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1-50 of 54
- Animation Department
- Director
- Writer
Born to Jewish parents and raised in a Moscow suburb, Yuri Norstein painted as a hobby and trained as a carpenter before studying animation. He directed his first film in 1968 and made a series of short films notable for their attention to atmosphere and fine detail, using a multiplane camera to create the illusion of three-dimensional depth. His 1979 film, 'Tale of Tales' was acclaimed by a panel of international animation experts as the best animated film of all time. Since then, he has worked on an adaptation of Gogol's 'The Overcoat', which has been beset by production and funding problems.- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Ivan Mozzhukhin was a legendary actor of Russian silent films, who escaped execution by the Soviet Red Army and had a stellar career in Europe.
He was born Ivan Ilyich Mozzhukhin on September 26, 1889, in the village of Kondol, Saratov province, Russia (now Penza province, Russia). His father was general manager of the large estate of Prince Obolensky. Mozzhukhin attended all-boys Gymnasium in Penza, then studied at the Law School of Moscow University for two years. There he was active in amateur stage productions and joined a touring troupe, then returned to Moscow and was a member of the Vvedensky Narodny Dom Theatre. He made his film debut in 1908. From 1911-14 he worked in the films of producer Aleksandr Khanzhonkov. Mozzhukhin shot to fame after his leading role as violinist Trukhachevsky in Kreytserova sonata (1911) by director Pyotr Chardynin, based on the eponymous story by Lev Tolstoy. He starred as Adm. Kornilov in Defense of Sevastopol (1911) and in about 30 more silent films made by Chardynin, Yevgeny Bauer and Khanzhyonkov.
By the mid-'10s Mozzhukhin was the indisputable leading star of the Russian cinema, having such film partners as 'Diaghilev''s ballerina Vera Karalli, and his own wife Nathalie Lissenko. His facial expressions were studied by many actors and directors as exemplary acting masks. From 1915-19 he worked in about 40 films by directors Yakov Protazanov and Viktor Tourjansky under the legendary Russian producer Joseph N. Ermolieff. His best known films of the Russian period were Queen of Spades (1916) and Otets Sergiy (1918), both by Protazanov. Mozzhukhin's incredible popularity brought him significant wealth, but that came with attendant pressure; he also became famous for his numerous love affairs with his admirers.
In 1918 the Russian Communist revolution had already caused irreversible destruction of cultural and economic life, and Mozzhukhin moved under protection of the anti-Communist White Russian forces in Yalta, Crimea. There he worked for Ermolieff during the Russian Civil War. Meanwhile, Soviet government leader Vladimir Lenin ordered the seizure and nationalization of all film studios and their films, properties and other assets to use for making Soviet propaganda' most of Mozzhukhin's 70 films were arrested and / or censored. Lev Kuleshov used fragments of Mozzhukhin's films to demonstrate his editing ideas. Mozzhukhin's face was used in Kuleshov's psychological montage to illustrate the principles of film editing, known today as the Kuleshov Effect.
Mozzhukhin suffered terribly from the loss of his property after the Communist revolution. However, he continued working in Yalta with Ermolieff until the end of 1919. When the Red Army advanced into Crimea and broke through to Yalta, however, he joined the White Russians and fled the now-communist Russia at the end of the Civil War. He managed to save a few rolls of his silent films, which he took aboard the Greek steamer Pantera\ in February of 1920. He left Russia together with his film partners from the Ermolieff film company, his wife Nathalie Lissenko, actors Nicolas Koline and Nicolas Rimsky, actress Nathalie Kovanko, cinematographer Nikolai Toporkoff, director Viktor Tourjansky and producer Joseph N. Ermolieff. They emigrated together to Paris, France, and started a Russian-French film company.
In 1926 Mozzhukhin got a lucrative contract with Universal Pictures in Hollywood, and was cast as the male lead in Surrender (1927). However, his stint in Hollywood was not a success, due to numerous pressures from the studio's producers who insisted on his taking the stage name John Moskin. In addition, Mozzhukhin and his female co-star Mary Philbin did not get along at all, and that was quite apparent from the footage that they had no chemistry whatever. Ats Hollywood at that time was just making the transition from silent films to talkies, Mozzuhkhin--who did not speak English--was not offered any further roles, and he returned to Europe. Soon Aleksandr Vertinskiy began to comment that Mozzhukhin's troubles in Hollywood were the results of a conspiracy by the powers in Hollywood to destroy a strong competitor.
By 1939 Mozzhukhin had made over 100 films in Russia, France, Italy, the US, Germany and Austria. He continued starring in the talkies of the 1930s, although not as successfully as he had during the silent era. He also wrote screenplays for several of his films, and planned to direct a film in France, but the project was abandoned because he contracted a severe form of tuberculosis and was hospitalized. Mozzhukhin died of tuberculosis in a Paris clinic on January 17, 1939, and was laid to rest in the Russian Cemetery at Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois, in Paris, France.
