Editing Sergei Bondarchuk

{{short description|Soviet and Russian actor and filmmaker (1920–1994)}}
{{family name hatnote|Fyodorovich|Bondarchuk|lang=Eastern Slavic}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Sergei Bondarchuk
| native_name_lang   = ru
| native_name        = {{nobold|Сергей Бондарчук}}
| image              = [[File:Sergei Bondarchuk, Sarajevo, 29. november 1969. Movie premier Battle of Neretva by Stevan Kragujevic.JPG|200px]]
| alt                = 
| caption            = Bondarchuk at the November 1969 premiere of ''[[Battle of Neretva (film)|Battle of Neretva]]'' in [[Sarajevo]]
| birth_name         = 
| birth_date         = {{birth date|df=y|1920|9|25}}
| birth_place        = [[Bilozerka|Belozerka]], [[Ukrainian SSR]]
| death_date         = {{death date and age|df=y|1994|10|20|1920|9|25}}
| death_place        = [[Moscow]], [[Russia]]
| resting_place      = [[Novodevichy Cemetery]], [[Moscow]]
| citizenship        = Soviet Union, Russia
| alma_mater         = [[Rostov College of Arts]]
| occupation         = {{hlist|Actor|film director|screenwriter}}
| years_active       = 1948–1994
| notable_works      = ''[[War and Peace (film series)|War and Peace]]'' {{small|(1965-67)}}<br />''[[Waterloo (1970 film)|Waterloo]]'' {{small|(1970)}}
| title              = {{plainlist |
* [[Hero of Socialist Labour]] {{small|(1980)}}   
* [[People's Artist of the USSR]] {{small|(1952)}} 
}}
| spouse = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|[[Inna Makarova]]|1949|1956|end=div}}
* {{marriage|[[Irina Skobtseva]]|1959}}
}}
| children           = {{flatlist|
* [[Natalya Bondarchuk|Natalya]]
* [[Yelena Bondarchuk|Yelena]]
* [[Fyodor Bondarchuk|Fyodor]]
}}
| awards             = {{plainlist |
* [[Academy Awards]] {{small|(1969)}}  
}}
}}

'''Sergei Fyodorovich Bondarchuk'''{{efn|{{bulleted list|{{langx|ru|Сергей Фёдорович Бондарчук|{{transliteration|ru|Sergey Fyodorovich Bondarchuk}}}}, {{IPA|ru|sʲɪrˈɡʲej ˈfʲɵdərəvʲɪdʑ bəndɐrˈtɕuk|IPA}}|{{langx|uk|Сергій Федорович Бондарчук|{{transliteration|uk|ukrainian|Serhii Fedorovych Bondarchuk}}}}}}}} (25 September 1920{{spaced ndash}}20 October 1994) was a Soviet and Russian actor and filmmaker of Ukrainian origin who was one of the leading figures of [[Soviet cinema]] in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.<ref name="rollberg">{{cite book|title=Historical Dictionary of Russian and Soviet Cinema|author=Peter Rollberg|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|year=2016|place=US|isbn=978-1442268425|pages=117–120}}</ref> He is known for his sweeping [[historical drama|period dramas]], including ''[[War and Peace (film series)|War and Peace]]'' (1966-67), his internationally acclaimed four-part film adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's [[War and Peace|novel]], and for ''[[Waterloo (1970 film)|Waterloo]]'' (1970), a [[Napoleonic War]] epic.

Bondarchuk's work won him numerous international accolades. ''War and Peace'' won Bondarchuk, who both directed and acted in the leading role of [[Pierre Bezukhov]], the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film]] (1968), and the [[Academy Award for Best International Feature Film|Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film]] in 1968.<ref name="Oscars1969">{{cite web|url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1969 |title=The 41st Academy Awards (1969) Nominees and Winners |access-date=2011-11-15|work=oscars.org}}</ref> He was made both a [[Hero of Socialist Labour]] and a [[People's Artist of the USSR]].

