Advanced search
- TITLES
- NAMES
- COLLABORATIONS
Search filters
Enter full date
to
or just enter yyyy, or yyyy-mm below
to
Only includes names with the selected topics
to
or just enter yyyy, or yyyy-mm below
to
1-50 of 3,756
- Eve Harlow was born on 20 June 1989 in Moscow, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. She is an actress, known for The 100 (2014), Next (2020) and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013).
- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Tina Ivlev is an American actress best known for her role as Nightsister Merrin in the hit action-adventure video games "Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order" and "Star Wars Jedi: Survivor." Ivlev played Nightsister Merrin, the last surviving Nightsister on Dathomir, providing her likeness as well as full performance-capture and voice-acting work for the role.
Starring as Eve in the thriller, "Bound to Vengeance," which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, Ivlev garnered much praise for her tour de force performance as a young woman who outwits her kidnapper (Richard Tyson) and attempts to rescue his other victims.
Recently on stage, Ivlev originated the lead role of Ester in the gripping drama, "Dry Land," a Colt Coeur production written by Ruby Rae Spiegel and directed by Adrienne Campbell-Holt. The play, which immediately became a New York Times Critics' Pick, played to sold out houses in New York.
Her other screen credits include "Charming the Hearts of Men" opposite Sean Astin and Kelsey Grammar, "Deadtectives," and "Death Clique." She has appeared in several guest-starring and recurring television roles, including "Shameless," "All Rise," "Queen of the South," "9-1-1," "Zach Stone is Gonna be Famous," and "Major Crimes" among many others.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Danila Valeryevich Kozlovsky is a Russian stage and screen actor. He was born in Moscow, USSR. From a very young age he was into music, dancing and playing football (soccer). He has two brothers, an elder Egor and a younger Ivan.
In 1996, at the age of 11, Danila, following his brothers, went to a special navy school preparing students for the Military Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2002 he graduated from the school, but eventually acting won him. However, he does not think that the years spent at the navy school were wasted.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Olesya Yurivna Rulina is a Russian-American actress. She is best known for co-starring in all three films of the High School Musical franchise as Kelsi Nielsen. She also starred in the films Private Valentine: Blonde & Dangerous (2008), Flying By (2009), Expecting Mary (2010) and Family Weekend (2013).- Actress
- Director
- Writer
Svetlana Khodchenkova is a Russian actress, known for her roles in Bless the Woman (2003) and in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011).
She was born Svetlana Viktorovna Khodchenkova on January 21, 1983, in Moscow and spent her childhood in Zheleznodorozhny, a small city about 6 miles east of Moscow, Russia. She was raised by a single mother, attended a public school, and once dreamed of becoming a medical doctor.
In 1998, at the age of 15, she started a career as a fashion model in Moscow, and also made a few international gigs. In 2000 she began her studies at the Moscow Institute of World Economics, but quit in favor of acting. From 2001 to 2005 she studied acting at the Shchukin Theatrical School of the Vakhtangov Theatre in Moscow. There she attended the class of Nina Doroshina and Alekandr Lyubimtsev, graduating in 2005 as actress.
While a student, she starred in films of directors Stanislav Govorukhin, and Viktor Merezhko, and also appeared in popular Russian TV series. In 2008, she earned the best actress award at Gdynya Polish Film Festival, for the leading role in Mala Moskwa (2008). In 2012, she won COFCA Award for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011).
On December 13, 2005, she married her classmate, actor Vladimir Yaglych, and also took her husband's name, changing her name from Svetlana Khodchenkova to Svetlana Yaglych.The couple married on the 13th on purpose; because all their filming contracts were signed on the 13th, they believed that 13 would keep working as a good number for them. However, their marriage did not last, ending in divorce.
Svetlana has been involved in several stage productions of Independent stage project in Moscow. She made stellar appearances in such plays, as "Moulin Rouge Hospital" and "Theatre with and without rules" earning herself much critical acclaim.
Outside of her acting profession, Svetlana is skilled in horse-back riding. She is also fond of winter sports, such as alpine skiing: she practiced her downhill at the ski resort of Courchevel, France.- Born in Moscow, a student of Moscow Academy of Dramatic Arts, Pasha (aka Pavel) Lychnikoff, appeared on Moscow's stages in such productions as Gogol's Inspector General and Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment. In early 90s Pasha moved to the United States to pursue his acting career there. Arriving at JFK Airport with five dollars in his pocket, speaking only a few words of English, Pasha made his way to Brighton Beach, Harlem, Hell's Kitchen, and then to Los Angeles to act.
As Pasha's career unfolded, he was introduced to bright minds that molded him as an actor and person. He first received a great helping hand and insight from Jonathan Banks at UCLA Film Theatre Department, which was followed by encouragement from private lessons with The Groundlings' creator Gary Austin. Jumping the fence at Twenty Century Fox paid off. Pasha was able to land his first television guest star role on the critically acclaimed NYPD Blue. This opportunity also earned him his membership with Screen Actors Guild. While working on NYPD Blue, Pasha became great friends with writer, creator, and executive producer David Milch. For the rest of Pasha's life, Milch became a mentor and friend who helped him greatly through his career.
While Pasha was living his dream of acting on television, little did he know that he was the first ever Russian to become a series regular on US television. Pasha's first series regular role was on David Milch and Tony Yarkovich's TV drama "Big Apple" on CBS after which he has had more than 40 TV guest appearances.
Lychnikoff continues to build an impressive resume in both television and film. Pasha has starred as Balzanov, a telegraph operator, in a lawless town of the second and third seasons of the critically acclaimed HBO series "Deadwood", created by David Milch. On the comedy side of acting, he had a recurring role on Chuck Lorre's comedy "The Big Bang Theory" as cosmonaut Dmitri Rezenov, and a lead role on the Russian hit series and number one comedy "Fizruk" as hysterical Misha Buddhist. His film credits include "Miami Vice" directed by Michael Mann with Colin Farell and Jamie Foxx, "Charlie Wilson's War" directed by Mike Nichols with Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts, "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" directed by Steven Spielberg, "Star Trek" directed by J.J. Abrams, and "A Good Day to Die Hard" with Bruce Willis, and Motherland by Peter Buslov.
Pasha has a big passion for theater which extended beyond acting to producing. The Shelter, which he created alongside Valeri Belykovich, was his production debut in Los Angeles. The play got 5 Ovation Awards nominations in 2006 in 5 different categories including the World Premier Play, Play Intimate Theater, Direction of a Play, the Ensemble Performance, and Lighting Design. His performance in the play got him rave reviews by a number of critics.
In this coming acting season, Pasha will be seen in multiple projects such as a recurring on the 4th season of "Ray Donovan", mini series "Insomnia", and Sony Entertainment's "Beyond Valkyrie: the 4th Reich". - Producer
- Writer
- Director
Genndy Tartakovsky was born and raised in Moscow, USSR. He and his family moved to Chicago, IL when he was 7 years old, after his father defected to the US. His interest in comic books and animation led him to study animation at CalArts in Los Angeles. While he was there he produced two student films, one of which was the basis of his series Dexter's Laboratory (1996). The character of Dee-Dee was inspired by his older brother Alex, who would often spoil younger brother Genndy's plans (as Dee-Dee does to Dexter). His first long form directing work was for the TV movie of the series, Dexter's Laboratory: Ego Trip (1999). He also directed animation for his collaborator Craig McCracken on The Powerpuff Girls (1998) and The Powerpuff Girls Movie (2002).
