Eduard Nazarov facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Eduard Nazarov
Nazarov in 2011
Born	Eduard Vasilievich Nazarov (1941-11-23)23 November 1941 Moscow, USSR
Died	11 September 2016(2016-09-11) (aged 74) Moscow, Russia
Occupation	Animator, artist, educator

Eduard Vasilievich Nazarov (Russian: Эдуард Васильевич Назаров) was a very talented Soviet and Russian animator, born on November 23, 1941, and passing away on September 11, 2016. He was also a screenwriter, voice actor, and illustrated many books. Eduard Nazarov was the artistic director at Pilot Studio for many years. He was also a vice-president of ASIFA and helped lead the KROK International Animated Films Festival. In 2012, he received a special award called People's Artist of Russia, which is a high honor for artists.

Life and Work of Eduard Nazarov

Eduard Nazarov was born in Moscow during a difficult time, in a bomb shelter during the Battle of Moscow. His parents were engineers. From a young age, he loved to paint. When he was in 9th grade, he went to an art school where he met Yuri Norstein, who became a lifelong friend.

After serving three years in the Soviet Army, Nazarov went to the Stroganov Institute to study art. At the same time, in 1959, he started working at Soyuzmultfilm, a famous animation studio. He learned animation on the job, working as an assistant and later as an art director. He is especially known for creating the look of Winnie-the-Pooh for the Soviet cartoon version of the fairy tale.

Directing His Own Films

Starting in 1973, Eduard Nazarov began directing his own short films. He often did many jobs for his films, like being the art director, writing the script, and even doing some of the voices. His film Once Upon a Dog is considered one of his best works. It won the First Prize at the 1983 Odense International Film Festival and a special award at the 1983 Annecy International Animated Film Festival. This film was also named one of the "Golden Hundred" best Russian animated films.

Teaching and Later Career

From 1979 to 2000, Nazarov taught at the High Courses for Scriptwriters and Film Directors, sharing his knowledge with new filmmakers. He also drew pictures for many books and magazines.

His last film, Martynko (1987), faced some challenges. It was delayed for four years because Nazarov did not want to change the name of a princess in the cartoon. Some people thought the princess was making fun of a real person, even though the character came straight from an old fairy tale. Around this time, Nazarov left Soyuzmultfilm.

In 1988, he received the Vasilyev Brothers State Prize of the RSFSR, another important award. He also served as a vice-president for ASIFA, an international group for animators.

During the 1990s, he directed commercials and hosted TV shows about animation. In 1991, he became a co-leader of the KROK International Animated Films Festival. In 1993, he helped start the SHAR animation school-studio with other famous animators. He worked there until he passed away.

In 2004, Nazarov joined Pilot Studio for their Mountain of Gems project. This was a big TV series that made short films based on traditional fairy tales from different regions. Nazarov helped with the art, wrote scripts, and did voice-overs for some of these films. After the studio's leader, Alexander Tatarsky, passed away in 2007, Nazarov became the artistic director of the studio.

Nazarov faced health challenges later in life, but he kept teaching his students using online tools like Skype.

Eduard Nazarov died on September 11, 2016, and was buried in Moscow. He is remembered for his amazing contributions to animation.

Selected Films by Eduard Nazarov