Sergey Gerasimov(1906-1985)
- Director
- Writer
- Actor
Sergei Gerasimov was born in the village of Kundravy in Urals area of
the Russian Empire, in 1906. He studied at the Leningrad College of
Arts and graduated from the Actors Department of the Leningrad
Institute for Stage Arts in 1928. He started his film career in 1924 as
an actor, continued as an assistant director and joined the "FEKS" film
group, under the leadership of
Grigoriy Kozintsev,
Leonid Trauberg, and
Sergei Yutkevich. He taught acting
class at Lenfilm Studios, and employed his students in his film
Semero smelykh (1936), which
became a success. His student Tamara Makarova became his wife and
partner in film-works.
Sergei Gerasimov directed the 1945 Victory Parade on the Red Square in Moscow. His apprentice, Nikolai Rozantsev, became a reputable Russian director. His students Sergey Bondarchuk, Inna Makarova, Sergei Gurzo, Lyudmila Shagalova, Nonna Mordyukova, Vyacheslav Tikhonov became instant celebrities after the success of his film La Jeune Garde (1948). His most acclaimed work was the epic film Le Don paisible (1957), based on the eponymous book by Mikhail Sholokhov. A crowning finale to his career was the biographical film Lev Tolstoy, in which Gerasimov starred as the famous Russian writer. The oldest film school in the world, VGIK, is named after Sergei Gerasimov.
Sergei Gerasimov directed the 1945 Victory Parade on the Red Square in Moscow. His apprentice, Nikolai Rozantsev, became a reputable Russian director. His students Sergey Bondarchuk, Inna Makarova, Sergei Gurzo, Lyudmila Shagalova, Nonna Mordyukova, Vyacheslav Tikhonov became instant celebrities after the success of his film La Jeune Garde (1948). His most acclaimed work was the epic film Le Don paisible (1957), based on the eponymous book by Mikhail Sholokhov. A crowning finale to his career was the biographical film Lev Tolstoy, in which Gerasimov starred as the famous Russian writer. The oldest film school in the world, VGIK, is named after Sergei Gerasimov.