== Early life and education ==
Sergei Fyodorovich Bondarchuk was born in the village of [[Bilozerka]] (now in [[Kherson Raion]], [[Kherson Oblast]], Ukraine) on September 25, 1920, in the family of [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox Christian]] peasants Fyodor Petrovich and Tatyana Vasilievna (nee Tokarenko). His paternal grandfather, Pyotr Konstantinovich Bondarchuk, was ethnically [[Bulgarians|Bulgarian]], the grandmother, Matryona Fyodorovna Sirvulya, was [[Serbs|Serbian]]. At the time of his birth, his father was serving in the [[Red Army]]. His mother, being a deeply religious person, named her son in honor of [[Sergius of Radonezh]] and baptized him in the Annunciation Monastery near [[Kherson]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bondarchuk |first1=Natalya |author1-link=Natalya Bondarchuk |title=Сергей Бондарчук. Лента жизни |date=2020 |publisher=[[AST (publisher)|AST]] |location=Moscow |isbn=978-5-17-126847-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IzH-DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT6}}</ref> 

Bondarchuk spent his childhood in the cities of [[Yeysk]] and [[Taganrog]], graduating from the Taganrog School Number 4 in 1938. His first performance as an actor was onstage of the [[Taganrog Theatre]] in 1937. He continued studies at the [[Rostov College of Arts]] (1938–1942). 

After his studies, he was conscripted into the [[Red Army]] during [[World War II]] against [[Nazi Germany]]. Bondarchuk took part in the initial stage of the [[Battle of the Caucasus]], then was reorganized into the [[Don Front]]. From October 19 to December 8, 1942, he fought at [[Battle of Stalingrad|Stalingrad]], took part in [[Operation Uranus]]. He was decorated for his courage in battle and was discharged with honors in 1946.

== Film career ==
In 1948, Bondarchuk made his film debut in ''[[The Young Guard (film)|The Young Guard]]'' directed by [[Sergei Gerasimov (film director)|Sergei Gerasimov]]. In 1952, he was awarded the [[USSR State Prize|Stalin Prize]] for the leading role in the film ''Taras Shevchenko''; that same year, at the age of 32, he became the youngest Soviet actor ever to receive the top dignity of [[People's Artist of the USSR]]. In 1955, he starred with his future wife [[Irina Skobtseva]] in ''[[Othello (1955 film)|Othello]]''. In 1959, he made his directorial debut with ''[[Fate of a Man]]'', based on [[Mikhail Sholokhov]]'s short story of the same name. The film was internationally acclaimed upon its release.<ref name="rollberg"/>

Bondarchuk earned international fame with his [[War and Peace (film series)|epic production]] of [[Leo Tolstoy|Tolstoy]]'s ''[[War and Peace]]'', which on original release totaled more than seven hours of cinema, took six years to complete and won Bondarchuk, who both directed and acted the role of [[Pierre Bezukhov]], the [[Academy Award for Best International Feature Film|Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film]] in 1968.<ref name="Oscars1969"/> The year after his victory, in 1969, he starred as Martin with [[Yul Brynner]] and [[Orson Welles]] in the [[SFR Yugoslavia|Yugoslav]] epic ''[[Battle of Neretva (film)|Battle of Neretva]]'', directed by [[Veljko Bulajic]].

His first English-language film was 1970's ''[[Waterloo (1970 film)|Waterloo]]'', produced by [[Dino De Laurentiis]]. In Europe, the critics called it remarkable for the [[epic film|epic]] battle scenes and details in capturing the [[Napoleonic era]]. However, it failed at the box office. To prevent running into hurdles with the Soviet government{{citationneeded|date=January 2024}}, he joined the [[Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Communist Party]] in 1970. A year later, he was appointed president of the Union of Cinematographers, while he continued his directing career, steering toward [[Political cinema|political films]], directing ''[[Boris Godunov (1986 film)|Boris Godunov]]'' before being dismissed from the semi-governmental post in 1986.

In 1973, he was the president of the Jury at the [[8th Moscow International Film Festival]].<ref name="Moscow1973">{{cite web |url=http://www.moscowfilmfestival.ru/miff34/eng/archives/?year=1973 |title=8th Moscow International Film Festival (1973) |access-date=2012-12-25 |work=MIFF |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116194922/http://www.moscowfilmfestival.ru/miff34/eng/archives/?year=1973 |archive-date=2013-01-16 }}</ref>

