Biography for
Nikita Mikhalkov

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Date of Birth

21 October 1945, Moscow, Soviet Union (now Russia)

Birth Name

Nikita Sergeyevich Mikhalkov-Konchalovsky

Height

6' 1½" (1.87 m)

Mini Biography

Russian "Spielberg" - Nikita Mikhalkov, also an Oscar winner, is the son of the communist poet Sergei Vladimirovich Mikhalkov who wrote the lyrics of the Soviet national anthem and had strong connections to the Communist Party. Nikita Mikhalkov's mother, Natalya Petrovna Konchalovskaya, was also a poet and daughter of famous painter Pyotr Petrovich Konchalovsky by his wife Olga Vasilievna Surikova, and by her the great granddaughter of another great painter Vasily Surikov. And then last, but not least, Nikita Mikhalkov is the brother of Andrei Konchalovsky, also a film director who, unlike Nikita, has worked in the US.

Mikhalkov won the Academy Award for the Best Foreign Film "Burnt by the Sun" Utomlyonnye solntsem (1994), but is also well known as an actor, appearing in over 40 films including _Sibirskij tsiryulnik (1998)_ where he played the Russian Tsar Alexander III opposite Julia Ormond.

Mikhailkov has impressive long list of wins at Cannes, Venice, Moscow, Karlovy Vary, European Film Awards etc.

Following his Oscar win, Nikita Mikhalkov, has won a parliamentary seat in Viktor Chernomyrdin's party. He is always in the spotlight, especially in Moscow, where he lives.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous

Mini Biography

Russian film-maker and actor Nikita Sergeyevich Mikhalkov was born on October, 21, 1945, a son of a well-known Russian poet Sergey Vladimirovich Mikhalkov, who provided lyrics for the Russian anthem, and Natalya Petrovna Konchalovskaya, also a poet. As a child he was exposed to genuine literary talk at home, which was a fulcrum for a Russian art community. Mikhalkov was educated at the state film school VGIK and graduated in 1971 with a short film Quiet Day at War's End as his degree project. He quickly established himself as one of the most promising Russian directors with a vision of his own. Fame and recognition came with At Home among Strangers (1974) - a crime story set against the backdrop of a civil war. A biopic about a silent movie star Slave of Love (1976), An Unfinished Piece for a Player Piano (1977), and A Few Days in the Life of I.I.Oblomov (1979) - the latter two inspired by the themes from the Russian classical literature - were praised for technical brilliance.

Mikhalkov often starred in his films and occasionally appeared in other directors' movies. Five Evenings (1979) and Kinfolk (1981) combined comedy and drama in consideration of important issues of the day. As his fame and international audience grew, his films never went unnoticed at prestigious European film festivals and earned him numerous awards. Dark Eyes (1987) - a love story loosely based on Chekhov's novel, Hitch-hiking (1990), and Close to Eden (1991) enjoyed popularity with cinema-goers and got widespread critical acclaim.

Mikhalkov's personal ambition was to repeat a success of The Cranes Are Flying - the only Russian film to have won the Palme d"Or at the Cannes Festival. In 1994 his Stalin era drama Burnt by the Sun was overshadowed by Tarantino's Pulp Fiction at Cannes and upon returning home he made some unpleasant remarks about "those people in France neglecting masterpieces" and vowed never to take part in any film festival again. So far he has kept his promise. Burnt by the Sun, however, became a hit of its own and won an Academy Award (Oscar) for the Best Foreign Film. Mikhalkov became the third Russian director to receive Oscar after Sergei Bondarchuk (in 1961) and Vladimir Menshov (in 1980). Because of his controversial political views he fell from public favor in the late 1990s, although his The Barber of Siberia (1998) - a grandiose, big budget romance set in the 19c. Russia became a runaway box office success. Opinions on his directing polarize. Some view him as the greatest living Russian film-maker. The others say that he is a typical old school director who fails to produce new ideas in his films.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Mike (hfhfdfse@rol.ru)

Spouse

Anastasiya Vertinskaya	(6 March 1967 - ?) (divorced) 1 child
Tatyana Mikhalkova	(197? - present) 3 children

Trivia

He is the younger brother of Andrei Konchalovsky and one of the most famous Soviet/Russian filmmakers.

Father was Sergi Vladimirovich Mikhalkov, author of children's books and writer of lyrics to the Soviet national anthem.

Mother was Natalia Petrovna Konchalovskaya Mikhalkova, a poet.

Son of Sergei Mikhalkov.

Father of Stepan Mikhalkov, whose mother is his first wife Anastasiya Vertinskaya and Artyom Mikhalkov, Nadezhda Mikhalkova and Anna Mikhalkova with his second wife Tatyana.

His great-grandfather was the imperial governor of Yaroslavl and son of a Galitizine princess.

Biography in: John Wakeman, editor. "World Film Directors, Volume Two, 1945-1985". Pages 683-687. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1988.

Head of jury at the Berlin International Film Festival 1996

Received the Russian Academy Award for Urga (1991), the same year Mikhail Vartanov did for Parajanov: The Last Spring (1992)

Good friends with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Although Ang Lee was awarded the Golden Lion at the 2007 Venice Film Festival for Se, jie (2007), parts of the jury favored his movie 12 (2007), so for the first time in the festival's history, a Special Lion for Overall Work was given to him (8 September 2007).

Moved to Serbia, giving moral support to the country's sovereignty over Kosovo (2006).

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