Famous Russian Directors

Andrei Tarkovsky was a Soviet and Russian writer, theatre director, filmmaker, and film theorist. Renowned for making movies that explored metaphysical and spiritual themes, Tarkovsky is often regarded as one of the most influential and greatest directors in the history of world cinema. The recipient of many prestigious awards, Andrei Tarkovsky's work continues to influence several filmmakers around the world.

Regarded as one of the first American movie stars, Yul Brynner became known for his performance as King Mongkut in the musical The King and I. He became identified with the role, so much so that he continued shaving his head after having shaved it for the role. A statue of Brynner was unveiled at Yul Brynner Park in 2012.

Legendary Soviet and Russian theatre-practitioner Konstantin Stanislavski, who played an instrumental role in promoting new Russian drama of his time, is best-known for co-founding the world-renowned Moscow Art Theatre and developing the Stanislavski's system of training and preparing actors. Sergeyevich was considered one of the prominent theatre directors of his day and also earned repute as a remarkable character actor.

Alla Nazimova was a Russian-American actress who had an extensive career on Broadway. She acted in the classic plays of playwrights like Ibsen, Chekhov, and Turgenev. She eventually moved on to films and had an equally successful stint in cinema as well. She was openly bisexual and had sexual relationships with women while being married to a man.

Timur Bekmambetov is a Russian-Kazakh screenwriter, film producer, director, and tech entrepreneur. He is best known for directing films like Night Watch and Wanted. He is also credited with pioneering Screenlife filmmaking. Timur Bekmambetov is also known for founding a production company called Baselevs.

The son of Communist author Sergey Mikhalkov, Nikita Mikhalkov is best known for his Academy Award-winning direction in the movie Burnt by the Sun. He has also been a versatile actor and has been involved in Russian politics, too. He is also a 3-time winner of the State Prize of the Russian Federation.

Andrei Konchalovsky is a Russian filmmaker. Renowned for his versatility, Konchalovsky has worked on telefilms, motion pictures, stage productions, and documentaries. Over the years, Andrei Konchalovsky's films have won numerous prestigious awards, such as Golden Eagle Awards and Nika Awards. 

Markus Dupree is a Russian porn actor and director. The recipient of the prestigious AVN Award for Male Performer of the Year, Dupree is considered an influential figure in the porn industry. He has received more than three dozen industry award nominations so far.

Dziga Vertov was a Soviet documentary filmmaker and cinema theorist. His theories and filming practices had a significant impact on the cinéma vérité style of documentary filmmaking. Dziga Vertov's independent and exploratory style of filmmaking inspired and influenced numerous filmmakers including Guy Debord.

Sergei Bondarchuk was a Soviet and Russian actor, screenwriter, and film director. One of the leading personalities of Russian cinema during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, Bondarchuk is best remembered for his period dramas, including War and Peace and Waterloo. Sergei Bondarchuk's work earned him numerous international accolades, including the Golden Globe Award.

Initially part of the Moscow Art Theatre, Russian director-actor Vsevolod Meyerhold is remembered for pioneering avant-garde theories of symbolism in theater. He also paved the path for biomechanics in Russian theater and created masterpieces such as The Magnificent Cuckold. He was executed, and his wife was murdered, during the Great Purge.

Michael Lucas is a Russian-Israeli-American film director, businessman, journalist, and gay pornographic film actor. He is credited with founding Manhattan's largest gay-adult-film company Lucas Entertainment where he also serves as the CEO. Lucas has also contributed as a columnist for publications like HuffPost and The Advocate. Michael Lucas was made an inductee of the GayVN Hall of Fame in 2009.

Vera Glagoleva was a Russian and Soviet film director and actress. She is best remembered for playing important roles in romantic comedies and melodramas. Some of her best known films include To Marry a Captain, Do Not Shoot at White Swans, and Poor Sasha. In 2011, Vera Glagoleva was honored with the People's Artist of Russia award.

Olga Dihovichnaya is a Belarusian-born Russian actress, director, and producer. After starting her career as a TV host, Dihovichnaya went on to establish herself as a successful actress and director. Olga Dihovichnaya is also credited with directing many documentaries.

Anatole Litvak was a Russian-born American filmmaker. He was notable for bringing previously little-known actors to the spotlight and enabling them to win Academy Awards. French actors Charles Boyer and Danielle Darrieux and Swedish star Ingrid Bergman are among the ones he helped become internationally famous. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6633 Hollywood Blvd. 

Fyodor Bondarchuk is a Russian film actor, director, and producer. He is also known as a TV producer and host. Bondarchuk specializes in making science fiction, war, and action films. Over the years, he has won many awards, including Golden Eagle Awards and Nika Award. Fyodor Bondarchuk is credited with founding the popular filmmaking company, Art Pictures Studio.