His most celebrated work was the epic animated series Samurai Jack (2001), featuring a time-traveling samurai in a battle of good vs. evil. He stopped work on the series to produce Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003) as a direct story tie-in to the beginning of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005). He then directed animation for the Adult Swim pilot Korgoth of Barbaria (2006). Plans were up in the air for over a decade for a possible movie conclusion to Samurai Jack, as well as directing a sequel to The Dark Crystal (1982). He created storyboards for the action-packed opening of Iron Man 2 (2010) during this time period.
Genndy produced another dynamic TV series Sym-Bionic Titan (2010), before finally landing his first feature on Hotel Transylvania (2012), which would involve taking over a tumultuous production and incorporating 2D techniques to 3D animation. Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015) was the first film for which he had creative control over the entire production, although it was still in the style developed during the first film. In 2017, he finally returned to direct a darker season of Samurai Jack to conclude the story on Adult Swim. He is currently directing Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (2018).- Director
- Producer
- Actor
Ilya Naishuller is a film director, actor, producer, screenwriter and the frontman of indie rock band Biting Elbows, founded in 2008. From 8 to 14 he studied in London, and later graduated from the British International School in Yasenevo. Naishuller dropped out of the Institute of Television and Radio Broadcasting, then entered university in New York, but did not graduate. In March 2013, Ilya directed the Biting Elbows' "Bad Motherfucker" YouTube video with over 45 million views.
In 2015, Naishuller wrote and directed the action movie "Hardcore Henry" with Shalto Copley, Hayley Bennett, Danila Kozlovsky, Dariya Charusha and Svetlana Ustinova; and also produced and co-directed the TV series "Barvikha." He shot a video for The Weeknd's "False Alarm" in 2016, a video for the group "Kolshchik" in 2017, and recently directed the hit action-comedy "Nobody" starring Bob Odenkirk in 2021. Naishuller married actress Dariya Charusha in the summer of 2010.- Feodor Fedorovich Chaliapin Jr. was born October 6, 1905, in Moscow, Russia. He was the youngest of six children. His father was the world-famous Russian Opera basso Feodor Chaliapin Sr.. His mother, Iola Tornagi, was a prima-ballerina who quit the stage after her marriage and became a caring mother of six children. Young Feodor grew up in a trilingual family environment. He received an excellent private education in Moscow, where he enjoyed the company of his father's friends, such as Sergei Rachmaninoff and Konstantin Korovin. After the Russian revolution of 1917, he and his father fled from Russia to Paris, France.
Chaliapin Jr. got out from under his father's shadow after moving from Paris to Hollywood. There he began his film career, playing cameo roles in silent films. He created a niche for himself as an impressive character actor with excellent skills. His role as Kashkin, dying in the arms of Gary Cooper in For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943), was one of the finest moments in his early career. He played a variety of Russian characters in films made during and after the Second World War. Among the most memorable of his early works was his role as Fomich in Prisoner of the Volga (1959), directed by Viktor Tourjansky, also a Russian emigrant.
After World War 2 Chaliapin moved to Rome, Italy. There he continued his film career as a character actor, from the 1950s-1970s. He played a broad array of very different characters, ranging from a comic gem as Sen. Torsello in the political satire The Eroticist (1972), to a sinister Prof. Arnold in the horror film Inferno (1980). He returned to Hollywood and made a comeback in his later years. He really made his mark by playing the blind, murderous monk "Jorge of Burgos" in The Name of the Rose (1986). He is probably best known for his role as the loony dog-walking grandfather in Moonstruck (1987), living in a world of his own and greeting the Moon with his funny cries "La Luna! La Luna!" He also enjoyed a fine part as Leonides Cox, 'Robert De Niro''s father in Stanley & Iris (1990). His last notable role was as Prof. Bartnev in The Inner Circle (1991), based on a true story about people suffering in the Soviet Russia under the dictatorship of Joseph Stalin.
In 1960, during "The Thaw" initiated by Nikita Khrushchev, Chaliapin Jr. saved his mother from the communist captivity and reunited with her in Rome, Italy. At that time, Iola Tornagi was 87 and had been granted permission to leave the Soviet Union. She left behind a magnificent art collection and a museum-quality home, built in Moscow by her famous husband. She could only bring her son an album of pictures of his childhood and youth in pre-communist Russia.
24 years later, Chaliapin Jr. took part in the returning of his famous father's remains from Paris to Moscow in 1984, which was also a result of reforms known as perestroika initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev. Chaliapin was allowed to visit Moscow in 1984 for the burial ceremony of his father, Chialiapin Sr., at the Novodevichy Monastery Cemetery. There he briefly rejoiced with his three sisters and other relatives around his father's tomb.
Through his entire life Feodor Feodorovich Chaliapin Jr. was devoted to his mother, Iola Tornagi. She died in 1964, and was laid to rest in the cemetery of Rome. He died of natural causes on September 17, 1992, at his home in Rome, Italy, and was laid to rest next to his mother in the cemetery of Rome. - Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Eugene Mirman was born on 24 July 1974 in Moscow, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. He is an actor and writer, known for The Bob's Burgers Movie (2022), Delocated (2009) and Eugene! (2012). He was previously married to Katie Tharp.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Ania Bukstein is an Israeli actress, singer, song-writer, pianist and voice actress. She was born in 1982 in Moscow, USSR, to Jewish parents. As a child in Moscow, she studied classical piano. Her family immigrated to Israel in the early 1990s. She began her acting career at age 12, appearing in the film Eretz Hadasha (A New Country). As a teenager, she attended Telma Yalin Arts High School in Givatayim, Israel. She served for two years in the Israeli Air Force. She married Israeli real estate developer Dotan Vainer in 2013. In Game of Thrones, she portrays Kinvara in the sixth season.- Actress
- Additional Crew
- Music Department
Anastasia Baranova was born on 23 April 1989 in Moscow, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. She is an actress, known for Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023), Greenland (2020) and Day Shift (2022).- Actor
- Producer
Yuri Kolokolnikov was born on December 15, 1980 in Moscow, Soviet Union is a Russian actor of theatre and cinema. His best known roles in television series are Styr in the Game of Thrones (2011) and Gennadi Bystrov in The Americans (2013). His parents divorced shortly after Yuri was born and in 1985 his mother moved to Canada with Yuri and his brother. Kolokolnikov is a citizen of Russia and Canada.
Kolokolnikov as a child, was both unruly and uncontrollable. Unable to cope with the upbringing of her son, his mother sent him back to Russia to live with his father.
Almost immediately after his arrival in Moscow, he went to study at film school and became involved with the production of children shows. Soon afterwards, his father took him to audition for the director Savva Kulish, where Kolokolnikov gained a small role in the film Zheleznyy zanaves (1994).
At 15 years old, he passed external exams for the last two classes of high school and submitted his documents to the Boris Shchukin Theatre Institute.
