# Vladimir Basov

Vladimir Pavlovich Basov (28 July 1923 – 17 September 1987) was a Soviet Russian actor, film director and screenwriter. He was named a People's Artist of the USSR in 1983.

## Biography

Vladimir Basov was born in the Urazovo village, Voronezh Governorate (now Belgorod Oblast) to Pavel Basov (Basultainen) and Aleksandra Basova. His father was a Tartu alumnus of Finnish ethnicity who joined Bolsheviks during the revolution. "Basov" was his party alias later adopted as a family name. He served as an officer and political commissar up until his death in 1931. Vladimir's mother Aleksandra Ivanovna was a daughter of a Russian Orthodox priest from Pokrovsk. She met Pavel during the Civil War; he was a runaway and asked for shelter. During the 1920s she taught peasant children Russian language and literature. According to Vladimir Basov Jr., his father had Russian, Finnish and Georgian roots.
In 1941 Vladimir Basov joined the Great Patriotic War. He served in the Red Army as an artillery officer, mortar battery commander, then, as a staff officer in the 28th Special Artillery Division in the rank of Kapitan. He was awarded the Medal "For Battle Merit" in 1943 and the Order of the Red Star in 1945 for displaying outstanding heroism during the capture of a Nazi military base. He was wounded in action, but continued serving until the war ended.
In 1947 Basov entered VGIK. He studied direction under Sergei Yutkevich and Mikhail Romm and graduated in 1952 to work on the Mosfilm studio. As a director Basov made 18 films, and one teleplay. Among his most acclaimed pictures is the TV adaption of Mikhail Bulgakov's play The Days of the Turbins and a big-screen spy thriller The Shield and the Sword (1968) which he also co-wrote. He is credited with writing screenplays to most of his movies.
In 1963 his friend Georgiy Daneliya offered a small part in the upcoming film Walking the Streets of Moscow (1963). Basov quickly turned into one of the most beloved Soviet comedy actors. He usually portrayed episodic, but distinguishing characters running some shady businesses, such as the lonely official in Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears. Among his bigger roles is Viktor Myshlaevsky in The Days of the Turbins (1976), Huck Finn's father in Hopelessly Lost (1973), Duremar in The Adventures of Buratino (1975), Pyotr Luzhin in Crime and Punishment (1969), Artur Arturovich in The Flight (1970), Stump in The Adventures of the Elektronic (1979). He also voiced a number of popular animated cartoons.
His busy schedule mixed with heavy drinking resulted in serious health problems during the 1980s. In 1983 he survived a stroke that led to complete paralysis of half of his body, yet he continued working. Basov died after a second stroke in 1987. He was buried on the Kuntsevo Cemetery.
Basov was a member of the Communist Party since 1948.

## Personal life

Vladimir Basov was married three times to three Soviet actresses. His first wife was Roza Makagonova (1927-1995). They met while studying at VGIK. They had no children.
His second marriage was to Natalya Fateyeva. They had one son - Vladimir Basov Jr. (born 1959), also a prominent actor and film director.
His last wife was Valentina Titova. Their son Aleksandr Basov (born 1965) is a Russian film director as well, while their daughter Yelizaveta (born 1971) finished dance courses.

