Boris Dyozhkin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Boris Dyozhkin
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| Born |
Boris Petrovich Dyozhkin
August 19, 1914 Kursk, Kursk Governorate, Russian Empire
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| Died | March 13, 1992 (aged 77) |
| Occupation | Animator, artist, educator |
| Spouse(s) | Faina Yepifanova Olga Gaiduk-Dyozhkina |
| Children | Sergei Dyozhkin |
Boris Petrovich Dyozhkin (born August 19, 1914 – died March 13, 1992) was a very important and talented animator from the Soviet Union. He was known for directing and creating many animated films. He also worked as an artist, drawing funny pictures called caricatures, and illustrating books. Boris Dyozhkin taught animation at Soyuzmultfilm, a famous animation studio. He was even given the title of Honoured Artist in 1969 for his amazing work.
Contents
Early Life and Learning Animation
Boris Dyozhkin was born in a city called Kursk, in a working-class family. His father worked on the railway and later moved the family to Moscow. Boris first worked as a locksmith in a factory in Moscow.
While working, he also learned to draw funny pictures, called caricatures. He took special classes from a magazine called Krokodil. In 1934, he finished animation courses and joined a special workshop. This workshop focused on making cartoons inspired by famous American studios like Disney and Fleischer Studios. Even though their cartoons were not widely known in the Soviet Union, important people, including Joseph Stalin, liked them a lot.
Working at Soyuzmultfilm
In 1936, Boris Dyozhkin's workshop joined with other groups to form the Soyuzdetmultfilm Studio. A year later, it was renamed Soyuzmultfilm. This became a very famous animation studio. Dyozhkin worked alongside many other talented animators there. They all continued to develop a cartoon style similar to Disney's.
Boris quickly became known as one of the most skilled animators. He really admired Walt Disney and would study Disney's films frame by frame. He wanted to learn all the techniques, especially how to make the picture and sound work perfectly together. This made him a very popular animator at the studio. Before World War II, he co-directed one short film called Hail to the Heroes! (1937).
During the war, Moscow was bombed. Boris Dyozhkin was staying with a friend when a bomb hit the house. He protected his wife, Faina Yepifanova, who was also an animator. He was hit by a piece of the bomb and sadly lost his left eye. He wore an eyepatch for the rest of his life.
Later Career and Famous Cartoons
Even after his injury, Boris Dyozhkin continued to work at Soyuzmultfilm for 40 more years. He often did many jobs at once, like directing, being an art director, and animating. He was very good at creating characters and making sure the animation matched the music and sounds.
By 1955, he became famous for his funny short films. These cartoons often featured two teams competing in different sports like football, hockey, skiing, or boxing. They had very little talking and were full of fast-paced, silly actions.
He directed only one full-length animated film, Cipollino (1961). This movie was based on an Italian fairy tale and was made in his unique, energetic style. The music for the film was written by a famous composer, Karen Khachaturian. This music was later used for a Cipollino ballet that is still performed today.
After 1984, Boris Dyozhkin stopped getting offers to direct films from Soyuzmultfilm. He earned money by drawing pictures for books and postcards. He kept writing new ideas for films, but they were not made. This made him very sad and affected his health.
Boris Dyozhkin passed away in 1992 at the age of 77. He was buried in Moscow. He was survived by his second wife, Olga Gaiduk-Dyozhkina, and his son from his first marriage, Sergei Dyozhkin. His son also became a talented animator.
Selected Filmography
- 1936 — Kolobok (animator)
- 1937 — Hail to the Heroes! (co-director, art director)
- 1938 — Why Is Rhino's Skin Wrinkly? (animator)
- 1939 — Uncle Styopa (animator)
- 1939 — Moydodyr (animator)
- 1939 — Limpopo (animator)
- 1940 — We Are Also Here for the Olympics! (art director, assistant director)
- 1943 — The Tale of Tsar Saltan (animator)
- 1944 — Blue Tit (art director)
- 1945 — The Lost Letter (animator)
- 1946 — Quite Glade (co-director, animator)
- 1947 — The Humpbacked Horse (animator)
- 1948 — The Elephant and the Ant (director, animator)
- 1948 — Fedya Zaitcev (animator)
- 1951 — The Night Before Christmas (animator)
- 1951 — The Brave Man's Heart (director)
- 1952 — The Scarlet Flower (animator)
- 1953 — Naughty Kitten (art director)
- 1955 — Incredible Match (co-director, animator)
- 1956 — Familiar Faces (co-director, screenwriter, art director, animator)
- 1957 — Hail to Friends! (co-director, screenwriter, art director, animator)
- 1957 — Miracle Maker (animator)
- 1958 — Petya and the Little Red Riding Hood (animator)
- 1961 — Cipollino (director, art director, animator)
- 1963 — Snowy Roads (director, screenwriter, art director, animator)
- 1964 — Puck! Puck! (director, screenwriter, art director, animator)
- 1966 — This is Not About Me (director, animator)
- 1968 — Return Match (director, screenwriter, animator)
- 1970 — Meteor at the Boxing Ring (director, screenwriter, art director, animator)
- 1974—1982 — Fitil (director, 6 episodes)
- 1974 — Football Stars (director, screenwriter, art director, animator)
- 1978 — Talent and Fans (director, art director, animator)
- 1981 — Come to the Skating Rink (director, screenwriter, art director)
Awards
Boris Dyozhkin received many awards for his animated films:
- 1949 — Won an award at the 10th Venice International Film Festival for The Elephant and the Ant.
- 1953 — Received a diploma at the 14th Venice International Film Festival for The Brave Man's Heart.
- 1955 — Won first prize at the VII Venice International Film Festival for Children and Youth for Incredible Match.
- 1956 — Received a silver medal at the I International Film Festival in Damascus for Incredible Match.
- 1958 — Won a second award at the I All-Union Film Festival in Moscow for Hail to Friends!.
- 1966 — Won a second award at the II All-Union Film Festival in Kiev for Puck! Puck!.
