Zhzhonov 1934

Georgiy Stepanovich Zhzhonov (russian: Гео́ргий Степа́нович Жжёнов, ; 22 March 1915 – 8 December 2005), was a Soviet and Russian stage and film actor and writer. He is known for playing the spy Mikhail Tulyev in the "Resident" quartet of films, '' Beware of the Car'' (1966), '' The Hot Snow'' (1973), and many others, and was a popular actor. He was appointed People's Artist of the USSR in 1980.

Early life and education

Zhzhonov's parents grew up in a peasant family from the Tver Region. His mother was his father's second wife, and there were five children in this family. They moved to the city and his father opened his own bakery, but never became wealthy.

Zhzhonov was born on 22 March 1915, and, like many of his peers, finished school in grade seven. He then studied acrobatics at the Leningrad College of Circus and Estrada Arts, and started to give performances with a friend. There he was spotted by film director Eduard Ioganson in 1932, and asked him to play the part a tractor driver in the film ''Hero's Mistake''. After this break, Zhzhonov was accepted by the Leningrad Theatrical School, where he studied under renowned director Sergei Gerasimov, graduating in 1935.

Career

Incarceration

Travelling in a train with Nikolai Kryuchkov and Pyotr Aleynikov on a train, he met an American diplomat, and later he was charged with espionage related to this man he barely knew.

In 1936, Zhzhonov,s brother Boris, a Leningrad University student, was arrested for " anti-Soviet activities and terrorist leanings", during a period of political repression by the government in the wake of the assassination of Sergei Kirov. Their parents and Georgiy were exiled to Kazakhstan; however, Georgiy, instead he headed to the set of ''Komsomolsk'', a film being made by Gerasimov in Komsomolsk-on-Amur.

After the murder of Sergei Kirov in December 1934, Stalin's first Great Purge began. As part of this, after his brother Boris was condemned, the whole family was exiled to Kasakhstan. In 1938, Zhzhonov was arrested on political motives was forced to confess, and sentenced to five years in the gulag at Kolyma. Put to work as a logger and gold miner, he managed to survive, unlike his brother Boris, who died of exhaustion in Vorkuta, and another brother who was executed by firing squad. Just before Victory Day (9 May) in spring 1945, Zhzhonov was released on parole and sent to work at the Magadan Theatre. Two years later he was fully released, thanks to the efforts of Gerasimov (although banned from living in larger industrial cities), and went to Sverdlovsk. Here he was able to do some film acting when the studios were open.

He was again arrested in 1949 and this time exiled to Norilsk, where he took stage roles with the local drama theatre until 1953. He was finally exonerated at the age of 38 (around 1953).

Return to Leningrad

He returned to Leningrad around 1954, first working at the regional drama theatre, then Lensovet Theatre, until 1962.

He started taking on cameo roles in films. In 1966 his role as a compassionate traffic warden in Eldar Ryazanov's comedy '' Beware of the Car'' was noticed. In 1968 and he played the spy Mikhail Tulyev in ''The Secret Agent's Blunder'' (''Resident's Mistake''), directed by . This was the first of a quartet of films based around the same character. The sequel, ''Secret Agent's Destiny'' (or ''Resident's Way'') was released in 1970, with ''Resident Return'' (''Resident Is Back'') in 1982 and ' in 1986.

He also met director Yuly Karasik on the set of ''The Man I Love'' at this time, but in the meantime his relationship with Igor Vladimirov, director of Lensovet, deteriorated to the point that Zhzhonov left Leningrad and went to Moscow. There he joined Mossovet Theatre, led by Yuri Zavadsky.

Ironically, Zhzhonov was frequently cast in the roles of policemen and KGB agents. This Gulag victim was even awarded a special KGB prize for the screen versions of three novels by Yulian Semyonov. Zhzhonov was also invited to play Stierlitz, but declined for personal reasons.

In later life, Zhzhonov was a member of the jury at human rights International Human Rights Film Festival "Stalker", which toured the country.

Writing

Zhzhonov loved literature, and wrote short stories when he was a young man, although they were not published. Later, he wrote memoirs of his days in the gulags, as well as a novel, ''From Capercaillie to the Firebird'' and a number of stories.

Honours, recognition and awards

He was appointed People's Artist of the USSR in 1980.

His awards include:
* Medal "In Commemoration of the 250th Anniversary of Leningrad"
* Medal "In Commemoration of the 850th Anniversary of Moscow"
* Medal "Veteran of Labour"
* Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1969)
* Vasilyev Brothers State Prize of the RSFSR (1973), for his performance as General Bessonov in movie '' Hot Snow''
* People's Artist of the RSFSR (1979)
* People's Artist of the USSR (1980)
* Order of the Red Banner of Labour (1985)
* Order of Lenin (1991)
* Lifetime Achievement Award, Sozvezdie International Film Festival (1992)
* Crystal Turandot Award (1995)
* Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 4th class (1995)
* Nika Award (1997)
* Vyborg Walk of Actors Fame (1998)
* Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 2nd class (2000)
* Monument to him unveiled in Chelyabinsk (2000)
* International Human Rights Film Festival "Stalker" prize named Georgiy Zhzhonov Special Prize

In 2005, Zhzhonov spent his 90th birthday acting in the Russian Army Theatre. Later that day, he was invited to the Kremlin to be invested with the highest civilian decoration of Russia. During a conversation that followed, President Putin admitted that Zhzhonov's roles had prompted him to become an intelligence officer.

Personal life

Zhzhonov had an elder brother, Boris. He married three times, with each marriage producing a daughter.

He died of lung cancer on 8 December 2005, and was buried in Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow.