In 1975, he directed ''[[They Fought for Their Country]]'', which was entered into the [[1975 Cannes Film Festival]].<ref name="1975-cannes.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/2196/year/1975.html |title=Festival de Cannes: They Fought for Their Country |access-date=2009-04-29 |work=festival-cannes.com |archive-date=2015-02-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150206133948/http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/2196/year/1975.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 1982 came ''[[Red Bells]]'', based on [[John Reed (journalist)|John Reed]]'s ''[[Ten Days That Shook the World]]'' (which serves as the film's alternative title).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/158304/Ten-Days-That-Shook-the-World/overview |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120712131802/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/158304/Ten-Days-That-Shook-the-World/overview |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-07-12 |title=New York Times |date=2010-11-01 |department=Movies & TV Dept. |publisher=[[Baseline (database)|Baseline]] & [[All Movie Guide]] |author=Eleanor Mannikka |access-date=2012-03-14}}</ref> His 1986 film ''[[Boris Godunov (1986 film)|Boris Godunov]]'' was also screened at [[1986 Cannes Film Festival|Cannes]] that year.<ref name="1986-cannes.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/839/year/1986.html |title=Festival de Cannes: Boris Godunov |access-date=2009-07-10 |work=festival-cannes.com |archive-date=2012-10-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121002065504/http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/839/year/1986.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Bondarchuk's last feature film, and his second in English, was an epic TV version of [[Mikhail Sholokhov|Sholokhov]]'s ''[[And Quiet Flows the Don]]'', starring [[Rupert Everett]]. It was filmed in 1992–1993 but premiered on [[Channel One Russia|Channel One]] only in November 2006,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6125440.stm |title=Europe &#124; Russia recovers Soviet-era epic |work=BBC News |date=2006-11-07 |access-date=2012-03-14}}</ref> as there were disputes concerning the Italian studio that was co-producing over unfavorable clauses in his contract, which left the tapes locked in a bank vault. After his death, the film remained locked for several years until it was recovered and released in 2006.

In 1995, he was posthumously awarded an honorable diploma for contribution to cinema at the [[19th Moscow International Film Festival]].<ref name="Moscow1995">{{cite web |url=http://www.moscowfilmfestival.ru/miff34/eng/archives/?year=1995 |title=19th Moscow International Film Festival (1995) |access-date=2013-03-16 |work=MIFF |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130322162953/http://moscowfilmfestival.ru/miff34/eng/archives/?year=1995 |archive-date=2013-03-22 }}</ref>

==Personal life==
He first married [[Inna Makarova]], mother to his oldest daughter, [[Natalya Bondarchuk]] (born 1950). Natalya is remembered for her role in [[Andrei Tarkovsky]]'s 1972 film ''[[Solaris (1972 film)|Solaris]]''.

He met his second wife [[Irina Skobtseva]] when both were appearing in ''[[Othello (1955 film)|Othello]]'', and they married in 1959. They had two children, actress [[Yelena Bondarchuk]] (1962–2009) and son [[Fyodor Bondarchuk|Fyodor]] (born 1967), (who starred with Bondarchuk in ''Boris Godunov''), a popular Russian film actor and director best known for his box-office hit ''[[The 9th Company]]'' (2005).

==Death==
Bondarchuk died on October 20, 1994, at the age of 74 in Moscow from myocardial infarction. Before his death, he was confessed and given communion by Hieromonk Tikhon (Shevkunov). He is buried in the [[Novodevichy Cemetery]], Moscow. In June 2007, his wife [[Irina Skobtseva]] unveiled a bronze statue of Bondarchuk in his native [[Yeysk]].

==Honours and awards==
* [[USSR State Prize|Stalin Prize]], 1st class (1952) – for the main role in the film ''Taras Shevchenko'' and the role of Sergei Tutarinov in ''Knight of the Golden Star'' (1950)
* [[Lenin Prize]] (1960) – for the film ''The Destiny of Man'' (1959)
* [[Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film]] (1968) – for the film ''War and Peace''
* [[Academy Award for Best International Feature Film|Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film]] (1968) – for the film ''War and Peace''
* [[Vasilyev Brothers State Prize of the RSFSR]] (1977) – for the film ''They Fought for Their Country''
* [[Hero of Socialist Labour]] (1980)
* [[Shevchenko National Prize]] (1982) – for his performance as Cardinal Montanelli in the film ''The Gadfly'' (1980)
* [[USSR State Prize]] (1984) – for the film ''Red Bells''
* [[Order of Lenin]], twice
* [[Order of the October Revolution]]
* [[Order of the Patriotic War]], 2nd class
* [[Order of the Red Banner of Labour]]
* [[Honored Artist of the RSFSR]] (1951)
* [[People's Artist of the USSR]] (1952)