## Selected filmography

| Year | Film | Original title | Role | Notes |
| 1954 | Courage School | Школа мужества | Poruchik (uncredited) | Also director |
| 1955 | The Crash of the Emirate | Крушение эмирата | Colonel (uncredited) | Also director |
| 1957 | It Happened at the Mine Number Eight | Случай на шахте восемь | Uncredited | Also director |
| 1961 | The Fight on a Way | Битва в пути | Broadcaster's voice | Also director |
| 1963 | Walking the Streets of Moscow | Я шагаю по Москве | Floor polisher | |
| 1963 | The Silence | Тишина | Driver | Also director |
| 1964 | The Blizzard | Метель | Uncredited | Also director |
| 1965 | Thirty Three | Тридцать три | Museum's director | |
| 1965 | Operation Y and Shurik's Other Adventures | Операция «Ы» и другие приключения Шурика | The strict policeman | |
| 1968 | The Shield and the Sword | Щит и меч | Bruno | Also director |
| 1969 | Crime and Punishment | Преступление и наказание | Pyotr Petrovitch Luzhin | |
| 1970 | The Flight | Бег | Artur Arturovich, the Cockroach Tsar | |
| 1972 | As Ilf and Petrov Rode a Tram | Ехали в трамвае Ильф и Петров | Tramway passenger / The head of department | |
| 1972 | Back to Life | Возвращение к жизни | Guitarist | Also director |
| 1972 | Dangerous Corner | Опасный поворот | Charles Trevor Stanton | Also director |
| 1973 | Big School-Break | Большая перемена | Photographer | |
| 1973 | Hopelessly Lost | Совсем пропащий | Huck's father | |
| 1973 | Chipollino | Чиполлино | Prince Lemon | |
| 1974 | 100% Nylon | Нейлон 100 % | Kireev the lawyer | Also director |
| 1975 | The Adventures of Buratino | Приключения Буратино | Duremar | |
| 1975 | Afonya | Афоня | Vladimir Ivanovich | |
| 1975 | Captain Nemo | Капитан Немо | Royer | |
| 1975 | Vasilisa Mikulishna (animation) | Василиса Микулишна | Prince Vladimir | Voice only |
| 1976 | The Days of the Turbins | Дни Турбиных | Viktor Myshlayevsky | Also director |
| 1976 | Sentimental Romance | Сентиментальный роман | Father | |
| 1977 | About the Little Red Riding Hood | Про Красную Шапочку | Thin Wolf | |
| 1977 | Mimino | Мимино | Sinitsyn, the opera singer | |
| 1977 | The Nose | Нос | A Doctor | |
| 1977 | Domestic Circumstances | По семейным обстоятельствам | Edward Bubukin | |
| The Miracle Voice of Gelsomino | Волшебный голос Джельсомино | King Giacomon | Vocal by Oleg Anofriyev |
| 1978 | A Dog Was Walking Down the Piano | Шла собака по роялю | Gromov | |
| 1978 | The New Adventures of Captain Wrongel | Новые приключения капитана Врунгеля | Block Silent | |
| 1978 | Father Sergius | Отец Сергий | uncredited | |
| 1978 | Last Bride of Zmey Gorynych (animation) | Последняя невеста Змея Горыныча | Zmey Gorynych | Voice only |
| 1979 | Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears | Москва слезам не верит | Anton Kruglov | Best Foreign Language Film of 1980 |
| 1979 | The Adventures of Elektronic | Приключения Электроника | Stump the chief gangster | |
| 1979 | The Suicide Club, or the Adventures of a Titled Person | Клуб самоубийц, или Приключения титулованной особы | Inspector Trenton | |
| 1980 | Teheran 43 | Тегеран-43 | Taxi driver | Soviet-French-Swiss-Spanish production |
| 1981 | Unpaid Vacation | Отпуск за свой счёт | Yevdokimov | USSR-Hungary production |
| 1981 | Be My Husband | Будьте моим мужем | Camper | |
| 1981 | Past Day Facts | Факты минувшего дня | Petr Danilovich | Also director |
| 1981 | Silva | Сильва | Oberleutnant von Rohnsdorff | |
| 1982 | The Story of Voyages | Сказка странствий | Lawyer | |
| 1982 | Look for a Woman | Ищите женщину | Jacque-Pierre Antoine | |
| 1982 | The Trust That Has Burst | Трест, который лопнул | Fake John Morgan | |
| 1982 | The Circus Princess | Принцесса цирка | Pelikan | |
| Chertyonok № 13 (animation) | Чертёнок № 13 | Teacher | Voice only |
| 1984 | Time and the Conways | Время и семья Конвей | Ernest Beevers | Also director |
| 1985 | A Boatswain and a Parrot (animation) | Боцман и попугай | Film director | Voice only |
| 1986 | Seven Cries in the Ocean | Семь криков в океане | | Director only |