Russian actor and director Alexander Kaidanovsky initially trained to be a welder but switched to acting later. Known for his roles in Soviet films such as At Home Among Strangers and Stalker, he also directed the drama A Simple Death, which was featured at the Cannes. His career was eventually ruined by alcoholism.

Grigori Dobrygin is a Russian actor, director, and producer. He is best known for playing Russia's first superhero, Dimitri Maykov, in the 2009 film Black Lightning. A versatile actor and a classically trained ballet dancer, Grigoriy Dobrygin is considered one of the finest of his generation. He has won several awards, including the prestigious Silver Bear for Best Actor Award.

Oleg Menshikov is a Russian actor, occasional singer, and theatre director. He is currently associated with the Yermolova Theatre where he is the artistic director. Menshikov is best known for playing important roles in Nikita Mikhalkov's films like The Barber of Siberia and the Burnt by the Sun movie series. Oleg Menshikov is the recipient of the Laurence Olivier Award.

Vsevolod Pudovkin was a Russian and Soviet actor, film director, and screenwriter. He is credited with playing an important role in the development of the Soviet montage theory, the most important contribution of Soviet film theorists to world cinema. The theory of montage is an approach to making films that depends heavily on editing.   

Vladimir Menshov was a Soviet and Russian film director and actor. He is best remembered for his portrayal of the working class in his films. Menshov is also remembered for directing the 1979 film Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears, which received the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. Vladimir Menshov won several awards, including the Golden Eagle Award.

Oleg Tabakov was a Soviet and Russian actor who had a prolific career in both theatre and films. He is credited with founding the Sovremennik Theatre in Moscow. An influential and popular figure, Tabakov was honored with many prestigious awards such as the Golden Mask Award and USSR State Prize. He was named People's Artist of the USSR in 1988.

Andrei Mironov was a Soviet and Russian actor and singer best remembered for his portrayal of lead roles in films like Beware of the Car, The Diamond Arm, and Twelve Chairs which are counted among the most popular Soviet films of all time. A popular figure, Andrei Mironov was honored with the People's Artist of the RSFSR title in 1980.

Oleg Vidov was a Soviet Russian American film director, producer, and actor. Apart from his film work, Vidov is also known as the co-founder of a drug and alcohol treatment program called Malibu Beach Recovery Center, which has been featured on TV shows like Intervention.

Yevgeny Tsyganov is a Russian actor, screenwriter, director, and composer. He is best known for his performance in films like The Stroll, Mermaid, and Battle for Sevastopol. Yevgeny Tsyganov is the recipient of several prestigious awards, including the Golden Eagle Award.

Vasily Shukshin was a Soviet-Russian actor, writer, film director, and screenwriter. He is best remembered for his work encompassing rural themes. An important member of the Village Prose movement, Vasily Shukshin worked as a metal craftsman, served the Navy as a sailor, worked as a radio operator, and then as a teacher and principal, prior to his film career.

The son of actor-director Revaz Gabriadze, Georgian-Russian actor and filmmaker Levan Gabriadze is best known to audiences for directing the supernatural horror film Unfriended. He has also acted in films such as Kin-dza-dza! and directed the animated film Rezo, which was based on his father’s memories.

Sergei Puskepalis is a Russian actor best known for his roles in the critically acclaimed, Alexei Popogrebski-directed films, Simple Things and How I Ended This Summer. Sergei Puskepalis is a recipient of a Nika Award and a Silver Bear Award for Best Actor.

Soviet stand-up comedian, actor, and director Arkady Raikin remains one of the most revered Soviet humorists of the 20th century. Starting his career with state theaters and variety shows, he later established his own theater in Leningrad. He also founded the Satyricon Theater in Moscow and was made a Hero of Socialist Labor.

Rolan Bykov was a Soviet and Russian actor, screenwriter, theatre and film director, poet, songwriter, educator, banker, and politician. Before focusing on his film career, Bykov led the Lenin Komsomol Theatre. As a film director, Rolan Bykov achieved fame for his experimental family and children's movies. He was a recipient of many awards, including the State Prize of the USSR.

Russian theater director Yevgeny Bagrationovich Vakhtangov is remembered for moving away from naturalism and creating some masterpieces of the post-Revolutionary theater of Russia. He established the Vakhtangov Theater. He also experimented with Jewish and Chinese folklore and fairy tales and the commedia dell’arte technique in Russian drama.

Yuri Bykov is a Russian screenwriter, filmmaker, and actor. Bykov is best known for directing movies like The Fool and The Major which earned him several awards. Yuri Bykov is also known for directing the popular TV series The Method.