==Filmography==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
|+Actor
! Year
! Title
! Medium
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1948
| ''[[The Young Guard (film)|The Young Guard]]''
| Film
| Comrade Valko
|
|-
| 1948
| ''Povest o nastoyashchem cheloveke''
| Film
| Gvozdev
| Uncredited
|-
| 1949
| ''[[Michurin (film)|Michurin]]''
| Film
| Uralets
| Uncredited
|-
| 1949
| ''Put slavy''
|
| Sekretar gorkoma
| Uncredited
|-
| 1951
| ''[[Dream of a Cossack]]''
| Film
| Sergei Tutarinov
|
|-
| 1951
| ''[[Taras Shevchenko (film)|Taras Shevchenko]]''
| Film
| [[Taras Shevchenko]]
|
|-
| 1953
| ''[[Admiral Ushakov (film)|Admiral Ushakov]]''
| Film
| rowspan="2"|Tikhon Alekseyevich Prokofiev
|
|-
| 1953
| ''[[Attack from the Sea]]''
| Film
|
|-
| 1954
| ''This cannot be forgotten''
| Film
| writer Harmash
|
|-
| 1955
| ''Skipping girl''
| Film
| Dr. Osip Stepanovich Dymov
|
|-
| 1955
| ''[[Not ended story]]''
| Film
| Yuri Sergeyevich Yershov
|
|-
| 1955
| ''[[Othello (1955 film)|Othello]]''
| Film
| [[Othello (character)|Othello]]
|
|-
| 1956
| ''Ivan Franko''
| Film
| [[Ivan Franko]]
|
|-
| 1957
| ''Dvoe iz odnogo kvartala''
| Film
|
|
|-
| 1958
| ''Soldiers went''
| Film
| Matvei Krylov
|
|-
| 1959
| ''[[Fate of a Man]]''
| Film
| Andrei Sokolov
| Grand Prix at the [[1st Moscow International Film Festival]]<ref name="Moscow1959">{{cite web |url=http://www.moscowfilmfestival.ru/miff34/eng/archives/?year=1959 |title=1st Moscow International Film Festival (1959) |access-date=2012-11-03 |work=MIFF |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116210640/http://www.moscowfilmfestival.ru/miff34/eng/archives/?year=1959 |archive-date=2013-01-16 }}</ref>
|-
| 1960
| ''[[Escape by Night (1960 film)|Era notte a Roma]]''
| Film
| Fyodor Aleksandrovic Nazukov
|
|-
| 1960
| ''[[Splendid Days]]''
| Film
| Korostelyov
|
|-
| 1965–1967
| ''[[War and Peace (film series)|War and Peace]]''
| Film
| Pierre Bezukhov
| Grand Prix at the [[4th Moscow International Film Festival]]<ref name="Moscow1965">{{cite web |url=http://www.moscowfilmfestival.ru/miff34/eng/archives/?year=1965 |title=4th Moscow International Film Festival (1965) |access-date=2012-12-03 |work=MIFF |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116145645/http://www.moscowfilmfestival.ru/miff34/eng/archives/?year=1965 |archive-date=2013-01-16 }}</ref>
|-
| 1969
| ''[[Battle of Neretva (film)|Battle of Neretva]]''
| Film
| Martin
|
|-
| 1969
| ''Golden Gates''
| Film
|
| background Voice
|-
| 1970
| ''[[Uncle Vanya (1970 film)|Uncle Vanya]]''
| Film
| Dr. Mikhail Lvovich Astrov
|
|-
| 1970
| ''[[Waterloo (1970 film)|Waterloo]]''
| Film
|
|
|-
| 1973
| ''Silence of Doctor Evans''
| Film
| Martin Evans
|
|-
| 1974
| ''Such tall mountains''
| Film
| Ivan Stepanov
|
|-
| 1975
| ''[[They Fought for Their Country]]''
| Film
| Ivan Zvyagintsev
|
|-
| 1975
| ''[[Take Aim]]''
| Film
| [[Igor Kurchatov]]
|
|-
| 1976
| ''[[Vrhovi Zelengore]]''
| Film
| Profesor
|
|-
| 1977
| ''Poshekhon Oldie''
| Film
|
| background Voice
|-
| 1978
| ''[[The Steppe (1977 film)|The Steppe]]''
| Film
| Emelyan
|
|-
| 1978
| ''Velvet season''
| Film
| Mister Bradbury
|
|-
| 1979
| ''[[Father Sergius (1978 film)|Father Sergius]]''
| Film
| Father Sergius
|
|-
| 1979
| ''Occupation – cinema-actor''
| Film
|
| cameo
|-
| 1979
| ''Take off''
| Film
| Narrator
| background Voice
|-
| 1980
| ''[[The Gadfly (1980 film)|The Gadfly]]''
| Film
| Cardinal Montanelli
| TV movie
|-
| 1985
| ''Bambi's Childhood''
| Film
| Narrator
|
|-
| 1986
| ''[[Boris Godunov (1986 film)|Boris Godunov]]''
| Film
| [[Boris Godunov]]
|
|-
| 1988
| ''Incident in airport''
| Film
| [[Major-General]] Tokarenko
|
|-
| 1990
| ''Battle of three kings''
| Film
| Selim
|
|-
| 1992
| ''Storm over Rus''
| Film
| [[boyar]] Morozov
|
|-
| 1993
| ''Mushketyory 20 let spustya''
| Film
|
|
|-
| 2000
| ''Sergei Bondarchuk''
| Documentary
| Himself
|
|}