In 2000, immediately after graduation, he went to Hollywood. During the year, he lived in Los Angeles and New York, working part-time as a waiter, a courier, a loader. Unable to break into the American cinema Kolokolnikov returned to Moscow.
He has appeared in more than forty films since 1998. Kolokolnikov met with director Kirill Serebrennikov, who invited him for a role in the television series The Murderer's Diary (2003) and in the staging of Sweet Bird of Youth at the theater Sovremennik Theatre. The premiere took place in 2002.
In 2014, he played the role of Styr, Magnar of Thenn, in the fourth season of the television series Game of Thrones (2011).
In 2015, he played a lead role in the Russian sitcom Ozabochennye (2015), and in one episode of the criminal series The Method (2015) by Yuriy Bykov.
He had a lead role in the Russian 2016 comedy film Zavtrak u papy (2016). The film is about a wealthy man who discovers that he has a 10 year old daughter.
In the 2017 American action-comedy The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017), Kolokolnikov played a Belarusian mercenary leader Ivan.- Actor
- Editorial Department
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.- Actress
Jenya Lano is an American actress and voice-over artist of European descent. A Berkeley graduate, she is known for "Blade" (1998), "Killing Cupid" (2005), "S.W.A.T." (2003), "NCIS", "The Shield" (2002), "Xena: Warrior Princess" and many other film and TV projects. Currently, (2023), Jenya resides and works in Los Angeles, California. She is fluent in three languages and enjoys writing.- Alina Boz is a Turkish-Russian actress. Alina Boz was born in Moscow, Russia. Alina's mother 'Olga' is Russian and her father is Turkish of Bulgarian Turks descent. She lived in Russia until she was 7 years old. In 2005, she came to Istanbul for her father's job. She started Primary school in Istanbul. After moving to Turkey, she started dancing and theater. At the age of nine she started studying theater. First, she played as Canan in Cesur Hemsire. Alina Boz, who also starred in Avea ads with Ata Demirer, has appeared in many commercials. Alina Boz, who was associated with Murat Boz for her surname, became the cover face of Heygirl magazine in 2010 with Murat Boz. She studied at the aviation vocational high school.She is studying theatre department of Kadir Has University. Since December 1, 2014, Alina Boz plays as Hazal Gürpinar in Paramparça (TV series) and she has got co-lead role and started to be recognized.
- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Eugenia Kuzmina is a Russian-American actress, comedian, and model. Her father was a renowned nuclear physicist who was one of the first responds to the Chornobyl disaster. Her mother is a former scientist and a housewife. Eugenia grew up on food lines in Post Soviet time. She was training to be a professional ice skater when at 13 years old, she was pulled out from a group of kids in her school to appear in a Russian version of SNL "Eralash." She was then cast to appear in Chuck Norris's film but couldn't leave the country due to visa issues. After appearing in commercials for Coca-Cola, L'Oréal, and Wrigleys in Moscow, for which she was paid more than her scientist's dad, she was noticed by a scout at Nathalie Models Europe. She signed a contract and moved to Paris at 15 to work with such brands as Yves Saint Laurent, Cartier, Dior, Armani, Hermes, Loreal, and Vogue, among many others...
After Ford Models, then IMG signed her contract and moved her to the US, she was noticed by Rodrigo Prieto (cinematographer of " Wolf Of Wall Street," "Babel") to appear in his directorial debut opposite Elle Fanning "Likeness." The movie was screened at Tribeca Film Festival and received excellent reviews. John Turturro cast Eugenia to play opposite him in a film with Woody Allen, "Fading Gigolo." Recently Eugenia worked opposite Bill Murray in "Rock The Kasbah," Milla Kunis and Christina Applegate in "Bad Moms, "Guy Ritchie's " The Gentlemen, "Operation Fortune, "etc. Eugenia's Tv credits include " Spy City, "True Blood," "New Girl," "Castle," "The Comeback," "Lady Dynamite," Tour De Pharmacy, "etc.
Eugenia is very passionate about comedy and writes and performs Stand Up regularly at The Comedy Store and The Laugh Factory. She has created a show, " Models of Comedy, "that is touring around the world. Her other hobbies include motorcycles, doing her own stunts, languages (French, Portuguese), and supporting environmental causes worldwide.
Kuzmina resides in Los Angeles with her husband, Bill Block ( Miramax CEO ), and two children.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Ravil Isyanov was born in 1962 in the Soviet Union in Greater Moscow area, the city of Voskresensk. Throughout childhood, Ravil attended classes in music, ballet, theatre, as well as going for sports - ice hockey, boxing and soccer among them. After completing his two years national service in the Soviet Air Force, Ravil worked for two seasons in Khabarovsk Theatre. Then, he studied in the Moscow Art Theatre School for four years. He simultaneously studied three summers at the Oxford branch of the British American Drama Academy. In 1990 Ravil went to the UK at the invitation of Theater Clwyd, Wales. After the collapse of the USSR, he stayed in Britain and continued working there. In 1998 he moved to Los Angeles to pursue his film career, where he worked and lived for the rest of his life.- Actor
- Producer
Daniel Donskoy was born on 27 January 1990 in Moscow, USSR. He is an actor and producer, known for Barbarians (2020), A Small Light (2023) and Victoria (2016).- Irina Vladimirovna Starshenbaum. Born in Moscow. She is a Russian stage and film actress and television presenter.
Her mother is a professional hairdresser. Her grandparents are also hairdressers. That is why, from a very young age, Irina always stood out among her peers with extravagant hairstyles.
Her cousin is the famous actress Anna Starshenbaum.
She decided to become an actress in high school, planned to take acting classes, but her parents and school teachers dissuaded her. They told her that she "should get a serious profession" because "acting doesn't make money".
The young Irina chose, in her words, "a mix" of advertising, public relations and journalism. She entered the Faculty of Communications and Media Business at Moscow Polytechnic University. At the same time, he took courses in theater art, rhetoric and philosophy at Moscow State University of Psychology and Pedagogy.
She worked as a presenter of entertainment programs on Russian television and also collaborated in theaters.
She made her screen debut in 2015, playing the lead role, in the melodrama series The Crossing (2015).
She gained great popularity after filming the comedy series of STS channel TKrysha mira (2015), in which she played the role of an female adventurer.
Irina also achieved great recognition for her vivid role in the detective crime drama "Shakal", in which she played Kalina Poltavchenko, an employee of the State Film Fund, a friend of the protagonist of the series.
In January 2017, the blockbuster Attraction (2017) directed by Fedor Bondarchuk, in which the actress played one of the main roles, was released. According to the plot, an unidentified object is shot down over Moscow initiating a state of emergency in the city.
In early 2018, the sci-fi drama series Lachuga dolzhnika (2018), directed by Alexander Kott and based on a novel by Vadim Shefner, was released. The actress plays one of the main roles: the beautiful Ella, for whose heart the male characters fight.
She played the role of Natasha, Mike Naumenko's wife in the film Leto (2018), a biographical musical drama directed by Kirill Serebrennikov. The film tells about the beginning of the creative path of Viktor Tsoi and the group Kino, his relationship with Mike Naumenko, his wife Natasha and many of those who were at the forefront of the 1981 Leningrad rock movement.
In 2018 she was one of the leading ladies in the war drama T-34 (2018) by Aleksey Sidorov.