Mozzhukhin's home in Kondol, Penza province, is now restored as the public Memorial Museum of Ivan Mozzhukhin. There, since the 1990s, the museum has annual showing of Mozzhukhin's films, also known as Mozzhukhin's Festivities.- Director
- Actor
- Writer
Vsevolod Pudovkin was born on 28 February 1893 in Penza, Russian Empire [now Russia]. He was a director and actor, known for Admiral Nakhimov (1947), Zhukovsky (1950) and Minin i Pozharskiy (1939). He was married to Anna Zemtsova. He died on 30 June 1953 in Jurmala, Latvian SSR, USSR [now Latvia].- Director
- Writer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Aleksandr Medvedkin was born on 24 February 1900 in Penza, Russian Empire [now Russia]. He was a director and writer, known for The New Moscow (1938), Happiness (1935) and Chudesnitsa (1937). He died on 20 February 1989 in Moscow, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia].- Producer
- Actor
- Director
Pavel Volya was born on 14 March 1979 in Penza, Penzenskaya oblast, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. He is a producer and actor, known for The Best Movie (2008), Platon (2008) and Branded (2012). He has been married to Lyaysan Utyasheva since September 2012. They have two children.- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Vsevolod Meyerhold was born Karl Theodor Kazimir Emil Meyerhold in 1874, in Penza, Russia, into the Russian-German family of Emil Meyerhold. He converted to Orthodox Christianity on his 21st birthday and took the name of Vsevolod in memory of the Russian writer Vsevolod Garshin. After conversion Meyerhold married Olga Mikhailovna (nee Munt) and the couple had three daughters. Vsevolod Meyerhold dropped out of Moscow University Law School to become an actor and director. He studied acting under Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko and worked for him at the Moscow Art Theater from 1898 to 1902.
Meyerhold moved to St. Petersburg, where he became the leading advocate of Symbolism. He introduced new experimental staging methods into classical plays. After a successful gig as a chief producer at the Vera Komissarzhevskaya theatre, he was invited to the Imperial Directorship of Thatres. Meyerhold worked for Imperial Theatres in 1907-1917, staging both plays and operas. He published a book on innovations in theatrical productions, titled "On Theatre" (1913), that also included his theory of 'conditional theatre'. His acting method was different from that of Stanislavsky's. Meyerhold focused on gestures, poses, and movements in expressing the outward emotions. He argued that physical feel and looks will automatically cause emotional expression. His casting approach was applied by the Russian film directors Sergei Eisenstein, Sergey Gerasimov, Mikhail Romm. For portrayal of the Bolshevik revolutionaries they would cast athletic and attractive actors, while the bourgeois capitalists were played by obese and unattractive actors. Actors from the Meyerhold's theatre were in demand by film directors.
Meyerhold accepted the Russian revolution and joined the Bolshevik Party. But he strongly opposed to Socialist realism and was against censorship and political control of art. His famous productions included "The Dead Souls" (1926) by Nikolay Gogol and "The Bedbug" (1929) by Vladimir Mayakovsky. In 1930s Joseph Stalin started the Great Terror of brutal repressions against intellectuals and experimental artists. Vladimir Mayakovsky was found dead of a gunshot wound. Meyerhold was proclaimed "alien to the Soviet people". He was arrested and imprisoned on false accusations. His theatre was closed down in 1938 and actors became unemployed. His wife, actress Zinaida Raikh was mysteriously murdered in their Moscow apartment in 1939. His neighbors Vitali Golovin and Dmitri Golovin were exiled to Siberian prison-camps. His friends Sergei Prokofiev, Aram Khachaturyan, Anna Akhmatova and many others were banned from publications and performances.
Meyerhold was executed by the firing squad in February of 1940 (the exact date of his death is still unclear). He was rehabilitated posthumously by the Soviet government order that cleared him of all charges, 15 years after his execution.- Nina Veselovskaya was born on 7 March 1932 in Gorodishche, RSFSR, USSR [now Penza Oblast, Russia]. She was an actress, known for Shestoe iyulya (1968), Ishchite i naydyote (1969) and Druzya i gody (1966). She was married to Gennady Dobrovnikov. She died on 6 March 2022 in Russia.
- Writer
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Sergey Penkin was born on 10 February 1961 in Penza, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. He is a writer and actor, known for ANNdroid (2020), Ka-ka-du (1993) and Igra na vybyvanie (2004).- Vadim Dubrovin was born on 31 December 1989 in Penza, Penzenskaya oblast, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. He is an actor, known for Otdokhnut po-lyudski, Zhuki (2019) and Melnik (2018).
