Georgiy Zhzhonov

President Vladimir Putin, himself a former KGB spy, decorating Georgiy Zhzhonov for his artistic portrayals of Soviet secret agents.

Georgiy Stepanovich Zhzhonov (Template:Lang-ru, IPA: [ɡʲɪˈorɡʲɪj sʲtʲɪˈpanəvʲɪdʑ ˈʐʐonəf]; March 22, 1915 – December 8, 2005), was a Soviet actor and writer.

Biography

Having matriculated from the Leningrad Circus Tekhnikum in 1932, he appeared in several movies, including the legendary Chapaev (1934).

In 1939, Zhzhonov was repressed and spent 15 years in the Siberian GULAG labour camps (particularly, as an inmate lorry driver in remote areas). When released in 1955, he started his film career anew and rose to become a People's Artist of the USSR in 1980. In a curious twist of fate, 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.

During the Perestroika, Zhzhonov started publishing his own fiction. In the 1990s, he received many awards, including the Nika Award for lifelong career. A monument to him was opened in Chelyabinsk in 2000.

Zhzhonov spent his 90th birthday acting in the Soviet 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.

Selected filmography

Georgiy Zhzhonov as Teryoshka in the film Chapayev. 1934.

Georgiy Zhzhonov as the Patrol officer in the film Beware of the Car. 1966. The postal card issued to commemorate the 100th birth anniversary of the actor. Russian Post, 2015.

• 1931 — Road to Life as episode
• 1932 — Hero Error as Pavel Vetrov
• 1934 — Chapayev as Teryoshka
• 1934 — Crown Prince of the Republic as Bachelor-architect
• 1938 — Komsomolsk as Mavrin
• 1949 — Alitet Goes to the Mountains as episode
• 1955 — Other People's Relatives as guest on the wedding
• 1957 — The Storm as Gavriil
• 1957 — On the island of Far as Klepikov
• 1958 — The Night Guest as Sergey Petrovich, artist
• 1958 — My dear man as Ustimenko
• 1959 — Corrected Believe as Braitsev
• 1960 — A man Does not Give Up as Maslyukov
• 1960 — Baltic Skies as driver
• 1961 — He took the Train Driver as Ivan Chereda
• 1961 — The Day You Get 30 Years Old as hospital patient
• 1962 — Planeta Bur as Roman Bobrov
• 1963 — Silence as Gnezdilov
• 1964 — The Hockey Players as Coach Sperantov
• 1964 — The Big Ore as surgeon
• 1965 — End of Squadron Rayevsky
• 1966 — The Man I Love as Muromtsev
• 1966 — Beware of the Car as Militiaman
• 1967 — Spring on the Oder as Ryzheusy
• 1967 — The Way To Saturn as Timerin
• 1967 — The Final Of Saturn as Timerin
• 1967 — Doktor Vera as Sukhohlebov
• 1967 — Now You Judge as Arkadi Iskra
• 1967 — Stewardess as passenger-screenwriter
• 1968 — A Little Crane as Father Leonid
• 1968 — Dawn Dates as Alexey Dmitrievich Vorobiev
• 1968 — The Secret Agent's Blunder as Mikhail Tulyev
• 1970 — Resident's Way as Mikhail Tulyev
• 1971 — All The King's Men as Stark
• 1971 — The End of the Lyubavins as Yemelyan Lyubavin
• 1972 — Tracer Element as Nikita Alekseevich Dubrovin, KGB's Colonel
• 1972 — The Hot Snow as Bessonov
• 1972 — Battle after the Victory as Timerin
• 1974 — Choosing Target as Zubavin
• 1974 — The Ocean as Maxim Ilyich Chasovnikov
• 1974 — Looking for My Destiny as Vladimir Karjakin, teacher
• 1975 — You will find in Battle as Valentin Savvich Zbandut
• 1977 — Poseidon Comes to Rescue as Chigrinov
• 1978 — The Cure Against Fear as Sharapov
• 1980 — Air Crew as Andrei Timchenko, Captain
• 1982 — Resident Return as Mikhail Tulyev
• 1982 — Krepysh as Shaposhnikov
• 1983 — Gate to Heaven as Lebedenko
• 1985 — The City of Brides as Andrei Dmitrievich Prokhorov
• 1986 — The Time of Sons as Sergey Vasilevich Uzelkov
• 1986 — End of RESIDENT Project as Mikhail Tulyev
• 1987 — Enclosure as Menshikov, Ambassador of the USSR
• 1987 — The End of Eternity as Laban Twissel
• 1999 — Viewless Traveller as Willie, Life Guards Medic

Honours and awards

• Order of Merit for the Fatherland 2nd class (2000)
• Order of Merit for the Fatherland 3rd class (1998)
• Order of Merit for the Fatherland 4th class (1995)
• Honoured Artist of the RSFSR (1969)
• Order of Lenin (1991)
• Vasilyev Brothers State Prize of the RSFSR (1973) - for his role in the General Bessonov movie "Hot Snow"
• Dovzhenko Silver Medal (1975)
• People's Artist of the RSFSR (1979)
• People's Artist of the USSR (1980)
• Order of the Red Banner of Labour (1985)
• Award of the magazine Ogoniok (1988)
• "Crystal Turandot" (1995)
• Nika Prize (1996)
• Medal "In Commemoration of the 850th Anniversary of Moscow"
• Medal "In Commemoration of the 250th Anniversary of Leningrad"
• Medal "Veteran of Labour"

External links

• Georgiy Zhzhonov at IMDb