She shot in 2020 the sequel to Attraction (2017) also directed by Fedor Bondarchuk, titled Invasion (2020).
2021 was the year of filming the drama and comedy series Dzhetlag (2021).
In 2022 comes her first venture outside Russia, with the Germanic film Dark Satellites (2022). - Marina was born in Moscow and studied acting at the State Institute of Art and Theatre in Moscow. She graduated in 1986. She is now a well-known theatre actress in Russia, and she has played in 24 Russian movies for television and cinema. These included: "Valentin and Valentina", "Joys of the Youth", "Doubrovsky" "Along the Road with the Orchestra", "Limited Life", "Under the Northern Light" and "The Golden Fog."
- Writer
- Director
- Producer
The Russian theatre and film director Andrei Konchalovsky is an elder brother of Nikita Mikhalkov, born August, 20, 1937. As a youngster he planned to pursue a career of a musician and learned to play piano but his love for cinema outweighed and he entered VGIK-the major state film school where he studied under Mikhail Romm. At VGIK he met Andrei Tarkovsky, they collaborated on Ivan's Childhood (1962) and Andrei Rublev (1966). For his feature debut The First Teacher (1965), he chose the book by Chingiz Aitmatov about the post-1917 Revolution period in the southern Russia. His next film Istoriya Asi Klyachinoy, kotoraya lyubila, da ne vyshla zamuzh (1966) although made in 1966 was not released until a decade later because it failed to comply with the strict requirements of the Russian censorship of the period. A Nest of Gentry (1969) - a study of the 19 c. aristocracy - was praised for its visual beauty but attacked by critics as mannered. Konchalovsky's powerful Uncle Vanya (1970) from the play by 'Anton Chekhov_ is regarded by many people as one of the best films in the Russian language ever. Siberiade (1979) - a dramatic and realistic story of the lives of the people of Siberia - was internationally acclaimed and brought Konchalovsky to the attention of American and European producers. From then on-wards his career has been international in scope. Pleasing critics and audiences worldwide, he made the English language films Maria's Lovers (1984), Runaway Train (1985), Duet for One (1986) (praised for Max von Sydow's brilliant performance), and the award-winning Homer and Eddie (1989) starring Whoopi Goldberg. Konchalovsky moved to the mainstream territory with the action packed Tango & Cash (1989). Charasteristically he still insists that this work is no less laudable than any of his others. He also directed plays and operas in a number of European cities. In the early 1990s he returned to Russia and directed several theatre productions most notably "The Seagull" by Chekhov and "Miss Julie" by August Strindberg. Residing in Moscow Konchalovsky sometimes makes short excursions to Hollywood to make mainstream TV productions like the Emmy-winning The Odyssey (1997) and The Lion in Winter (2003) in which Glenn Close gave an award-winning performance. His Russian-French co-production House of Fools (2002) - a story set in an asylum that stands on the border between Russia and Chechenya during the war in Chechenya - was warmly received in Europe and won an honor at the 2002 Venice Film Festival. However the film antagonized the critics in Russia. In the very beginning of his career he was credited as Mikhalkov- Konchalovsky. Later he adopted his mother's maiden name to distinguish himself from his younger brother, Nikita Mikhalkov, who was rapidly becoming a famous filmmaker himself. For his last feature film The Postman's White Nights (2014), shot digitally in his home country Russia, Andrey Konchalovsky won the 'Best Director' award at the 'Venice International Film Festival' in 2014.- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Nikita Mikhalkov is the son of the famous communist poet Sergey Mikhalkov, who wrote the lyrics of the Soviet national anthem and had strong connections to the Communist Party. Nikita Mikhalkov's mother, Natalya Petrovna Konchalovskaya, was also a poet and daughter of famous painter Pyotr Petrovich Konchalovsky and his wife Olga Vasilievna Surikova, and by her the great granddaughter of another great painter Vasily Surikov. And then last, but not least, Nikita Mikhalkov is the brother of Andrey Konchalovskiy, also a distinguished film director who, unlike Nikita, has worked in the USA.
Not only did Mikhalkov direct the Academy Award-winning film "Burnt by the Sun" but he is also well-known as a versatile actor, having appeared in over 40 films, including the role of the Russian Tsar Alexander III in his own "The Barber of Siberia" (1998).
Mikhalkov has an impressively long list of wins at the most prestigious film festivals, like Cannes, Venice, Moscow or Karlovy Vary.
Following his movie's Oscar win for Best Foreign Language Film, Nikita Mikhalkov won a parliamentary seat in the then Prime Minister Victor Chernomyrdin's party.
He is always in the spotlight, especially in Moscow, where he resides.- Lyubov Aksyonova was born on 15 March 1990 in Moscow, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. She is an actress, known for Coma (2019), Moscow Never Sleeps (2017) and Byvshie (2018). She has been married to Pavel Aksyonov since February 2013.
- Actress
- Director
- Writer
Lyanka Gryu's experience in TV and cinema has been truly unique from the very start: she has been working as an actress since the age of 4 when she landed her first lead in the award-winning European film Odin (based on the story by Ray Bradbury).
At 6 she was cast as a prime-time 'Tic-Tac' kids TV show anchor - and led it for 3 years. When Lyanka was 8 years old she played a role in The Little Princess feature film, which brought her The Best Supporting Role and The Best Female Actor awards.
From 12 till 17 she played lead roles in various theatrical plays, but what made her a nationwide star was the role in 2005's Fated To Become A Star TV series that jump-started her career as a teenage star actress.
Lyanka has vast experience in international productions such as the lead in:- The Chinese hit feature film Scarlet Cherry;
- The Italian award-winning feature film The Bright Side Of The Moon;
- The American award-winning TV show The Americans;
- Pregnancy Test, medical series on the main TV channel of Russia, recognized by the critics with The Best TV Series Of 2015 Award;
- Sherlock Holmes TV series (the role of Irene Adler).
Having become a true A-list star in Russia, Lyanka was cast for a feature film The Return Of Musketeers as D'Artagnan's daughter - Jaqueline. Her next success - the lead in Golden, TV series by TNT channel and feature film PG 16 - made her a superstar among the teenage and young adult audiences in Russia.
In 2013 she won Ice Age, prime-time ice skating TV show competition, where she was paired with Maxim Marinin - Olympic, World, and five-time European Skating Champion.
And the 2014's box-office hit feature Some Like It Cold had proved her status of a bankable star in her homeland and made Lyanka decide to move to the US to continue her acting career in the heart of the world film industry.
She moved to New York and then to Los Angeles. In 2015 Lyanka got a Green Card as an extraordinary ability artist, than became a SAG-legible actress and successfully started a new stage of her career. A Russian-American actress known for her roles in The Americans (seasons 5 & 6, FX network), police procedural Blue Bloods (season 7, CBS) and psychological thriller feature Impossible Monsters written about in The Hollywood Reporter. Her roles in the short films Watch Me and 9.8m/s2 (premiered at Cannes Film Festival) have brought festival awards and nominations: Best Actress (Queen Palm IFF, London City IFF), Best Film (Queen Palm IFF), Best Drama (New York Shorts IFF) & others.- Valeri Bure was born on 13 June 1974 in Moscow, Russian SFSR, USSR [now Russia]. He has been married to Candace Cameron Bure since 22 June 1996. They have three children.
