Andrei Konchalovsky facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Andrei Konchalovsky
Андрей Кончаловский
Konchalovsky in 2023
Born	Andrei Sergeyevich Mikhalkov (1937-08-20) 20 August 1937 (age 88) Moscow, Soviet Union
Other names	Andrei Sergeyevich Mikhalkov-Konchalovsky
Occupation	Director screenwriter producer
Years active	1960–present
Spouse(s)	Irina Kandat (m. 1955⁠–⁠1957) Natalya Arinbasarova (m. 1965⁠–⁠1969) Viviane Gaudet (m. 1969⁠–⁠1980) Irina Martynova (m. 1990⁠–⁠1997) Julia Vysotskaya (m. 1998)
Children	7
Parent(s)	Sergey Mikhalkov (father)
Relatives	Nikita Mikhalkov (brother)
Family	Mikhalkov

Andrei Konchalovsky (born August 20, 1937) is a famous Russian film and theater director, writer, and producer. He has been making movies for over 60 years. His work includes films made in the Soviet Union, Hollywood, and modern Russia.

Early in his career, he worked with another famous director, Andrei Tarkovsky, on screenplays. Some of his well-known films are Uncle Vanya (1970), Siberiade (1979), House of Fools (2002), and Dear Comrades! (2020). He also directed the TV miniseries The Odyssey in 1997.

His films have won many awards. These include the Cannes Grand Prix Spécial du Jury, two Silver Lion awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. He has also received special honors in Russia and other countries.

Andrei Konchalovsky comes from the Mikhalkov family, which is well-known in Russia. His father, Sergey Mikhalkov, wrote the words for the Soviet and Russian national anthems. His brother, Nikita Mikhalkov, is also a famous filmmaker.

Early Life and Family History

Andrei Konchalovsky was born Andrei Sergeyevich Mikhalkov on August 20, 1937. This was in Moscow, Russia, when it was part of the Soviet Union. His family, the Mikhalkovs, has a long history of artists and nobles. They can trace their family roots back many centuries.

His mother was a poet named Natalia Konchalovskaya. His father was the writer Sergey Mikhalkov. His brother is the filmmaker Nikita Mikhalkov. Andrei is sometimes called Andron, but he has said that Andrei is his official name.

Filmmaking Career Highlights

Konchalovsky at a press conference in Vienna, 2016.

Konchalovsky first studied music for ten years at the Moscow Conservatory. He was preparing to become a pianist. But in 1960, he met Andrei Tarkovsky, and his path changed. He worked with Tarkovsky on two films: Ivan's Childhood and Andrei Rublev.

First Films and Recognition

His first full-length movie as a director was The First Teacher (1964). It was well-received in the Soviet Union and shown at many film festivals. His next film, Asya Klyachina's Story (1967), was not released right away by Soviet officials. When it finally came out twenty years later, it was praised as one of his best works.

After that, Konchalovsky directed films based on famous books. These included A Nest of Gentle Folk (1969) by Ivan Turgenev and Uncle Vanya (1970) by Anton Chekhov.

Moving to Hollywood

In 1979, his big movie Siberiade was shown at the Cannes Film Festival. This film's success helped him move to the United States in 1980.

In Hollywood, he directed several popular movies. These included Maria's Lovers (1984), Runaway Train (1985), and Tango & Cash (1989). Runaway Train was based on a script by the famous Japanese director Akira Kurosawa.

Return to Russia and Later Works

In the 1990s, Konchalovsky returned to Russia. However, he still made historical films for American television. One notable work was his adaptation of The Odyssey (1997). He also directed the award-winning remake of The Lion in Winter (2003).

His film House of Fools (2003) won a Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival. This movie was set in a psychiatric hospital during the war in Chechnya.

In 2010, Konchalovsky released The Nutcracker in 3D. This was a musical film based on Tchaikovsky's ballet. It combined live actors with 3D animation.

Recent Films and Documentaries

In 2012, Konchalovsky wrote, directed, and produced The Battle for Ukraine. This documentary looked at Ukraine's history and its relationship with Russia.

His film The Postman's White Nights won the Silver Lion at the 71st Venice International Film Festival in 2014. This movie was based on a true story about a postman in a remote Russian village.

