Vitaly Melnikov (film Director)
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Vitaly Vyacheslavovich Melnikov (russian: Виталий Вячеславович Мельников; 1 May 1928 – 21 March 2022) was a Soviet and Russian film director and screenwriter. He was named
People's Artist of the RSFSR People's Artist of the RSFSR (russian: Народный артист РСФСР, ''Narodnyj artist RSFSR'') was an honorary title granted to Soviet Union artists, including theatre and film directors, choreographers, music performers, and orchest ...
in 1987 and awarded Order of Honour in 2002 and IV Class
Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" The Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" (russian: Орден «За заслуги перед Отечеством», ''Orden "Za zaslugi pered Otechestvom"'') is a state decoration of the Russian Federation. It was instituted on 2 March 1994 by P ...
in 2010.Cinema: Encyclopedic Dictionary // ed.
Sergei Yutkevich Sergei Iosifovich Yutkevich (russian: Серге́й Ио́сифович Ютке́вич, 28 December 1904 – 23 April 1985) was a Soviet and Russian film director and screenwriter. He was a People's Artist of the USSR (1962) and a Hero of ...
. — Moscow: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1987, p. 265
He was also a member of the Russian Academy of Cinema Arts and Sciences and was awarded the special
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. History The award was established i ...
in 2016 "For outstanding contribution to national cinema".