- Aleksandr Kuprin was born on 7 September 1870 in Narovchat, Penza Governorate, Russian Empire [now Penza Oblast, Russia]. He was a writer, known for Trus (1914), Granatovyy braslet (1965) and Sisters of the Gion (1936). He was married to Yelizaveta Maritsovna Geinrikh and Maria Karlovna Davydova. He died on 25 August 1938 in Leningrad, RSFSR, USSR [now St. Petersburg, Russia].
- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Timur Kerimov (better known as Timur Rodrigez, October 14, 1979, Penza) - russian showman, singer, TV and radio host, actor. The participant of KVN TV projects, "Comedy Club", "One to One!", "Ice Age" and others. Born in Penza, in the family of the puppet theater actor, azerbaijani Mikhail oglu Karimov, and jewish Zlata Levina, translator, teacher of German and English. He graduated from Penza secondary school number 67. In 2001 he graduated from Penza State Pedagogical University named after Belinsky, Faculty of Foreign Languages, French-English department with a degree in French and English teacher.- Aleksandr Shirshov was born on 24 December 1914 in village Cherkasskoe, Kerensk uyezd, Penza Governorate, Russian Empire [now Pachelmsky District, Penza Oblast, Russia]. He was an actor, known for Kashchei the Immortal (1945), Perestupi porog (1970) and Zvezda ekrana (1974). He died on 10 September 1987 in Moscow, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia].
- Larisa Kronberg was born on 23 May 1929 in Penza, Penzenskiy rayon, Penzenskiy okrug, Sredne-Volzhskaya oblast, RSFSR, USSR [now Penzenskaya oblast, Russia]. She was an actress, known for A Big Family (1954), Ransom (1986) and Poseyali devushki lyon (1956). She died on 24 April 2017 in Moscow, Russia.
- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
Vladimir Sushchinskiy was born on 5 September 1912 in Saransk, Penza Governorate, Russian Empire [now Republic of Mordovia, Russia]. He was a cinematographer, known for Ukraine in Flames (1943), Den voyny (1942) and Pobeda za Visloy (1945). He died on 22 February 1945.- Vladimir Zazubrin was born on 6 June 1895 in Penza, Russian Empire [now Russia]. Vladimir was a writer, known for Izbushka na Bajkale (1926), Krasnyi gas (1924) and The Chekist (1992). Vladimir died on 28 September 1937 in Moscow, Soviet Union [now Russia].
- Maksim Loktionov was born on 1 September 1988 in Kuznetsk, Penza Oblast, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. He is an actor, known for Kniga masterov (2009).
- Galina Bob was born on 4 November 1984 in Penza, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. She is an actress, known for Deffchonki (2012), Muzhskaya zhenskaya igra (2011) and Kurer iz 'Raya' (2013). She has been married to Sergey Koryagin since 26 September 2014. They have two children.
- Valeriy Novikov was born on 21 October 1958 in Penza, Penza oblast, USSR [now Russia]. He is an actor, known for Frantsuzskiy shpion (2013), Zakonnik and Gid i bolshie soblazny (2024).
- Production Designer
- Art Department
- Art Director
Vladimir Aronin was born on 14 June 1941 in Kuznetsk, Penza Oblast, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. He was a production designer and art director, known for The Barber of Siberia (1998), Daddy (2004) and Statskiy sovetnik (2005). He died on 30 July 2012 in Moscow, Russia.- Anzhelika Volchkova was born on 10 September 1970 in Penza, Russian SFSR, USSR. She was an actress, known for Artistka (2007), Sledstvennyy komitet (SK) (2011) and My budem schastlivy, moya prelest (2008). She was married to Sergey Koscheyev. She died on 8 April 2018 in Moscow, Russia.
- Mariya Matveeva was born on 24 January 1984 in Penza, Penzenskaya oblast, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. She is an actress, known for Otryv (2007), Stas (2022) and Igrushki (2010).
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Writer
Vlad Yakovlev was born on 9 January 1974 in Penza, Russian SFSR, USSR [now Russia]. He is a writer, known for Platina (2007), Living (2012) and The Hangover (2015).- Production Designer
- Art Director
Viktor Savostin was born on 17 March 1903 in village Kurakino, Serdobsk uyezd, Saratov Governorate, Russian Empire [now Serdobsky District, Penza Oblast, Russia]. Viktor was a production designer and art director, known for Inzhener Goff (1935), A Big Family (1954) and Maksim Perepelitsa (1956). Viktor died on 1 September 1976.- Aleksey Krasnopolsky was born on 20 June 1904 in Penza, Russian Empire [now Russia]. He was an actor, known for Tainstvennyy ostrov (1941), Esli ty prav... (1964) and Tanker 'Derbent' (1941). He died on 25 October 1967 in Moscow, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia].
- Writer
- Producer
- Actor
Roman Volkov was born on 22 June 1979 in Penza, Russia. He is a writer and producer, known for Pilgrims (2018), Who Will Come With You (2017) and Zveno (2013).