In 2016, his film Paradise also won the Silver Lion at the 73rd Venice International Film Festival. It was chosen to represent Russia at the Academy Awards.

In 2020, Konchalovsky directed Dear Comrades!. This historical drama was about the Novocherkassk massacre. The film won the Special Jury Prize at the 77th Venice International Film Festival.

Political Views

Andrei Konchalovsky has expressed his views on political matters. .....

In 2014, he signed a statement that spoke against Russia's annexation of Crimea. However, by 2017, he made statements supporting the annexation.

In 2020, Konchalovsky said in an interview that he thought Nikita Khrushchev's actions against Joseph Stalin's cult of personality were a mistake.

He has also supported Russia's actions in Ukraine. In January 2023, he was sanctioned by the Ukrainian government. In the lead-up to the 2024 Russian presidential election, Konchalovsky supported Vladimir Putin's campaign. He described Putin as "an extraordinary leader."

Personal Life

Konchalovsky has been married five times. His first wife was Irina Kandat. His second wife was actress Natalya Arinbasarova, and they have a son named Egor, who is also a film director. His third wife was Viviane Godet, and they have a daughter, Alexandra. His fourth wife was Irina Ivanova, and they have two daughters, Nathalia and Elena. His fifth wife is Russian actress Julia Vysotskaya. They married in 1998 and have two children, Maria and Petr.

In October 2013, Konchalovsky and his daughter Maria were in a car accident in France. Maria suffered a serious brain injury and was in a coma for some time. By 2018, Maria's condition had improved, and she returned to Russia with her parents.

Honors and Awards

Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister of Italy Giuseppe Conte at a screening of Sin, presented by Konchalovsky, 24 October 2018.

Andrei Konchalovsky has received many honors and awards throughout his career. These include:

2018 Cavalier of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (Italy)
2017 The Bridge Award by the Bernhard Wicki Foundation (Germany)
2017 The Federico Fellini Prize 'For a special contribution to the development of the cinema' (Italy)
2017 The European Medal of Tolerance (ECTR), 'For his cultural achievements' (Brussels)
2016 The Robert Bresson Prize, Vatican (Italy)
2011 National Order of the Legion of Honour (France)
2005 Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters (France)
1997 Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" 4th class (Russia)
1980 People's Artist of the RSFSR (USSR)

Filmography

This section lists the films and TV shows Andrei Konchalovsky has worked on.

Feature Films

Year	Title	Functioned as			Country of Origin	Notes
Year	Title	Director	Writer	Producer	Country of Origin	Notes
1962	Ivan's Childhood	No	Yes	No	Soviet Union
1965	The First Teacher	Yes	Yes	No
1966	Andrei Rublev	No	Yes	No
1967	Tashkent	No	Yes	No
1967	The Story of Asya Klyachina	Yes	No	No
1969	A Nest of Gentry	Yes	Yes	No
1970	End of the Ataman	No	Yes	No
1970	Uncle Vanya	Yes	Yes	No
1972	We're Waiting for You, Lad	No	Yes	No
1972	The Seventh Bullet	No	Yes	No
1974	The Fierce One	No	Yes	No
1974	A Lover's Romance	Yes	No	No
1976	A Slave of Love	No	Yes	No
1978	Blood and Sweat	No	Yes	No
1979	Siberiade	Yes	Yes	No
1984	Maria's Lovers	Yes	Yes	No	United States
1985	Runaway Train	Yes	No	No	United States
1986	Duet for One	Yes	Yes	No	United Kingdom
1987	Shy People	Yes	Yes	No	United States
1989	Tango & Cash	Yes	No	No
1989	Homer and Eddie	Yes	No	No
1991	The Inner Circle	Yes	Yes	No	United States \| Soviet Union \| Italy
1994	Assia and the Hen with the Golden Eggs	Yes	Yes	Yes	Russia
2002	House of Fools	Yes	Yes	Yes
2007	Gloss	Yes	Yes	Yes
2007	Moscow Chill	No	Yes	Yes
2010	The Nutcracker	Yes	Yes	Yes	Hungary \| United Kingdom \| Russia
2014	The Postman's White Nights	Yes	Yes	Yes	Russia
2016	Paradise	Yes	Yes	Yes	Russia \| Germany
2019	Sin	Yes	Yes	Yes	Russia \| Italy
2020	Dear Comrades!	Yes	Yes	Yes	Russia

