Leonid Vyacheslavovich Kuravlyov (Russian: Леонид Вячеславович Куравлёв; 8 October 1936 – 30 January 2022) was a Soviet and Russian film actor. He became a People's Artist of the RSFSR in 1976.[1]
Leonid Kuravlyov | |
|---|---|
Леонид Куравлёв | |
.jpg) Kuravlyov in 1997 | |
| Born | Leonid Vyacheslavovich Kuravlyov 8 October 1936 |
| Died | 30 January 2022 (aged 85) Moscow, Russia |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1959–2015 |
| Spouse | Nina Kuravlyova (m. 1960; died 2012) |
| Children | 2 |
Early life
Kuravlyov was born in Moscow into a working-class family.[2] His father Vyacheslav Yakovlevich Kuravlyov (1909–1979) worked as a locksmith at the Salyut Machine-Building Association and his mother Valentina Dmitriyevna Kuravlyova (1916–1993) was a hairdresser.[3][4] In 1941 with the start of the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union (known in Russia as the Great Patriotic War) his mother was arrested on false report, accused of counter-revolutionary activity (Article 58) and exiled to Karaganda, Kazakh SSR to work at the local plant.[5] In five years she was freed without a right to live in Moscow and sent to Zasheyek, Murmansk Oblast in the Russian far north where she continued working as a hairdresser. In 1948 she managed to get a permission to see her son who spent a year with her at Zasheyek, and in 1951 she finally returned to Moscow.[5][6]
Career
In 1955 Kuravlyov entered VGIK to study acting under Boris Bibikov.[7] He graduated in 1960 and joined the Theater Studio of Film Actors.[8] He made his first movie appearances while still a student. In 1960 he was noted by Vasily Shukshin and took part in his diploma film Reported From Lebyazhye.[9] In 1961 they both starred in the popular melodrama When the Trees Were Tall, and in 1964 Shukshin gave him the leading role in his comedy movie There Is Such a Lad which brought Kuravlyov true fame and which he considered to be the start of his successful movie career.[3] He also acted in Your Son and Brother (1965) and felt so grateful for what the director did for him that he later named his son after Shukshin.[10]
The role of Shura Balaganov in Mikhail Schweitzer's comedy The Little Golden Calf based on the book by Ilf and Petrov was one of his first successful roles: he managed to create an image of a brash yet charming petty thief.[11][12] His other notable roles of that period include Khoma Brut in one of the first Soviet horror movies Viy (1967),[13] antagonist Sorokin in a psychological melodrama Not Under the Jurisdiction (1969),[14] Robinson Crusoe in Stanislav Govorukhin's Life and Amazing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (1972), a Nazi officer Kurt Eismann in Seventeen Moments of Spring (1973)[15] and Lavr Mironovich in Pyotr Todorovsky's The Last Victim (1975).[16]
In the 1970s he appeared in three to four films per year.[17] Even though Kuravlyov was adept at playing serious dramatic roles, he is still best known for his leading roles in top-grossing comedy movies such as Afonya (1975) by Georgiy Daneliya (11th highest-grossing Soviet film, highest grossing film of the year,[2] 62.2 mln viewers),[18] Leonid Gaidai's Ivan Vasilievich: Back to the Future (1973, 17th highest-grossing film, 60 mln viewers)[19] and It Can't Be! (1975, 46th highest-grossing film with 46.9 mln viewers), The Most Charming and Attractive (1985) by Gerald Bezhanov (the highest-grossing film of 1985, 44.9 mln viewers)[20] and others.[21][22]
According to Russian actress Lidiya Fedoseyeva-Shukshina, after being tipsy, Kuravlyov openly spoke about his negative attitude towards the leadership of the Soviet Union.[23] She recalled that, drunk, he had opened the window at her house and had shouted to the whole street that he hated the Soviet regime.[23] She had feared that "the police would come and take everyone away as rebels."[23]
Later years
During the late 1990s he hosted a popular TV programme The World of Books with Leonid Kuravlyov where he talked about new book releases. In two years it was closed and then relaunched with new hosts.[24] In 2012 he was awarded the IV class Order "For Merit to the Fatherland".[25]
Kuravlyov was a devoted Christian, a member of the Russian Orthodox Church.[26]
In 2014 Kuravlyov along with 100 other Russian members of culture signed an open letter in support of Vladimir Putin's position regarding Ukraine and Crimea.[27] In his last years Kuravlyov lived in a nursing home where he was diagnosed with dementia.[23]
