Alexei Batalov

Aleksey Batalov Алексе́й Бата́лов
Aleksey Batalov, June 12, 2006
Born	(1928-11-20) 20 November 1928 (age 88) Vladimir, USSR, Russia
Nationality	Russian
Occupation	Actor, Director
Spouse(s)	Gitana Leontenko (1963-present)
Parent(s)	Vladimir Batalov Nina Olshevskaya

Aleksey Vladimirovich Batalov (Russian: Алексе́й Влади́мирович Бата́лов; born 20 November 1928) is a Soviet and Russian actor who has been acclaimed for his portrayal of noble and positive characters. He was named a People's Artist of the USSR in 1976 and a Hero of Socialist Labour in 1989.

Batalov was born in Vladimir on 20 November 1928 into a family associated with the theatre. His uncle Nikolay Batalov starred in Vsevolod Pudovkin's classic Mother (1926). Anna Akhmatova was a family friend, and he painted a well-known portrait of her in 1952. Batalov joined the Moscow Art Theatre in 1953 but left three years later to concentrate on his career in film. During the Khrushchev Thaw he was one of the most recognizable actors in the Soviet Union. The Cranes Are Flying (1957) is his best-regarded film of the period, and the one which won Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. He also starred in Mikhail Romm's Nine Days of One Year (1962). In 1967 he was a member of the jury of the 5th Moscow International Film Festival. In 1973 he was a member of the jury at the 8th Moscow International Film Festival.

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, including Anton Chekhov's The Lady with the Dog (1960) and Bulgakov's The Flight (1970). He also directed screen versions of Gogol's The Overcoat (1960) and Yuri Olesha's Three Fat Men (1966). In the 1970s he concentrated on professorship at the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography.