Aleksey Vladimirovich Batalov (20 November 192815 June 2017) was a Soviet and Russian stage and film actor, film director, screenwriter, and pedagogue acclaimed for his portrayal of noble and positive characters. He was named a

People's Artist of the USSR People's Artist of the USSR, also sometimes translated as National Artist of the USSR, was an honorary title granted to artists of the Soviet Union. The term is confusingly used to translate two Russian language titles: Народный арти ...

in 1976 and a

Hero of Socialist Labour The Hero of Socialist Labour () was an Title of honor, honorific title in the Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact countries from 1938 to 1991. It represented the highest degree of distinction in the USSR and was awarded for exceptional achievem ...

in 1989.

Life and career

Batalov was born on 20 November 1928 in

Vladimir Vladimir (, , pre-1918 orthography: ) is a masculine given name of Slavic origin, widespread throughout all Slavic nations in different forms and spellings. The earliest record of a person with the name is Vladimir of Bulgaria (). Etymology ...

, into a family associated with the theatre. His uncle

Nikolai Batalov Nikolai Petrovich Batalov (; 6 December 1899 in Moscow – 10 November 1937 in Moscow) was a Soviet and Russian stage and film actor. He performed in a number of notable films between 1924 and 1931. He was awarded the title Merited Artist of the ...

starred in

Vsevolod Pudovkin Vsevolod Illarionovich Pudovkin ( rus, Всеволод Илларионович Пудовкин, p=ˈfsʲevələt ɪl(ː)ərʲɪˈonəvʲɪtɕ pʊˈdofkʲɪn; 28 February 1893 – 30 June 1953) was a Soviet film director, screenwriter and acto ...

's classic ''Mother'' (1926). The Modernist poet

Anna Akhmatova Anna Andreyevna Gorenko rus, А́нна Андре́евна Горе́нко, p=ˈanːə ɐnˈdrʲe(j)ɪvnə ɡɐˈrʲɛnkə, a=Anna Andreyevna Gorenko.ru.oga, links=yes; , . ( – 5 March 1966), better known by the pen name Anna Akhmatova,. ...

was a family friend, and he painted a well-known portrait of her in 1952. Batalov joined the

Moscow Art Theatre The Moscow Art Theatre (or MAT; , ''Moskovskiy Hudojestvenny Akademicheskiy Teatr'' (МHАТ) was a theatre company in Moscow. It was founded in by the seminal Russian theatre practitioner Konstantin Stanislavski, together with the playwright ...

in 1953 but left three years later to concentrate on his career in film. During the

Khrushchev Thaw The Khrushchev Thaw (, or simply ''ottepel'')William Taubman, Khrushchev: The Man and His Era, London: Free Press, 2004 is the period from the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s when Political repression in the Soviet Union, repression and Censorship in ...

he was one of the most recognizable actors in the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

. ''

The Cranes Are Flying ''The Cranes Are Flying'' (, translit. ''Letyat zhuravli'') is a 1957 Soviet war drama film directed by Mikhail Kalatozov at Mosfilm, written by Viktor Rozov, and starring Aleksey Batalov and Tatiana Samoilova. It depicts the cruelty an ...

'' (1957) is his best-regarded film of the period, and the one which won the

Palme d'Or The (; ) is the highest prize awarded to the director of the Best Feature Film of the Official Competition at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festiv ...

at the

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...

. He also starred in

Mikhail Romm Mikhail Ilyich Romm (; – 1 November 1971) was a Soviet film director, screenwriter and pedagogue. He was named People's Artist of the USSR in 1950. Life and career Early life He was born in Irkutsk into a family of mixed Russian Jewish ...

's '' Nine Days of One Year'' (1962). In 1967 he was a member of the jury of the

5th Moscow International Film Festival The 5th Moscow International Film Festival was held from 5 to 20 July 1967. The Grand Prix was shared between the Soviet film '' The Journalist'', directed by Sergei Gerasimov and the Hungarian film ''Father'', directed by István Szabó. The f ...