In January 2022, he was hospitalized with pneumonia.[23] According to Kuravlyov's son, tests for COVID-19 were negative.[23]
Death
Kuravlyov died from pneumonia on 30 January 2022, at the age of 85.[19][28]
Selected filmography
- All that Jam (Весь этот джем, 2015) as Father Leonty[29]
- The Book of Masters (Книга Мастеров, 2009)[30]
- The Heirs (Наследники, 2008)[31]
- Streets of Broken Lights (Улицы разбитых фонарей, 2005) as Ershov, police colonel[32]
- Brigada (Бригада, 2002) as MVD general[14]
- The Aristocratic Peasant Girl (Барышня-крестьянка, 1995) as Grigory Muromsky[33]
- Shirli-Myrli (Ширли-мырли, 1995) as US Ambassador to Russia[34]
- The Master and Margarita (Мастер и Маргарита, 1994) as Bosoy, chairman of housing association[35]
- Weather Is Good on Deribasovskaya, It Rains Again on Brighton Beach (На Дерибасовской хорошая погода или на Брайтон-Бич опять идут дожди, 1992) as President of USSR Mikhail Gorbachev'[36]
- Private Detective, or Operation Cooperation (Частный детектив, или Операция "Кооперация", 1989) as editor in chief[37]
- Entrance to the Labyrinth (Вход в лабиринт, 1989) as Lev Khlebnikov[38]
- Yolki-palki (Ёлки-палки!, 1988) as electrician[39]
- The Left-Hander (Левша, 1987) as Emperor Alexander I Pavlovich[30][40]
- The Twentieth Century Approaches (Двадцатый век начинается, 1986) as Von Bork[41]
- The Most Charming and Attractive (Самая обаятельная и привлекательная, 1985) as Misha Dyatlov[42]
- Dangerous for Your Life! (Опасно для жизни!, 1985) as Spartak Molodtsov[43]
- TASS Is Authorized to Declare... (ТАСС уполномочен заявить..., 1984) as Zotov[9]
- The Invisible Man (Человек-невидимка, 1984) as Thomas Marvel[44]
- The Trust That Has Burst (Трест, который лопнул, 1984) as Farmer Ezra Plunkett[45]
- Copper Angel (Медный ангел, 1984) as Larsen, professor[46]
- We Are from Jazz (Мы из джаза, 1984) as Samsonov[43]
- Look for a Woman (Ищите женщину, 1983) as Inspector Granden[34]
- Vitya Glushakov - A Friend of the Apaches (Витя Глушаков — друг апачей, 1983)[47]
- Simply Awful! (Просто ужас!, 1982) as Ruslan Ivanovich[48]
- Ladies Invite Gentlemen (Дамы приглашают кавалеров, 1980)[49]
- Borrowing Matchsticks (За спичками, 1980) as peasant[37]
- The Meeting Place Cannot Be Changed (Место встречи изменить нельзя, 1979) as "Kopchyony", thief[34]
- Little Tragedies (Маленькие трагедии, 1979) as Leporello, servant of Don Juan[32]
- Tailcoat for Scapegrace (Фрак для шалопая, 1979) as police captain Deev[50]
- Incognito from St. Petersburg (Инкогнито из Петербурга, 1977) as Shpekin, postmaster[51]
- Mimino (Мимино, 1977) as Professor Khachikyan[52]
- Timur and His Team (Тимур и его команда, 1976) as Georgiy Garaev, Timur's uncle[33]
- You to Me, Me to You (Ты — мне, я — тебе, 1976) as Ivan Kashkin / Sergei Kashkin[43][36]
- Afonya (Афоня, 1975) as Afanasy Borshchov[9]
- The Flight of Mr. McKinley (Бегство мистера Мак-Кинли, 1975) as Mr. Droot[14]
- It Can't Be! (Не может быть!, 1975) as Vladimir Zavitushkin[43][36]
- Circus in the Circus (Соло для слона с оркестром, 1974) as Grísa[53]
- Seventeen Moments of Spring (Семнадцать мгновений весны, 1973) as Kurt Eismann[34][15]
- Ivan Vasilievich: Back to the Future (Иван Васильевич меняет профессию, 1973) as George Miloslavsky, burglar[34]
- This Merry Planet (Эта весёлая планета, 1973) as Y[54]
- Life and Amazing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (Жизнь и удивительные приключения Робинзона Крузо, 1972) as Robinson Crusoe[36]
- Two Days of Miracles (Два дня чудес, 1970) as Vadim Murashev[55]
- Liberation (Освобождение, 1970) as Chuikov's signaler[56]
- Shine, Shine, My Star (Гори, гори, моя звезда, 1970)[57]
- The Beginning (Начало, 1970) as Arkady[58]
- The Little Golden Calf (Золотой телёнок, 1968) as Shura Balaganov[9]
- A Literature Lesson (Урок литературы, 1968)[49]
- Time, Forward! (Время, вперед!, 1968) as Korneyev[59][60]
- Viy (Вий, 1967) as Khoma Brutus[34]
- Older Sister (Старшая сестра, 1966) as Volodya[9]
- Your Son and Brother (Ваш сын и брат, 1965) as Stepan Voyevodin[58]
- There Is Such a Lad (Живёт такой парень, 1964) as Pashka Kolokolnikov[9]
- The Little Golden Calf as Shura Balaganov[9]
- Michman Panin (Мичман Панин, 1960) as stoker Pyotr Kamushkin[14][60]
- There Will Be No Leave Today (Сегодня увольнения не будет ... , 1959)[58]
References
External links