Biography

Vitaly Melnikov was born at the maternity hospital of the Svobodny town (modern-day
Svobodny, Amur Oblast Svobodny (russian: Свобо́дный) is a town in Amur Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Zeya River, north of Blagoveshchensk, the administrative center of the oblast. Population: 63,889 ( 2002 Census); History It was found ...
of Russia), although his birth place was written down as Mazanovo village where his parents lived at the moment.
, 13 April 2016 (in Russian) His maternal grandfather Danilo Fomich Trapeznikov, a peasant from the
Tobolsk Governorate Tobolsk Governorate (russian: Тобольская губерния) was an administrative division (a '' guberniya'') of the Russian Empire, Russian Republic and RSFSR located in the Ural Mountains and Siberia. It existed from 1796 to 1920; its ...
, served at the
Far East The ''Far East'' was a European term to refer to the geographical regions that includes East and Southeast Asia as well as the Russian Far East to a lesser extent. South Asia is sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons. The ter ...
during the
Russo-Japanese War The Russo-Japanese War ( ja, 日露戦争, Nichiro sensō, Japanese-Russian War; russian: Ру́сско-япóнская войнá, Rússko-yapónskaya voyná) was fought between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire during 1904 and 1 ...
and enjoyed the area so much that he chose to stay there; during the
Russian Civil War , date = October Revolution, 7 November 1917 – Yakut revolt, 16 June 1923{{Efn, The main phase ended on 25 October 1922. Revolt against the Bolsheviks continued Basmachi movement, in Central Asia and Tungus Republic, the Far East th ...
he was mobilized by the
White Army The White Army (russian: Белая армия, Belaya armiya) or White Guard (russian: Бѣлая гвардія/Белая гвардия, Belaya gvardiya, label=none), also referred to as the Whites or White Guardsmen (russian: Бѣлогв ...
, and during the 1930s he was arrested and executed "for collaboration with
Alexander Kolchak Alexander Vasilyevich Kolchak (russian: link=no, Александр Васильевич Колчак; – 7 February 1920) was an Imperial Russian admiral, military leader and polar explorer who served in the Imperial Russian Navy and fought ...
". Vitaly's mother Avgusta Danilovna Melnikova was a teacher.Vitaly Melnikov
Vitaly Melnikov. Life — Cinema. Director's Memoirs
excerpts from memoirs at
Iskusstvo Kino ''Iskusstvo Kino'' (Russian: Искусство кино, ''Film Art'') is a film magazine published in Moscow, Russia. It has been published since 1931 and is one of the earliest magazines in Europe which specialize on film theory and review al ...
№4, April 2005 (in Russian)
His paternal grandparents, Vladimir and Eudokia, lived at the Far East near gold mines. His father Vyacheslav Vladimirovich Melnikov was a forester, regularly moving with the family "from one wilderness to another". Vitaly grew up in
Blagoveshchensk Blagoveshchensk ( rus, Благове́щенск, p=bləgɐˈvʲeɕːɪnsk, meaning ''City of the Annunciation'') is a city and the administrative center of Amur Oblast, Russia. It is located at the confluence of the Amur and the Zeya Rivers, opp ...
., 2008 (in Russian) During the
Great Purge The Great Purge or the Great Terror (russian: Большой террор), also known as the Year of '37 (russian: 37-й год, translit=Tridtsat sedmoi god, label=none) and the Yezhovshchina ('period of Nikolay Yezhov, Yezhov'), was General ...
his father was also arrested, declared an
enemy of the people The term enemy of the people or enemy of the nation, is a designation for the political or class opponents of the subgroup in power within a larger group. The term implies that by opposing the ruling subgroup, the "enemies" in question are ac ...
and executed. His mother was told that her husband had been sentenced to 10 years in prison and suggested to leave the Far East, so she moved in with her relatives in
Omsk Omsk (; rus, Омск, p=omsk) is the administrative center and largest city of Omsk Oblast, Russia. It is situated in southwestern Siberia, and has a population of over 1.1 million. Omsk is the third largest city in Siberia after Novosibirsk ...
, and later to a village near
Khanty-Mansiysk Khanty-Mansiysk ( rus, Ха́нты-Манси́йск, Khánty-Mansíysk, lit. ''Khanty-Mansi Town''; Khanty language, Khanty: , ''Jomvoćś''; Mansi language, Mansi: , ''Abga'') is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the admini ...
in
Western Siberia Western Siberia or West Siberia (russian: Западная Сибирь, Zapadnaya Sibir'; kk, Батыс Сібір) is a part of the larger region of Siberia that is mostly located in the Russian Federation. It lies between the Ural region an ...
, where Vitaly finished secondary school. He also got addicted to cinema during that time. In 1947 he moved to Moscow and entered director's courses at
VGIK The Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography (russian: Всероссийский государственный институт кинематографии имени С. А. Герасимова, meaning ''All-Russian State Institute of Cinemat ...
led by
Sergei Yutkevich Sergei Iosifovich Yutkevich (russian: Серге́й Ио́сифович Ютке́вич, 28 December 1904 – 23 April 1985) was a Soviet and Russian film director and screenwriter. He was a People's Artist of the USSR (1962) and a Hero of ...
. He graduated in 1952 and started making documentary movies at
Lennauchfilm Lennauchfilm (acronym of ''Leningrad studio popular science and educational films'') is a Soviet and Russian film studio founded in Leningrad. The current Lennauchfilm studio is one of the largest in the Russian Federation. Lennauchfilm is a fu ...
(15 movies total). From 1963 on he worked at
Lenfilm Lenfilm (russian: link=no, Ленфильм) is a Russian production company with its own film studio located in Saint Petersburg (the city was called Leningrad from 1924 to 1991, thus the name). It is a corporation with its stakes shared betwee ...
. His comedy movie ''Seven Brides of Gefreiter Zbruev'' (1970), based on the screenplay by
Vladimir Valutsky Vladimir Ivanovich Valutsky (russian: Влади́мир Ива́нович Валу́цкий) (25 September 1936 — 14 April 2015) was a Soviet and Russian screenwriter. Honored Art Worker of the RSFSR (1987). Between 1964 and 2013 he wrote and ...
, became the only comedy released in 1971 as well as one of the leaders of the Soviet box office (11th place), seen by 31.2 million people. Together they produced four movies in total, including another popular comedy ''The Head of Chukotka'' (1966) and a TV adaptation of
Fyodor Dostoevsky Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (, ; rus, Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский, Fyódor Mikháylovich Dostoyévskiy, p=ˈfʲɵdər mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪdʑ dəstɐˈjefskʲɪj, a=ru-Dostoevsky.ogg, links=yes; 11 November 18219 ...
's story '' Another Man’s Wife and a Husband Under the Bed'' (1984). His social drama ''Mother Got Married'' (1969) based on
Yuri Klepikov Yuri Nikolaevich Klepikov (russian: Юpий Никoлаeвич Клeпикoв; 24 August 1935 – 1 November 2021) was a Russian screenwriter and actor.Alexander Vampilov Alexander Valentinovich Vampilov (russian: Александр Валентинович Вампилов) (19 August 1937 – 17 August 1972) was a Soviet playwright. His play ''The Elder Son'' was first performed in 1969, and became a national succ ...
's play ''Duck Hunting'' was banned for 8 years and released only in 1987. Prior to that he directed an adaptation of another Vampilov's play '' The Elder Son'' (1976) which turned into one of his most popular movies since. In 1990 Melnikov turned to the Russian history, directing the so-called ''Empire. The Beginning'' (or ''Empire. The XVIII Century'') trilogy: ''The Royal Hunt'' dedicated to the times of
Catherine the Great , en, Catherine Alexeievna Romanova, link=yes , house = , father = Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst , mother = Joanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp , birth_date = , birth_name = Princess Sophie of Anhal ...
, ''Tsarevich Alexei'' about
Alexei Petrovich, Tsarevich of Russia Grand Duke Alexei Petrovich of Russia (28 February 1690 – 26 June 1718) was a Russian Tsarevich. He was born in Moscow, the son of Tsar Peter I and his first wife, Eudoxia Lopukhina. Alexei despised his father and repeatedly thwarted Peter's p ...
and ''
Poor Poor Paul ''Poor Poor Paul'' (russian: Бедный, бедный Павел, Bednyy bednyy Pavel) is a 2003 Russian historical drama film. It is a biopic of Czar of Russia, Czar Paul I of Russia and the final film of the historical trilogy of Vitaly Melniko ...
'' about
Paul I of Russia Paul I (russian: Па́вел I Петро́вич ; – ) was Emperor of Russia from 1796 until his assassination. Officially, he was the only son of Peter III of Russia, Peter III and Catherine the Great, although Catherine hinted that he w ...
, both based on
Dmitry Merezhkovsky Dmitry Sergeyevich Merezhkovsky ( rus, Дми́трий Серге́евич Мережко́вский, p=ˈdmʲitrʲɪj sʲɪrˈɡʲejɪvʲɪtɕ mʲɪrʲɪˈʂkofskʲɪj; – December 9, 1941) was a Russian novelist, poet, religious thinker, ...
's writings. The films received various national awards and nominations, including a number of
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. History The award was established i ...
s. Melnikov and his wife, Tamara Aleksandrovna Melnikova, lived together for over 60 years. They have two daughters, Irina and Olga. Melnikov died in Saint Petersburg on 21 March 2022 at the age of 93.


