Oleg Yankovsky facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Oleg Yankovsky Олег Янковский
Oleg Yankovsky, May 2007
Born	Oleg Ivanovich Yankovsky (1944-02-23)23 February 1944 Jezkazgan, Kazakh SSR, USSR
Died	20 May 2009(2009-05-20) (aged 65) Moscow, Russia
Resting place	Novodevichy Cemetery, Moscow, Russia
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1965–2009
Title	People's Artist of the USSR (1991)
Spouse(s)	Lyudmila Zorina
Children	Filipp Yankovsky
Awards

Oleg Ivanovich Yankovsky (Russian: Оле́г Ива́нович Янко́вский; February 23, 1944 – May 20, 2009) was a famous actor from the Soviet Union and Russia. He was known for playing smart and thoughtful characters. In 1991, he received a very special award, becoming one of the last "People's Artists of the USSR". This was a huge honor for actors and artists.

About Oleg Yankovsky's Life

Early Years and Family Background

Oleg Yankovsky was born on February 23, 1944, in a place called Jezkazgan, which is now in Kazakhstan. His family had roots in Russian, Belarusian, and Polish history. His father, Ivan Pavlovich, was a military officer. Sadly, his father faced difficulties and was sent away with his family to Kazakhstan, where he later passed away.

After a tough period, Oleg's family moved to Saratov. His older brother, Rostislav, became an actor. When Rostislav moved to Minsk for theater work, he brought 14-year-old Oleg along. This was because the family needed more support. In Minsk, Oleg got his first chance to act on stage. He filled in for another actor in a play called The Drummer.

Starting His Acting Career

After finishing school, Oleg Yankovsky went back to Saratov. In 1965, he graduated from the Saratov Theater School. He then joined the Saratov Drama Theater, where he performed many main roles for eight years. After his successful performance as Prince Myshkin in the play The Idiot in 1973, he was invited to join the famous Lenkom Theatre in Moscow.

Oleg's film career began when he was cast in two movies in 1968. One was The Shield and the Sword, a film about World War II. The other was Two Comrades Were Serving, which was about the Russian Civil War.

Becoming a Famous Actor

During his long film career, Oleg Yankovsky appeared in many movies based on classic Russian stories. Some notable ones include A Hunting Accident (1977) and The Kreutzer Sonata (1987). Since 1975, he was a leading actor at Mark Zakharov's Lenkom Theatre. He also starred in TV versions of the theater's plays, like An Ordinary Miracle (1978) and The Very Same Munchhausen (1979).

For his role in the film Flights in Dreams and Reality (1984), Oleg Yankovsky won the USSR State Prize. He became well-known internationally for his roles in Andrei Tarkovsky's films. He played the father in Mirror and the main character in Nostalghia.

In the early 1990s, Oleg Yankovsky took on different kinds of roles. He starred in the comedy Passport (1990) and the historical drama The Assassin of the Tsar (1991). In 1991, he was chosen to be the head of the jury at the 17th Moscow International Film Festival.

Starting in 1993, Oleg Yankovsky helped run the Kinotavr Film Festival in Sochi. He continued to win awards for his work. He received several Nika Awards for his first film as a director, Come Look at Me (2001), and for his role in The Lover (2002). He also played Count Pahlen in Poor Poor Paul (2004) and Komarovsky in a TV show based on Doctor Zhivago (2006).

Oleg Yankovsky's last film was Tsar, released in 2009. It was shown at the Cannes Film Festival just three days before he passed away. In this final film, he played the important role of Metropolitan Philip.

His Final Days

Oleg Yankovsky passed away on May 20, 2009, in Moscow, at the age of 65. He died from pancreatic cancer. A public funeral was held at the Lenkom theater. He was buried on May 22, 2009, at Novodevichy Cemetery with only his close family present.

Oleg Yankovsky's Family

• Wife: Lyudmila Zorina (born May 1, 1941), who is also an actress.
• Son: Filipp Yankovsky (born October 10, 1968), an actor and film director.
• Daughter-in-law: Oksana Fandera (born November 7, 1967), an actress.
• Grandchildren: Ivan Yankovsky (born October 30, 1990), an actor; and Elizaveta (born May 1, 1994).
• Brothers: Rostislav Yankovsky (February 5, 1930 – June 26, 2016), a famous actor; and Nikolai Ivanovich Yankovsky (July 26, 1941 – May 25, 2015).
• Nephew: Igor Yankovsky (born April 29, 1951), an actor.

Film Roles

Awards and Honors

Oleg Yankovsky received many awards throughout his career for his amazing acting.

Awards from Russia

• 1977 – Honored Artist of the RSFSR
• 1984 – People's Artist of the RSFSR
• 1987 – USSR State Prize – for his role in "Flights in dream and reality"
• 1989 – Vasilyev Brothers State Prize of the RSFSR – for his role in "The Kreutzer Sonata"
• 1991 – People's Artist of the USSR
• 1995 – Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 4th class – for his great work in arts and culture
• 1996 – State Prize of the Russian Federation - for his main role in the play "The Seagull" at the Moscow State Theatre
• 2002 – State Prize of the Russian Federation - for his main role in the play "Jester Balakirev"
• 2007 – Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 3rd class – for his big impact on theater and film
• 2009 – Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 2nd class – for his outstanding work in theater and cinema

Film and Public Awards

• 1977 – Lenin Komsomol Prize – "for his talented modern acting in movies"
• 1983 – Best Actor of the Year – for his role in the film Love by Request
• 1983 – Winner of "Best actor" at the All-Union Film Festival
• 1988 – Prize for Best Actor (in the film "Filer") at Valladolid International Film Festival
• 1989 – Award "for outstanding contributions to the profession" at the "Constellation" (Sozvezdie) film festival for his role in To Kill a Dragon
• 1991 – Nika Award, three times; for Best Actor in "Regicide" and for Best Actor in "Passport"
• 2001 – Award for Best Actor at the Sochi Open Russian Film Festival Kinotavr – for the film "Come Look at Me"
• 2001 – Grand Prix "Gold" Listapad at the Minsk International Film Festival "Listapad" – for his role in "Come look at me"
• 2001 – First place at the film festival "Window to Europe" in Vyborg – for the film "Come Look at Me"
• 2001 – Stanislavsky Theatre Prize – for the main role in the play "Jester Balakirev"
• 2002 – Nika Award – for Best Actor in the film "The Lover"
• 2002 – The award "Golden Aries" – for Best Actor in the film "The Lover"
• 2002 – Award for Best Actor at the ORFF "Kinotavr" in Sochi – for his role in "The Lover"
• 2002 – Award for Best Actor at the festival "Constellation" – for his role in the movie "The Lover"
• 2003 – Golden Eagle Award – for Best Supporting Actor in the film "Poor, Poor Pavel"
• 2006 – Golden Eagle Award – for Best Actor on Television (in the TV show "Doctor Zhivago")
• 2006 – Prize of the Russian Television Academy TEFI – for best actor on television (in the TV show "Doctor Zhivago")
• 2007 – Award "Triumph"
• 2008 – Public award – the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky
• 2009 – Award "Triumph"
• 2009 – Stanislavsky Award (given after his death to his son Filipp)
• 2009 – Prize "long-term President" Kinotavr – for his amazing contribution to Russian cinema (given after his death)
• 2009 – Award for Best Actor at the "Constellation" (Sozvezdie) film festival – for his role in "Anna Karenina" (given after his death)
• 2010 – Golden Eagle Special Prize for his contribution to Russian cinema (given after his death)
• 2010 – Nika Award for 2009 – "Best Actor" (given after his death), for his roles in "Anna Karenina" and "King"