- Born Olga Vladimirovna Baklanova, one of six children of Vladimir Baklanoff and his wife Alexandra, later billed as the Russian Tigress in her early talking films, was born August 19, 1893. She graduated from the Cherniavsky Institute in Moscow prior to her selection in 1912 at age 19 to apprentice at the Moscow Art Theatre. During her early years at M.A.T. (1914-1918) she appeared in perhaps 18 films bringing her into contact with Tourjansky, Boleslawski and M. Chekov among others. Her last Russian film, Bread (1918) was the first communist agitprop vehicle. From 1917 she appeared in the "classics" on the parent stage and at the M.A.T. First Studio. Her mentor, Nemirovich-Danchenko, showcased her in avant-garde productions of the newly created M.A.T. Musical Studio from 1920-1925. She was honored with the Worthy Artist Of The Republic by the Soviet regime.
Eight months after her M.A.T. New York debut in December 1925, she declined to return with the M.A.T. company to Russia and subsequently defected. She was noticed by the Hollywood studios while performing on stage in Los Angeles in The Miracle in the role of the nun. Her film debut was a bit in The Dove (1927). Her dramatic Portrayals in The Man Who Laughs (1928), Street of Sin (1928), The Docks of New York (1928) and Forgotten Faces (1928) brought her critical acclaim in 1928. Her subsequent vamp/tramp roles in early Paramount and Fox talking films nearly destroyed her promising start. Stagey mannerisms and a heavy accent relegated her to supporting roles. She appeared to advantage in three films at MGM including the infamous Freaks (1932) with an unrestrained and legendary performance.
After appearing in west coast stage productions in 1931-32, she permanently left for the Broadway stage in 1933 following one last film at Paramount. From 1933 to 1943 she starred in various Broadway productions and then toured in road companies of Cat And The Fiddle, Twentieth Century, Grand Hotel and Idiot's Delight. She debuted on the London stage in 1936 in Going Places. One last big role in Claudia (1943) kept her busy for two years (1941-1943). She returned to Hollywood in 1943 to recreate her stage role. Some summer stock and occasional night club appearances followed as she moved into retirement.
During the mid-1960s Olga was interviewed by Richard Lamparski, Kevin Brownlow and John Kobal who all recognized her unique contributions in the performing arts. Her death occurred at Vevey, Switzerland on September 6, 1974 after a period of declining health. - Writer
- Soundtrack
Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky was born on November 11, 1821, in Moscow, Russia. He was the second of seven children of Mikhail Andreevich and Maria Dostoevsky. His father, a doctor, was a member of the Russian nobility, owned serfs and had a considerable estate near Moscow where he lived with his family. It's believed that he was murdered by his own serfs in revenge for the violence he would commit against them while in drunken rages. As a child Fyodor was traumatized when he witnessed the rape of a young female serf and suffered from epileptic seizures. He was sent to a boarding school, where he studied sciences, languages and literature. He was devastated when his favorite writer, Alexander Pushkin, was killed in a duel in St. Petersburg in 1837. That same year Dostoevsky's mother died, and he moved to St. Petersburg. There he graduated from the Military Engineering Academy, and served in the Tsar's government for a year.
Dostoevsky was active in St. Petersburg literary life; he grew out of his early influence by Nikolay Gogol, translated "Eugenia Grande" by Honoré de Balzac in 1844 and published his own first novel, "Poor Folk", in 1845, and became friends with Ivan Turgenev and Nikolai A. Nekrasov, but it ended abruptly after they criticized his writing. At that time he became indirectly involved in a revolutionary movement, for which he was arrested in 1849, convicted of treason and sentenced to death. His execution was scheduled for a freezing winter day in St. Petersburg, and at the appointed hour he was blindfolded and ordered to stand before the firing squad, waiting to be shot. The execution was called off at the last minute, however, and his sentence was commuted to a prison term and exile in Siberia, where his health declined amid increased epileptic seizures. After serving ten years in prison and exile, he regained his title in the nobility and returned to St. Petersburg with permission from the Tsar. He abandoned his formerly liberal views and became increasingly conservative and religious. That, however, didn't stop him from developing an acute gambling problem, and he accumulated massive gambling debts.
In 1862, after returning from his first major tour of Western Europe, Dostoevsky wrote that "Russia needs to be reformed, by learning the new ideas that are developing in Europe." On his next trip to Europe, in 1863, he spent all of his money on a manipulative woman, A. Suslova, went on a losing gambling spree, returned home flat broke and sank into a depression. At that time he wrote "Notes from Underground" (1864), preceding existentialism in literature. His first wife died in 1864, after six years of a childless marriage, and he adopted her son from her previous marriage. Painful experiences caused him to fall further into depression, but it was during this period that he wrote what many consider his finest work: "Crime and Punishment" (1866).
After completion of "The Gambler" (1867), the 47-year-old Dostoevsky married his loyal friend and literary secretary, 20-year-old Anna Snitkina, and they had four children. His first baby died at three months of age, causing him to sink further into depression and triggering more epileptic seizures. At that time Dostoevsky expressed his disillusionment with the Utopian ideas in his novels "The Idiot" (1868) and "The Devils" (aka "The Possessed") (1871), where the "devils" are destructive people, such as revolutionaries and terrorists. Dostoevsky was the main speaker at the opening of the monument to Alexander Pushkin in 1880, calling Pushkin a "wandering Russian, searching for universal happiness". In his final great novel, "The Brothers Karamazov" (1880), Dostoevsky revealed the components of his own split personality, depicted in four main characters; humble monk Alyosha, compulsive gambler Dmitri, rebellious intellectual Ivan, and their cynical father Fyodor Karamazov.
Dostoevsky died on February 9, 1881, of a lung hemorrhage caused by emphysema and epileptic seizures. He lived his entire life under the pall of epilepsy, much like the mythical "Sword of Damocles", and was fearless in telling the truth. His writings are an uncanny reflection on his own life - the fate of a genius in Russia.- Marta Kessler was born on 8 August 2009 in Moscow, Russia. She is an actress, known for The Mysterious Benedict Society (2021), Cosmoball (2020) and Union of Salvation (2019).
- Russian Award-winning actress Darya Ekamasova was born and raised in Moscow, Russia. She graduated from a music college, playing piano. At the age of 16, she was invited to star in a film by the famous Russian director Andrew Proshkin. She played a girl from an orphanage named Cicciolina. Darya really liked acting in films and, despite disagreements with her parents, she left music and entered the oldest Russian Academy of Theater Arts. During her studies, Darya starred with famous Russian directors such as Boris Khlebnikov, Alexey Fedorchenko, Nikolay Dostal, Nikolay Khomeriki. Films with her participation have repeatedly represented Russia at international film festivals such as Cannes, Venice Film Festival, Berlinale, etc. In 2010, Ekamasova played the lead part in the play "Life is Successful", which received the highest theater Award "Golden Mask". At the same time, the outstanding Russian director Andrew Smirnov noticed her and invited her to play the lead part in the film "Once upon a time there lived a simple woman". This is a folk drama, in the center of the story is a simple peasant woman Varvara. Through the prism of her life and love, the fate of the country is shown. This performance was highly appreciated by critics and viewers. Darya received all main awards in her country, as well as High Commendations at the Asia Pacific Screen Award and became a member of the Asian Film Academy. This film was shown in many countries and became her hallmark in the world of cinema. The film was screened at the 2012 New York Film Festival. That time Darya first came to America. Her life is divided into before and after. She fell in love with New York and began to fly there regularly.
