Aleksey Batalov | |
|---|---|
Алексей Баталов | |
 Batalov in 2006 | |
| Born | (1928-11-20)20 November 1928 Vladimir, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
| Died | 15 June 2017(2017-06-15) (aged 88) Moscow, Russia |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, film director, screenwriter, pedagogue |
| Spouse | |
Aleksey Vladimirovich Batalov[a] (20 November 1928 – 15 June 2017[1]) was a Soviet and Russian stage and film actor, film director, screenwriter, and pedagogue acclaimed for his portrayal of noble and positive characters.[2] He was named aPeople's Artist of the USSR in 1976 and aHero of Socialist Labour in 1989.
Batalov was born on 20 November 1928 inVladimir, into a family associated with the theatre. His uncleNikolai Batalov starred inVsevolod Pudovkin's classicMother (1926). The Modernist poetAnna Akhmatova was a family friend, and he painted a well-known portrait of her in 1952. Batalov joined theMoscow Art Theatre in 1953 but left three years later to concentrate on his career in film. During theKhrushchev Thaw he was one of the most recognizable actors in theSoviet Union.The Cranes Are Flying (1957) is his best-regarded film of the period, and the one which won thePalme d'Or at theCannes Film Festival. He also starred inMikhail Romm'sNine Days of One Year (1962). In 1967 he was a member of the jury of the5th Moscow International Film Festival.[3] In 1973 he was a member of the jury at the8th Moscow International Film Festival.[4]
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, includingAnton Chekhov'sThe Lady with the Dog (1960) andBulgakov'sThe Flight (1970). He also directed screen versions ofGogol'sThe Overcoat (1960) andYuri Olesha'sThree Fat Men (1966). In the 1970s he concentrated on a professorship at theGerasimov Institute of Cinematography.
In 1979, Batalov was invited to play Gosha, a mill machinist, in the melodramaMoscow Does Not Believe in Tears. After much hesitation, Batalov agreed to play his part in the movie, for which he won theUSSR State Prize. 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 presented the Lifetime AchievementNika Award to him in 2002. Batalov was awarded theState Prize of the Russian Federation (2005).
In 2007, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the29th Moscow International Film Festival.[5]
In March 2014, he signed a letter in support of the position of the President of RussiaVladimir Putin onRussia's military intervention in Ukraine.[6][7]
Batalov died on 15 June 2017 inMoscow from complications of a fall, which resulted in a hip fracture, at the age of 88.[8]
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