Filmography

*1931: '' Road to Life''
*1932: ''Hero Error'' as Pavel Vetrov
*1934: ''Chapaev'' as Teryoshka (uncredited)
*1934: ''Crown Prince of the Republic'' as Bachelor-architect
*1938: ''Komsomolsk'' as Mavrin
*1949: ''Alitet Goes to the Mountains''
*1955: ''Other People's Relatives'' as guest on the wedding (uncredited)
*1957: ''The Storm'' as Gavriil
*1957: ''On the island of Far'' as Klepikov
*1958: ''My dear man'' as Ustimenko
*1958: ''The Night Guest'' as Sergey Petrovich, artist
*1959: ''Corrected Believe'' as Braitsev
*1960: '' Baltic Skies'' as driver
*1961: ''A man Does not Give Up'' as Maslyukov
*1961: ''He took the Train Driver'' as Ivan Chereda
*1962: ''The Day You Get 30 Years Old'' as hospital patient
*1962: ''Planeta Bur'' as Roman Bobrov
*1963: ''Posledniy khleb'' as Militsia Major
*1963: ''Malenkiye mechtateli'' as Fyodor
*1963: ''Tretya raketa'' as Zheltykh
*1963: '' Silence'' as Gnezdilov
*1964: ''The Big Ore'' as surgeon
*1965: '' The Hockey Players'' as Coach Sperantov
*1965: ''Poka front v oborone'' as Sergey Nikolayevich
*1965: ''Beloved'' as Ivan Yegorovich (voice)
*1965: ''End of Squadron'' as Rayevsky
*1965: ''O chyom molchala tayga'' as Grigoriy Anikin
*1966: ''The Man I Love'' as Muromtsev
*1966: ''Gibel eskadry''
*1966: '' Beware of the Car'' as Militsiya officer
*1966: ''Idu iskat'' as Andrey Gusarov
*1967: ''Chelovek, kotorogo ya lyublyu'' as Muromtsev
*1967: '' Stewardess'' (TV Short) as passenger-screenwriter
*1967: ''The Way To Saturn'' as Timerin
*1967: ''Now You Judge'' as Arkadi Iskra
*1967: ''Spring on the Oder'' as Petrovich 'Ryzheusyy'
*1968: ''Doktor Vera'' as Sukhohlebov
*1968: ''The Final Of Saturn'' as Timerin
*1968: ''The Secret Agent's Blunder'' (''Resident's Mistake''), directed by , as a spy, Mikhail Tulyev
*1969: ''A Little Crane'' as Father Leonid
*1969: ''Dawn Dates'' as Alexey Dmitrievich Vorobiev
*1970: ''Ostrov Volchiy'' as Pavel Ilyich Tagilov
*1970: ''Secret Agent's Destiny'' (''Resident's Way'') as Mikhail Tulyev
*1971: ''Nechayannaya lyubov'' as Matvey Kontsevoy
*1972: ''The End of the Lyubavins'' as Yemelyan Lyubavin
*1971: '' All The King's Men'' (TV Mini-Series) as Stark
*1972: ''Battle after the Victory'' as Timerin
*1972: '' The Hot Snow'' as Bessonov
*1972: ''Tracer Element'' as Nikita Alekseevich Dubrovin, KGB's Colonel
*1973: ''Mechenyy atom'' as Nikita Dubrovin
*1974: ''Tayna zabytoy perepravy'' as Kozyrev
*1974: ''The Ocean'' as Maxim Ilyich Chasovnikov
*1974: ''Ishchu moyu sudbu''
*1974: ''Looking for My Destiny'' as Vladimir Karjakin, teacher
*1975: ''You will find in Battle'' (TV Movie) as Valentin Savvich Zbandut
*1975: '' Choosing Target'' as Vitaliy Zubavin
*1976: ''Takaya ona, igra'' as Viktor Basov
*1977: ''Poseidon Comes to Rescue'' as Chigrinov
*1978: ''The Cure Against Fear'' as general Sharapov
*1980: ''Air Crew'' as Andrei Timchenko, Captain
*1982: ''Krepysh'' as Shaposhnikov
*1982: ''Resident Return'' (''Resident Is Back'') as Mikhail Tulyev
*1984: ''Gate to Heaven'' as Colonel Ivan Lebedenko
*1985: ''The City of Brides'' as Andrei Dmitrievich Prokhorov
*1986: ' as Mikhail Tulyev
*1986: ''The Time of Sons'' as Sergey Vasilevich Uzelkov
*1987: ''The End of Eternity'' as Laban Twissel
*1987: ''Ivan Veliky''
*1988: ''Enclosure'' as Menshikov, Ambassador of the USSR
*1999: ''Viewless Traveller'' as Willie, Life Guards Medic (final film role)

Notes

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Zhzhonov, Georgiy
1915 births
2005 deaths
20th-century Russian male actors
20th-century Russian male writers
21st-century Russian male actors
21st-century Russian male writers
Male actors from Saint Petersburg
Writers from Saint Petersburg
Honored Artists of the RSFSR
People's Artists of the RSFSR
People's Artists of the USSR
Recipients of the Nika Award
Recipients of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 2nd class
Recipients of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 4th class
Recipients of the Order of Lenin
Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour
Recipients of the Vasilyev Brothers State Prize of the RSFSR
Gulag detainees
Soviet rehabilitations
Russian male child actors
Russian male film actors
Russian male stage actors
Russian male television actors
Russian male voice actors
Russian memoirists
Soviet male child actors
Soviet male film actors
Soviet male stage actors
Soviet male television actors
Soviet male voice actors
Soviet memoirists
Deaths from lung cancer in Russia
Burials at Novodevichy Cemetery