In 2013, Ekamasova starred in the American film «Fourth Dimension» with Grolsh Film Works and VICE film. The film was screened at the Tribeca Film Festival.
In 2015, The play "Knock" was premiered at the Lost & Found Theater in New York. Her work attracted the attention of American producer Ben Barentholtz, who gave the world such outstanding filmmakers as the Coen Brothers, David Lynch, Jim Jarmusch, etc. Barentholtz invited Darya to play the lead part in his directorial debut film «Alina». In August 2017, the premiere took place in Los Angeles, where the film was presented by David Lynch himself. He praised Darya's acting work in this film.
In 2017, one of the best casting directors in America, Rori Bergman, drew attention to her and Ekamasova joined the team of «The Americans», she became a series regular character in seasons 5 and 6. Her partners were Matthew Rice, Carrie Russell and Noah Emmerich.
At the same time, she continued to act in Russia, Lithuania, Ukraine. Her role as Polina Schneider in Aleksey Fedorchenko's film "Angels of the Revolution" was noted by critics at the Rome Film Festival. And in 2017, Darya received the Chopard Talent Award, presented for the first time to a Russian actress.
In 2019, a TV series about the women's Gulag "A.L.Zh.I.R." was released, where Ekamasova played the lead part of Olga Pavlova, who was imprisoned due to the Stalinist repressions of 1937.
The 2019 Sundance Film Festival and the 72nd Cannes Film Festival premiered «Give Me Liberty». «Give me Liberty» is an absurd and incredibly lyrical comedy by Kirill Mikhanovsky, which won The Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award. She also created a magnificent image of Lenin's famous wife Nadezhda Krupskaya in the film "Lenin. Inevitability" directed by Vladimir Khotinenko, and Yevgeny Mironov himself became her co-star.
And in 2019, the Norwegian TVshow Occupied was released on Netflix, where Darya played a lesbian girl who came under political pressure because of her sharp tongue.
In 2021, the «Khrustalny» TV series by Serbian director Dusan Gligorov was released, which became the best TV series in Russia in 2021. Ekamasova played the main female role of a prostitute Katya Skazka, who helps to catch a pedophile maniac.
In 2022, Darya appears in the series «To the lake 2», which was the first Russian project for Netflix.
In August 2022, at Window to Europe Film Festival, Ekamasova won The Best Actress Award for her performance in the film «Just before» directed by Alisa Erokhina.
She continues to study music and her dream is to play a part of a pianist.
Member of SAG AFTRA - Stasya Miloslavskaya was born in Moscow on May 4, 1995. As a child, she trained at the Rampa Children's Theatre Studio. She also graduated from a music school where she played the piano. In 2013 she entered Moscow Art Theatre School (Evgeniy Pisarev's class). After her graduation in 2017, she joined the company of the Moscow Pushkin Drama Theatre. As of now (2021) she is part of the Yermolova Theatre company.
- Anna Kournikova is a Russian former professional tennis player and American television personality. Her appearance and celebrity status made her one of the best known tennis stars worldwide.
Despite never winning a singles title, she reached No. 8 in the world in 2000. She achieved greater success playing doubles, where she was at times the world No. 1 player. With Martina Hingis as her partner, she won Grand Slam titles in Australia in 1999 and 2002, and the WTA Championships in 1999 and 2000. Her pro career doubles record was 200-71. Her singles record is 209-129.
Kournikova retired at the age of 21 due to serious back and spinal problems. She was a new trainer for season 12 of the television show The Biggest Loser, replacing Jillian Michaels, but did not return for season 13. In addition to her tennis and television work, Kournikova serves as a Global Ambassador for Population Services International's "Five & Alive" program, which addresses health crises facing children under the age of five and their families. - Buxom and beautiful blonde actress Bobbie Bresee had a sadly short-lived reign as a scream queen in a handful of enjoyably trashy 80s low-budget horror pictures.
Bobbie was born in 1942 in Moscow, Idaho. Her father was a U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant who was killed in Guadalcanal during the Shelling of Henderson Field when she was less than a month old. Her mother married another Marine, Walter Richard Bartosh in 1945, producing her half-sister Sharon Lee Bartosh, born in 1947. Walter adopted her and he and her mother remained married until Walther's passing in 2014. She attended the University of Idaho, was a music teacher and onetime "Playboy" Bunny prior to embarking on an acting career.
Bresee gave a solid and impressive performance as a sweet and lovely young lady who becomes possessed by an evil sexually voracious demon in the fun fright feature Mausoleum (1983). (Bobbie was nominated for a Saturn Award as Best Actress for her fine acting in this film.) Bresee was quite funny as Smeg's mom in the crudely amusing Surf Nazis Must Die (1987) and had a memorably sexy bit as a luscious, but lethal temptress in the crummy Ghoulies (1984). Bobbie tackled a semi-autobiographical starring role as a faded aging B-movie starlet who transforms into a murderous humanoid insect monster after taking an experimental youthful serum in the delightfully dreadful Evil Spawn (1987). Bresee popped up in guest spots on the TV shows Charlie's Angels (1976), B.J. and the Bear (1978), The Love Boat (1977), Simon & Simon (1981), and The Fall Guy (1981). She had a recurring part on the daytime soap opera Santa Barbara (1984).
In real life Bobbie Bresee is an extremely charming and well-educated woman who plays the piano. - Actor
- Additional Crew
Familiar character actor of Russian heritage who played in scores of films, mostly in the U.S. He studied at the University of Moscow but left there to attend the Moscow Academy of Dramatic Art. He joined the world- renowned Moscow Art Theatre, where he worked for the next decade as an actor and assistant director, eventually directing plays himself. In 1923, he emigrated to Berlin and spent most of the next decade acting in films there and in Austria. With the coming of the Nazis, he relocated first to Paris, in 1932, and then to the United States in 1937. He immediately found himself very busy with dozens of roles in many popular American films, ranging from Russian to Chinese, Mexican, and Italian characters. Although his specialty was gentle, beatific characters, he could and did on occasion play less noble types. Among his most memorable characterizations were Anselmo, the gentle rebel in For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943), and the wise peasant in The Magnificent Seven (1960). He died in West Hollywood, California in 1962.- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Alena Savostikova is a Russian born model. She established her career within the high pressures of the European market, later exploring Asia in the interests of furthering her knowledge and becoming a more diverse leader of the industry.
Currently resides in Los Angeles, California, Alena is pursuing an acting career. She recently worked on the highly coveted television shows "Mindy Kaling Project", "Mixology", "Rizzoli & Isles" and also played one of the leading roles in "Mummy Resurructed". Alena is known for her lead role in Chinese blockbuster "The Great Guys" and soon to be released film "Higher Mission".