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
|+Director
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1959
| ''[[Fate of a Man]]''
| Andrei Sokolov
|
|-
| 1966–1967
| ''[[War and Peace (film series)|War and Peace]]''
| Pierre Bezukhov
|
|-
| 1970
| ''[[Waterloo (1970 film)|Waterloo]]''
|
|
|-
| 1975
| ''[[They Fought for Their Country]]''
| Zvyagintsev
|
|-
| 1977
| ''[[The Steppe (1977 film)|The Steppe]]''
| Yemelian
|
|-
| 1982
| ''[[Red Bells]]''
| 
|
|-
| 1983
| ''[[Red Bells II]]''
| 
|
|-
| 1986
| ''[[Boris Godunov (1986 film)|Boris Godunov]]''
| [[Boris Godunov]]
|
|-
| 2006
| ''{{Interlanguage link|Quiet Flows the Don (Sergei Bondarchuk)|it|3=Il placido Don (film 2006)|lt=Quiet Flows the Don}}''
|
|Filmed between 1992 and 1993
|}

;Writer
* ''[[Battle of Sutjeska (film)|Battle of Sutjeska]]'' (1973)

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{IMDb name|id=0094083|name=Sergei Bondarchuk}}
* {{Find a Grave}}
* [http://www.russia-ic.com/culture_art/theatre/240/ ''War and Peace'' of Sergei Bondarchuk]

{{AcademyAwardBestForeignLanguageFilm 1961–1980}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bondarchuk, Sergei}}
[[Category:1920 births]]
[[Category:1994 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Kherson Oblast]]
[[Category:Communist Party of the Soviet Union members]]
[[Category:Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography alumni]]
[[Category:Academic staff of the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography]]
[[Category:Bondarchuk family|Sergei]]
[[Category:Sergei Bondarchuk| ]]
[[Category:Directors of Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award winners]]
[[Category:Knights of the Legion of Honour]]
[[Category:Heroes of Socialist Labour]]
[[Category:Honored Artists of the RSFSR]]
[[Category:People's Artists of the USSR]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Stalin Prize]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Lenin Prize]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of Friendship of Peoples]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of Lenin]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Shevchenko National Prize]]
[[Category:Recipients of the USSR State Prize]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Vasilyev Brothers State Prize of the RSFSR]]
[[Category:Male Shakespearean actors]]
[[Category:Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic people]]
[[Category:Russian film directors]]
[[Category:Russian male film actors]]
[[Category:Russian male voice actors]]
[[Category:20th-century Russian screenwriters]]
[[Category:Russian male screenwriters]]
[[Category:20th-century Russian male writers]]
[[Category:Soviet film directors]]
[[Category:Soviet male film actors]]
[[Category:Soviet male voice actors]]
[[Category:Soviet military personnel of World War II from Ukraine]]
[[Category:Soviet screenwriters]]
[[Category:Soviet male screenwriters]]
[[Category:Ukrainian film directors]]
[[Category:Ukrainian male film actors]]
[[Category:Ukrainian screenwriters]]
[[Category:Ukrainian male voice actors]]
[[Category:Burials at Novodevichy Cemetery]]