. In 1973 he was a member of the jury at the

8th Moscow International Film Festival The 8th Moscow International Film Festival was held from 10 to 23 July 1973. The Golden Prizes were awarded to the Soviet film '' That Sweet Word: Liberty!'' directed by Vytautas Žalakevičius and the Bulgarian film '' Affection'' directed by ...

. During the 1960s and 1970s, Batalov became known for his fastidious approach towards choosing roles for himself. He appeared mostly in film adaptations of Russian classics, including

Anton Chekhov Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; ; 29 January 1860 – 15 July 1904) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer, widely considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career as a playwright produced four classics, and his b ...

's''

The Lady with the Dog "The Lady with the Dog" () is a short story by Anton Chekhov. First published in 1899, it describes an adulterous affair between an unhappily married Moscow banker and a young married woman that begins while both are vacationing alone in Yalta. I ...

'' (1960) and Bulgakov's'' The Flight'' (1970). He also directed screen versions of

Gogol Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol; ; (; () was a Russian novelist, short story writer, and playwright of Ukrainian origin. Gogol used the grotesque in his writings, for example, in his works " The Nose", " Viy", "The Overcoat", and " Nevsky Prosp ...

's ''

The Overcoat "The Overcoat" (, translit. Shinyél’; sometimes translated as "The Cloak" or "The Mantle") is a short story by Nikolai Gogol, published in 1842. The story has had a great influence on Russian literature. Eugène-Melchior de Vogüé, ...

'' (1960) and

Yuri Olesha Yury Karlovich Olesha (, – 10 May 1960) was a Russian and Soviet novelist. He is considered one of the greatest Russian novelists of the 20th century, one of the few to have succeeded in writing works of lasting artistic value despite the s ...

's ''Three Fat Men'' (1966). In the 1970s he concentrated on a professorship at the

Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography The Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography, officially the S. A. Gerasimov All-Russian University of Cinematography (, meaning ''All-Russian State Institute of Cinematography named after S. A. Gerasimov''), a.k.a. VGIK, is a film school in Moscow, ...

. In 1979, Batalov was invited to play Gosha, a mill machinist, in the melodrama ''

Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears ''Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears'' () is a 1980 Soviet romantic drama film made by Mosfilm. It was written by Valentin Chernykh and directed by Vladimir Menshov. The leading roles were played by Vera Alentova and Aleksey Batalov. The film won ...

''. After much hesitation, Batalov agreed to play his part in the movie, for which he won the

USSR State Prize The USSR State Prize () was one of the Soviet Union’s highest civilian honours, awarded from its establishment in September 1966 until the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. It recognised outstanding contributions in the fields of science, mathem ...

. The role was central to the film's Soviet message. As one character says in the picnic scene: "Seventy percent of my doctorate was due to Gosha's mechanical genius". After that, he effectively retired from acting and devoted his time to coaching new generations of film actors.

Boris Yeltsin Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin (1 February 1931 – 23 April 2007) was a Soviet and Russian politician and statesman who served as President of Russia from 1991 to 1999. He was a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) from 1961 to ...

presented the Lifetime Achievement

Nika Award The Nika Award (sometimes styled NIKA Award) is the main annual national film award in Russia, presented by the Russian Academy of Cinema Arts and Science, and seen as the national equivalent of the Oscars. In 2022 nominees were announced, b ...

to him in 2002. Batalov was awarded the

State Prize of the Russian Federation The State Prize of the Russian Federation, officially translated in Russia as Russian Federation National Award, is a state honorary prize established in 1992 following the breakup of the Soviet Union. In 2004 the rules for selection of laureates ...

(2005). In 2007, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the

29th Moscow International Film Festival The 29th Moscow International Film Festival was held from 21 to 30 June 2007. The Golden George was awarded to the Russian film '' Travelling with Pets'' directed by Vera Storozheva. Jury * Fred Schepisi (Australia – Chairman of the Jury) * ...

. In March 2014, he signed a letter in support of the position of the President of Russia

Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, having previously served from 2000 to 2008. Putin also served as Prime Minister of Ru ...

on Russia's military intervention in Ukraine. Batalov died on 15 June 2017 in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

from complications of a fall, which resulted in a hip fracture, at the age of 88.