Alena is working with the production company Eastern Shadows on the film "Tokyo Prion" which is rumored to be released later this year.
You can find Alena in her recent campaigns for FILA, Kswiss, John Frieda, Fuji Film, Beaver Hair Products, Samsung, Megafon, Bench Body and many others.
She also had the pleasure of starring in Benny Benassi's "Let This Last Forever", Michael Jackson's "Behind the Mask", All American Rejects "Kids On The Street", Celine Dion ft. Ne-Yo "Incredible", Above & Beyond's "Blue Sky Action", Placebo's "Loud Like Love" and J Soul Brothers (EXILE) "R.Y.U.S.E.I." music videos.- Igor Jijikine is a Russian-American actor best known for his powerful scenes opposite Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008).
He was born Igor Zhizhikin, in 1965, in Russia. Young Igor was fond of movies and acting; he was also a good sportsmen. He attended the Moscow State College of Physical Culture and trained in gymnastics, soccer, ice skating and snow skiing, graduating as Master of Sports of the USSR. He also studied acting, martial arts and acrobatics, and performed with the Moscow State Circus. In 1989, he was with the Moscow Circus on tour in the USA, but his manager took all the money and disappeared. At that time 24-year-old Jijikine was left penniless, he lived on the streets, but still decided to stay and work in America. Since then, Jijikin's life has been as hectic and turbulent as some of the characters he played on stage and in film. He survived three marriages, tried several non-acting jobs, worked as acrobat with such Las Vegas casinos as Circus-Circus and Stratosphere, founded a circus agency, and became known as "The Russian Bear" in Las Vegas. In 1991 he landed the leading part in a Las Vegas production of 'Samson and Dalilah'. A few years later he worked with the Cirque du Soleil's "Mysterie" in Las Vegas.
In the 2000s, Jijikine took acting classes in Hollywood. There he was noticed by an agent, and eventually switched to film, becoming typecast as a "bad guy." Jijikine made his big screen debut in Blood Work (2002) under the directorship of Clint Eastwood, then appeared opposite Quentin Tarantino in two episodes of the TV series Alias (2001). He also appeared in about 40 commercials, and became the face of video game 'Red Alert'.
His big brake came with supporting role as Russian Colonel Dovchenko opposite Cate Blanchett and Harrison Ford in the 4th film of the Indiana Jones franchise, directed by Steven Spielberg, who called Jijikine "the best bad guy." - A Russian comedian who gave up a successful film career in his homeland for religious freedom and bit parts in the United States. He made 42 films in the former Soviet Union before he was allowed to leave in the early 1980's.
- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Alexis Raben was born on 25 August 1980 in Moscow, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. She is an actress and producer, known for House of the Dragon (2022), Krypton (2018) and Miss March (2009). She has been married to Miguel Sapochnik since 2006.- Jonathan M. Woodward was born on 20 November 1973 in Moscow, Idaho, USA. He is an actor, known for Firefly (2002), Angel (1999) and Pipe Dream (2001).
- Michael Gor was born on 19 May 1965 in Moscow, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. He is an actor, known for Hunter Killer (2018), Bridge of Spies (2015) and Die Another Day (2002). He has been married to Olesya Markelova since 2010. They have one child. He was previously married to Anna Margolis.
- Producer
- Actor
- Director
Founder and co-founder of Art Pictures Studio production company, general producer of NMG Studio company, Chairman of the Directors Board of Lenfilm Production Studio, founder of Industry Film and Television School. Directed two successful domestic war dramas: "The 9th Company" (2005) that was based on real-life battle during the Soviet-Afghan war became the first Russian film with $25 million box-office and was awarded by the National Academy of Cinema Arts; "Stalingrad" (2013) became one of the highest-grossing films in Russian history and gained over $67 million worldwide. Moreover, "Stalingrad" was the first Russian movie released in IMAX format. One of the latest Fedor Bondarchuk's projects, sci-fi blockbuster "Attraction" (also released in IMAX format), became one of the top grossing Russian films and earned over one billion rubles in Russia and CIS. Over 4 million viewers watched "Attraction" in cinema, the movie also became the leader on streaming services after its online release . The follow-up of this ambitious story, "Invasion", came out in theaters in January 2020 and grossed over 900 million rubles in cinemas (with more than 2 million audience). Another Fedor Bondarchuk's latest project was his first TV-series "Psycho" - a dramatic story about a modern psychotherapist. Russian NMG Studio and Renta Videostudio were producing.
Fedor Bondarchuk's Art Pictures Studio Production Company has been working on national and international markets over 25 years and is considered to be one of the leaders in Russian film industry. Art Pictures Studio production projects include such Russian box-office hits as "Ice" (directed by Oleg Trofim), "Heat" (directed by Rezo Gigineishvili), "Soulless " and "Soulless-2" (directed by Roman Prygunov) and many others. Films produced by APS have earned over $200 million in movie theaters and won over 50 Russian and International awards. More than 80 countries purchased the rights to distribute APS projects. The "Ice" sequel -"Ice 2" (directed by Zhora Kryzhovnikov) premiered February 2020 and grossed more than 1,5 billion rubles. Over 5 million people have seen "Ice 2" in cinemas. Art Pictures Studio's new movie - sci-fi thriller "Sputnik" where Fedor Bondarchuk played a colonel Semiradov (directed by Egor Abramenko) was also a huge hit. The project was viewed more than 1 million times after just one month of online-streaming in Russia. It also became Number 1 in American iTunes (the "Horror" category) right after its USA release. "Sputnik"'s Rotten Tomatoes score is almost 90% - it is the first time when a Russian project is rated this high. In September of 2021 APS released its first documentary "Bondarchuk.Battle" focusing on a figure of Academy Award-winning director Sergei Bondarchuk. Helming the project are journalists Anton Jelnov and Denis Kataev with Ilya Belov as a director. Fedor Bondarchuk was producing.
Fedor Bondarchuk is one of the founders and producers of Art Pictures Vision Company which specializes in TV production. Art Pictures Vision portfolio includes such popular TV projects as "The Year of Culture" (TNT channel), "90's. Funny and loud!", "Psychologirls" (STS channel). In 2019 APV projects premiered on Amazon Prime streaming service: sports drama "Junior League" (STS), spy thriller "Sleepers" (TV 1st channel) and a horror movie "The day after" became available for foreign subscribers. The latter also had a release in Japan - both on TV screens and online. Among current APV projects are road-movie type of comedy "Let's go!" (STS) and sports comedy "Lanky Girls" (STS), a detective period piece An Hour before the Dawn"(NTV and more tv), a story about a Russian moto sport team "Kamaz Master" - "KAMAZ. Extreme Racing" (Premiere), and a comedy " Parents Commitee" (STS).
In 2017 Fedor Bondarchuk and producers of "Vodorod" Production Company Mikhail Vrubel and Alexander Andryushchenko, joined by National Media Group, founded Industry Film and Television School. The mission of the School is to form a new generation of professionals in Russian film industry. At present Industry Film and Television School offers more than 20 various training programs from filmmaking and cinematography up to VFX production. Among the members of School's advisory board and training staff are professionals of Russian film and TV industries as well as successful and talented Russian filmmakers. In the three years of its existence School produced a lot of student's short films that later got into the programs of such significant film festivals as "Kinotavr", "Motion", "In one word" (Korotche), MIFF and many others.