Filmography


Literature

''Vitaly Melnikov (2011)''. Cinema. Life. — St. Petersburg: BXV-Peterburg, 416 pages (Memoirs)


References


External links

*
Islands. Vitaly Melnikov
documentary by
Russia-K Russia-K (russian: Россия Культура, translit=Rossiya Kul'tura "Russia - Culture") is a Russian nationwide not-for-profit television channel that broadcasts shows regarding arts and culture. It belongs to the state-controlled VGTRK ...
(in Russian)
Melnikov Film Evokes Subtle, Chekhovian Spirit
by
The Moscow Times ''The Moscow Times'' is an independent English-language and Russian-language online newspaper. It was in print in Russia from 1992 until 2017 and was distributed free of charge at places frequented by English-speaking tourists and expatriates s ...

Interview with Vitaly Melnikov
(in German) {{DEFAULTSORT:Melnikov, Vitaly 1928 births 2022 deaths 20th-century Russian screenwriters 21st-century Russian screenwriters People from Svobodny, Amur Oblast Communist Party of the Soviet Union members Academicians of the National Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of Russia Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography alumni People's Artists of the RSFSR Recipients of the Nika Award Recipients of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 4th class Recipients of the Order of Honour (Russia) Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour Russian film directors Russian male screenwriters Soviet film directors Soviet screenwriters