.
In 1956 Oleg Basilashvili graduated from the Acting School of the Moscow Art Theatre. He made his film debut as a young groom in 'Nevesta' (The Bride, 1956) by director Grigori Nikulin, based on a story by Anton Chekhov. At that time together with his first wife, Tatyana Doronina, Basilashvili joined the troupe at the Bolshoi Drama Theatre (BDT) in St. Petersburg (then Leningrad) under the leadership of the legendary director Georgi Tovstonogov. Since 1959 Basilashvili has been a permanent member of the troupe at the BDT in St. Petersburg. There his stage partners were such stars as Kirill Lavrov, Tatyana Doronina, Alisa Freyndlikh, Lyudmila Makarova, Svetlana Kryuchkova, Zinaida Sharko, Valentina Kovel, Innokentiy Smoktunovskiy, Sergey Yurskiy, and many other remarkable Russian actors. Basilashvili's most memorable stage works were in 'Gore ot Uma' by the playwright Aleksandr Griboyedov, 'Uncle Vanya', a play by Anton Chekhov, 'Kholstomer', based on story by Lev Tolstoy, 'Na Dne', a play by Maxim Gorky, and other classic plays, directed by Georgi Tovstonogov at the BDT in St. Petersburg.
Oleg Basilashvili has been one of the favorite actors of film director Eldar Ryazanov. They collaborated in such popular films as Sluzhebny Roman (1977), Vokzal Dlya Dvoikh (1982), Nebesa obetovannye (1991), and Predskazanie (1993), which became significant box-office hits. His film partners were Alisa Freyndlikh, Lyudmila Gurchenko, Nikita Mikhalkov, Nonna Mordyukova, Evgeniy Leonov, Natalya Gundareva, and many other Russian film actors.
One of his most famous film works was made in collaboration with director Georgiy Daneliya in a remarkable film Autumn Marathon (1979). The film is a cross-genre comedy and melodrama with a bitter humor and satire of the Soviet life. In it Basilashvili plays a man in his mid-life crisis, who is torn between two nice women, his wife and his mistress, and all three of them become entangled in the game of lies and personal demands, being at the same time strangled by the stagnant Soviet reality. Basilashvili co-created a memorable acting ensemble with such actors, as Natalya Gundareva, Evgeniy Leonov, Marina Neyolova, and Nikolay Kryuchkov. The film became a Soviet classic, and director Georgiy Daneliya was awarded at International film festivals in Berlin and San Sebastian.
Oleg Basilashvili made a comeback with an impressive performance in the role of Woland in Master i Margarita (2005), an adaptation of the eponymous novel of Mikhail A. Bulgakov by director Vladimir Bortko. In his own words, Basilashvili played the character of Woland in resemblance of an authoritarian and manipulative bureaucrat, alluding to a Soviet-era dictator. Basilashvili created a powerful interplay with a stellar ensemble of actors, such as Aleksandr Abdulov, Kirill Lavrov, Anna Kovalchuk, Aleksandr Galibin, and other notable Russian actors.
Oleg Basilashvili received the title of People's Artist of the USSR. He was awarded the State Prize of the Soviet Union and was decorated by the Russian government. Basilashvili was elected the representative of Leningrad (St. Petersburg) in 1990. He was a supporter of president Boris Yeltsin and a member of the parliamentary group of democratic representatives. Oleg Basilashvili was a proponent of returning the original name to the city of St. Petersburg. He quit politics after 2000, and focused on his acting career.
Basilashvili is currently residing in St. Petersburg, Russia, with his second wife, Galina Mshanskaya, who is a popular TV show hostess.3
Courier (1986) - 3