Fedor Bondarchuk is also known as one of the most popular and sought-after actors of Russian cinema. He played more than 70 roles in movies and TV projects of various genres. Fyodor Bondarchuk is the two-time winner of the awards of Golden Eagle: for a leading n role in a movie "Two days" by Avdotya Smirnova (2012) and for a leading role in the famous comedy "Ghost" produced by Alexander Voitinsky (2015). He is also a well-known TV host. He's been hosting his own TV show "Cinema in Details" on STS channel since 2005. Fedor Bondarchuk repeatedly became the winner of the TEFI, Nika, Golden Eagle and Blockbuster awards and won a lot of other prizes.
Fedor Bondarchuk is the Chairman of Trustees Board of Open Russian Film Festival "Kinotavr", the member of "Nika" Russian Academy of Cinema Arts and Sciences, the member of "Golden Eagle" National Academy of Cinema Arts and Sciences of Russia. At the end of 2018 he was awarded the Order of Alexander Nevsky for his contribution in the development of national culture and arts. Also at the end of 2018, in accordance with the Decree by the President of Russia, Fedor Bondarchuk entered the Presidential Board of Culture and Arts. In 2019 he received the National Grand Prix "Media Manager of Russia".
Fedor Bondarchuk was born on May 9th, 1967 in Moscow, in the family of director Sergei Fedorovich Bondarchuk and actress Irina Konstantinovna Skobtseva. He graduated from the directing department of VGIK University (Yuri Ozerov's workshop) in 1992. He began his career in 1990 as a director of music videos with famous Russian musicians. In 1993 he debuted in cinema with a short film "I Love" featuring a star performance by the famous actress Lyudmila Gurchenko. A war drama "The 9th Company" (2005) based on real-life events during Soviet-Afgan war is his full-length major debut.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Weronika Ksiazkiewicz was born on 21 March 1981 in Moscow, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. She is an actress, known for Return to Legoland (2021), Furioza (2021) and Szczescia chodza parami (2022).- Actress
- Producer
In 1998, Yekaterina Rednikova received a Nika award (the "Russian Oscar") for her performance in, "The Thief" by Pavel Chukrai. This was her first lead role. Yekaterina traveled with "The Thief" to Los Angeles, where it was nominated for "Best Foreign Language Picture" by the Academy. This role, for which she was called, "the Russian Liv Ullman" by Italian critics at the Venice film festival, led Katerina to pursue an international career.
Rednikova was born in Moscow, the daughter of an engineer, Valeriy Rednikov, and an accountant, Yelena Rednikova. Her older brother, Dmitriy, was a physicist and worked on the aftermath of the Chernobyl catastrophe before becoming a screenwriter.
Yekaterina stepped on a stage for the first time when she was 6 and played two small roles with one of the biggest theater companies in Moscow: Lenkom. One of the accomplished actors with whom she shared the stage wrote her an autograph that changed her life and encouraged her to become an actress.
Yekaterina entered the very competitive Russian Theater Academy (GITIS) at the age of 17. After graduating from the Theater Academy, she worked with several theater companies, more often in American classics such as "A Streetcar named Desire" and "Beyond the Horizon" than in Russian plays, which is ironic since Yekaterina is a relative of classic Russian playwright Anton Chekov.
After "The Thief", Yekaterina played lead roles in movies in Russia, Turkey, Great Britain and the United States. She was nominated for "best Turkish actress" at the Turkish Critic Awards in 2000 for her performance in the Turkish movie, "Balalayka", which was quite an accomplishment since she did not speak Turkish before arriving on set. In 2005, Yekaterina played the female lead opposite Daniel Craig in the BBC production, "Archangel".
Since 2003, Yekaterina has been living in Moscow and in Los Angeles. At the moment, she is preparing for the role of Raisa Gorbachev in the upcoming project, "Raisa", based on the life of former Russian President Michael Gorbachev.- Svetlana Ivanova was born on 26 September 1985 in Moscow, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. She is an actress, known for Legend No. 17 (2013), Franz + Polina (2006) and Test na beremennost (2015). She has been married to Dzhanik Fayziev since 2020. They have two children.
- Actress
- Director
- Writer
Natalya Bondarchuk was born on 10 May 1950 in Moscow, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. She is an actress and director, known for Solaris (1972), Odna lyubov dushi moyey (2007) and Krasnoe i chernoe (1976). She is married to Nikolay Burlyaev. They have one child.- Born in Moscow as Alexei Gen Sergia Weraksa-Komorow-Sobieski, Alexei Komarov is also known as Bloomberg Whistleblower. He is a Russo-Polono-British actor of the Polish Szlachta ancestry. Alexei has read Economic History at the London School of Economics and played ice hockey for the University of London's varsity team "London Dragons." Being a polymath with a wide range of interests, from acting and journalism to cybernetics and science, he had played ice hockey and served as a lieutenant in the Russian armed forces before becoming a robotics scientist and financial data innovator. Alexei later pursued acting and writing as his career, playing ice hockey roles and doubling in documentaries and movies. He has been a financial investigative journalist and idea contributor to the Financial Times and Bloomberg since 2006. Most recently, he blogs about white-collar crime under the pen name Bloomberg Whistleblower. Alexei was married to fashion model Tatiana "Tali" Sabetskaya in 2017--2024.He lives in London with his little biewer terrier Flippo.
- Zoya Zelinskaya was born on 8 December 1929 in Moscow, USSR. She was an actress, known for Predskazaniye (1993), Risk bez kontrakta (1992) and Plashchanitsa Aleksandra Nevskogo (1992). She died on 29 April 2024 in Moscow, Russia.
- Vitaliya Kornienko was born on 18 May 2010 in Moscow, Russia. She is an actress, known for Sputnik (2020), Better Than Us (2018) and Kukolnik (2023).
- Actor
- Producer
Vasily Stepanov, born January 14, 1986, in Moscow, is a Russian actor.
Initially, Stepanov did not intend to become an actor. His mother worked as teacher and his father, a policeman, who dreamed for his only son to be one.
Stepanov went on to study at the College of Physical Education. After completing college, he decided to enter Law School but quit after only 3 months, realizing that law is not his vocation.
To make ends meet, Stepanov worked as a bartender but destiny had set him to be famous.
Stepanov had the chance to appear on print ads and magazines, and after a few of them, he made his acting debut in 2008 on the Russian film "Inhabited Island", a great success that had a sequel, "Inhabited Island: Fight".
In August 2009, Stepanov was the face of the project "Attraction" - the novel- Maryana Timofeevna Spivak (born 23 March 1985) is a Russian film and television actress known for the 2017 film Loveless.
She is the granddaughter of actress Zhanna Prokhorenko and daughter of Timofey Spivak. and studied at the Moscow Art Theatre School.
For director Andrey Zvyagintsev's Loveless, the crew spent four months on casting the character Zhenya, though Spivak was an early candidate, eventually successful. Spivak said she took the opportunity for a starring role in a film and the chance to work with Zvyagintsev. For Loveless, Spivak was nominated for Best Actress at the Russian Guild of Film Critics awards.