Executive producer only

The Last Station (2009)

Documentary Films

Year	Title	Functioned as			Country of Origin	Notes
Year	Title	Director	Writer	Producer	Country of Origin	Notes
2005	Culture is Destiny	No	Yes	Yes	Russia
2012	The Battle for Ukraine	Yes	Yes	Yes	Russia
2013	Royal Paintbox	No	No	Yes	United Kingdom
2020	Homo Sperans	Yes	Yes	Yes	Russia

Short Films

Year	Title	Functioned as			Country of Origin	Notes
Year	Title	Director	Writer	Producer	Country of Origin	Notes
1960	The Steamroller and the Violin	No	Yes	No	Soviet Union
1961	The Boy and the Dove	Yes	Yes	No	Soviet Union
1982	Split Cherry Tree	Yes	No	No	United States
2007	Dans le noir	Yes	No	No	France	Segment of To Each His Own Cinema

Television Work

Year	Title	Functioned as		Country of Origin	Notes
Year	Title	Director	Writer	Country of Origin	Notes
1977	Trans-Siberian Express	No	Yes	Soviet Union
1997	The Odyssey	Yes	No	United States	Miniseries
2003	The Lion in Winter	Yes	No	United States	Television film
2003–04	Geniuses	Yes	No	Russia	Documentary series; 6 episodes
2004	The Burden of Power	Yes	No		Documentary series; 2 episodes
2025	style="background: #90ff90; color: black; vertical-align: middle;" class="table-yes"\|Yes	Yes	Post-production

Stage Productions

Andrei Konchalovsky has also directed many plays and operas for the stage.

Plays Directed

Eugene Onegin. Performed at La Scala, Italy, in 1985.
The Queen of Spades. Performed at La Scala, Italy, in 1990.
Miss Julie. Performed at the Malaya Bronnaya Theatre, Moscow, in 2005.
King Lear. Performed at Na Woli, Warsaw, in 2006.
The Seagull. Performed at the Odeon Theatre, Paris, in 1987, and at the Mossovet Theatre, Moscow, in 2004.
Uncle Vanya. Performed at the Mossovet Theatre, Moscow, since 2009.
Three Sisters. Performed at the Mossovet Theatre, Moscow, since 2012.
The Cherry Orchard. Performed at the Mossovet Theatre, Moscow, since 2016.

Operas Directed

War and Peace. Staged at the Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg, in 2000, and at the Metropolitan Opera, New York, in 2002 and 2009.
Un ballo in maschera. Staged at the Teatro Regio, Italy, in 2001, and at the Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg, in 2001.
Boris Godunov. Staged at the Teatro Regio, Turin, Italy, in 2010.

Awards and Nominations

Andrei Konchalovsky's films have been recognized with many awards and nominations at various film festivals and ceremonies.

Emmy Awards

1997: Won for Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special for The Odyssey.
2004: Nominated for Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special for The Lion in Winter.

Golden Eagle Awards (Russia)

2015: Won Best Screenplay for The Postman's White Nights.
2017: Won Best Motion Picture and Best Director for Paradise.
2021: Won Best Director for Dear Comrades!.

Nika Awards

1989: Won Best Director for The Story of Asya Klyachina.
2017: Won Best Film and Best Director for Paradise.

Film Festival Awards

Cannes Film Festival:
- 1979: Won the Grand Prix for Siberiade.
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival:
- 1974: Won the Crystal Globe for A Lover's Romance.
San Sebastián International Film Festival:
- 1971: Won the Silver Seashell for Uncle Vanya.
- 1989: Won the Golden Seashell for Homer and Eddie.
Venice Film Festival:
- 2002: Won the Grand Jury Prize for House of Fools.
- 2014: Won the Silver Lion for The Postman's White Nights.
- 2016: Won the Silver Lion for Paradise.
- 2020: Won the Grand Jury Prize for Dear Comrades!.