Honours and awards

;Awards of Russia and the USSR: *

(1989) *

Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" The Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" () is a state decoration of the Russian Federation. It was instituted on 2 March 1994 by Presidential Decree 442. Until the re-establishment of the Order of St. Andrew in 1998, it was the highest order of ...

: **2nd class (20 November 2008) – for outstanding contribution to the development of national culture, for his many years of creative and educational activities **3rd class (10 November 1998) – for outstanding contributions to the development of national cinematography *

Vasilyev Brothers State Prize of the RSFSR The Vasilyev Brothers State Prize of the RSFSR was an annual State Prize established by the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR (Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic) in 1965. Three Vasilyev Brothers prizes were awarded annually from 1966 unti ...

(1966) – for his role in the movie ''Nine Days in One Year'' *Two

Orders of Lenin The Order of Lenin (, ) was an award named after Vladimir Lenin, the leader of the October Revolution. It was established by the Central Executive Committee on 6 April 1930. The order was the highest civilian decoration bestowed by the Soviet ...

(1967, 1989) *

Lenin Komsomol Prize Lenin Komsomol Prize () was a Soviet Union, Soviet annual award for the best works in science, engineering, literature or art carried out by young authors of age not exceeding 33 years. Komsomol was the abbreviated name of The Communist Union of ...

(1967) *

Honored Artist of the RSFSR Honored Artist of the RSFSR (, ''Zasluzhenny artist RSFSR'') was an honorary title granted to Soviet artists, including theatre and film directors, choreographers, music performers, and orchestra conductors, who had outstanding achievements in the ...

(1964) *

People's Artist of the RSFSR People's Artist of the RSFSR (, ''Narodnyj artist RSFSR'') was an honorary title granted to Soviet Union artists, including theatre and film directors, actors, choreographers, music performers, and orchestra conductors, who had outstanding achiev ...

(1969) *

(1976) *

(1981) – for his role in the movie ''Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears'' *

(2005) * Russian Presidential Prize in Literature and Art in 1999 (17 February 2000) ;Foreign awards: * Order of St. Cyril and Methodius (Bulgaria) ;Community Awards: * Order of Peter the Great (Academy of Security, Defence and Law Enforcement, 2003) * Juno Award (1997) * Idol Award (2002) – ''For high service to art'' * Commemorative Medal for the 150th anniversary of Anton Chekhov, by the

(2005)

Filmography

Actor

*'' Zoya'' (Зоя, 1944) as Alyosha Batalov, Zoya's classmate (uncredited) *''

A Big Family ''A Big Family'' (, translit. Bolshaya semya) is a 1954 Soviet drama film directed by Iosif Kheifits. It was entered into the 1955 Cannes Film Festival. It was based on Vsevolod Kochetov's novel ''Zhurbiny''. Plot The film tells the story ...

'' (1954) as Aleksey Ilich Zhurbin *''Mikhaylo Lomonosov'' (1955) as Muzhik *''

Mother A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the case of ges ...

'' (1955) as Pavel Vlasov *'' The Rumyantsev Case'' (Дело Румянцева, 1956) as Sasha Rumyantsev *''

'' (1957) as Boris *''Dorogoy moy chelovek'' (1958) *''Shinel'' (1959) (uncredited) *''

'' (1960) as Dmitri Dmitrievich Gurov *'' Nine Days of One Year'' (Девять дней одного года, 1962) as Dmitri Gusev *'' A Day of Happiness'' (1963) as Alexander Nikolaevich Beryozkin *''Svet dalyokoy zvezdy'' (1965) as Lukashov *''

Three Fat Men ''Three Fat Men'' (', "Tri Tolstiaka") is a Russian and Soviet children's story written by Yury Olesha in 1924, published 1928. The book tells the story of a revolution led by the poor against the rich (Fat Men) in a fictional country. This countr ...

'' (1966) as Tibul *''V gorode S.'' (1967) as Shergov *''

The Seventh Companion ''The Seventh Companion'' () is a 1967 Soviet Union, Soviet drama film set in Petrograd in the years following the Russian Revolution (1917), Russian Revolution. The film marked the directorial debut of Russian director Aleksei Yuryevich German, A ...

