Aleksey Batalov

Aleksey Vladimirovich Batalov is a Soviet and Russian actor who has been acclaimed for his portrayal of noble and positive characters. He was named a Peoples Artist of the USSR in 1976 and a Hero of Socialist Labour in 1989.

Batalov was born in Vladimir onNovember 1928 into a family associated with the theatre. His uncle Nikolay Batalov starred in Vsevolod Pudovkins classic Mother . Anna Akhmatova was a family friend, and he painted a wellknown 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 is his best regarded film of the period, and the one which won Palme dOr at the Cannes Film Festival. He also starred in Mikhail Romms Nine Days of One Year . 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.

Source: Wikipedia