'' (Седьмой спутник, 1968) as commissar *''

The Living Corpse ''The Living Corpse'' () is a Russian play by Leo Tolstoy. Although written around 1900, it was only published shortly after his death—Tolstoy had never considered the work finished. An immediate success, it is still performed. Arthur Hopkins ...

'' (Живой труп, 1968) as Fyodor Protasov *''Vnimanie, cherepakha!'' (1970) *'' The Flight'' (Бег, 1971) as Sergei Pavlovich Golubkov *''Vozvrata net'' (1974) as Aleksey Vladimirovich Yegorov *''

A Very English Murder ''A Very English Murder'' () is a 1974 Soviet teleplay directed by Samson Samsonov, based on the 1951 novel '' An English Murder'' by Cyril Hare. The film begins as relatives and friends come to Lord Warbeck's family castle for Christmas. Sudden ...

'' (1974) as Dr. Botwink *''Nezabytaya pesnya'' (1975) as Mikola *''

The Captivating Star of Happiness ''The Star of Captivating Happiness'' () is a 1975 Soviet historical romance. The title is an allusion to a line from the poem '' To Chaadayev'' by Alexander Pushkin. It is a drama with the dedication "to the women of Russia". Plot The story is ...

'' (Звезда пленительного счастья, 1975) as

Sergei Petrovich Trubetskoy Prince Sergei Petrovich Trubetskoy (; 29 August 1790 – 22 November 1860) was one of the organizers of the Decembrist Political movement, movement. Close to Nikita Muravyov, Nikita Mikhailovich Muravyov in his views, he was declared the group's ...

*''Rikki-Tikki-Tavi'' (1979) *''

'' (Москва слезам не верит, 1980) as Georgy Ivanovich "Gosha" *''

Speed In kinematics, the speed (commonly referred to as ''v'') of an object is the magnitude of the change of its position over time or the magnitude of the change of its position per unit of time; it is thus a non-negative scalar quantity. Intro ...

'' (Скорость, 1983) as Igor Vladimirovich Lagutin *''O lyudyakh atomakh'' (1983) *''

Time for rest from Saturday to Monday Time for Rest from Saturday to Monday () is a 1984 romantic drama directed by Igor Talankin and based on the story of Yuri Nagibin ''Patience'' with the music group ''Center'', whose members also stars in the film.Stalin's Funeral Joseph Stalin, second leader of the Soviet Union, died on 5 March 1953 at his Kuntsevo Dacha after suffering a stroke, at age 74. He was given a state funeral in Moscow on 9 March, with four days of national mourning declared. On the day of th ...

'' (Похороны Сталина, 1990) as Eugene's father *''Poltergeyst-90'' (1991) *''...Pervaya lyubov'' (1995) (voice) *''Rokovye yaytsa'' (1996) *''Malenkaya printsessa'' (1997) *''Karnavalnaya noch 2, ili 50 let spustya'' (2007) (final film role)

Director

*''

'' (1959) *''

'' (1966) *''The Gambler'' (1972)

Voice

*''

Hedgehog in the Fog ''Hedgehog in the Fog'' ( rus, Ёжик в тумане, r=Yózhik v tumáne, p=ˈjɵʐɨk f tʊˈmanʲɪ) is a 1975 in film, 1975 Soviet Union, Soviet animated film directed by Yuri Norstein and produced by the Soyuzmultfilm studio in Moscow. ...

'' (1975) as Narrator *'' The Adventures of Lolo the Penguin'' (1988) as Narrator

Notes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Batalov, Aleksey 1928 births 2017 deaths People from Vladimir, Russia Russian male film actors Soviet male film actors Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor winners People's Artists of the USSR Heroes of Socialist Labour State Prize of the Russian Federation laureates Recipients of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 2nd class Recipients of the Order of Lenin Honored Artists of the RSFSR People's Artists of the RSFSR Recipients of the USSR State Prize Recipients of the Lenin Komsomol Prize Academicians of the Russian Academy of Cinema Arts and Sciences "Nika" Moscow Art Theatre School alumni Academic staff of the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography Academicians of the National Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of Russia Soviet male voice actors Russian male voice actors Accidental deaths from falls