Nikolay Kalinin
Early Life and Career
Victor Tur, a Soviet film director, graduated from a technical school at the Minsk Tractor Plant in 1955 and initially worked at the factory. In 1956, he became an assistant director at Minsk Television, before joining Belarusfilm studios as a director in 1958. Tur also studied at the Belarusian Theatre and Art Institute's directing faculty (graduating in 1965) and attended directing courses at the Moscow Art Theatre (1968). He was married to actress Natalya Chemodurova.
Untimely Demise
Tur's life came to an abrupt end on February 12, 1974, in Minsk, during the filming of "The Bronze Bird." While the official report attributed his death to infectious meningitis (hospitalized in the morning, deceased by evening), unofficial accounts suggest a fatal beating by police that resulted in internal organ damage. Actor Andrei Voinovsky claimed Tur succumbed to cirrhosis of the liver.
Recognition and Accolades
Tur's talent and contributions were acknowledged with several awards and accolades:
- 1965: Diploma II degree for "Through the Cemetery" at the Film Festival of the Baltic Republics, Belarus, and Moldova (also earning him the prize for best debut)
- 1973: Grand Prix at the International Television Film Festival in Paris for "Those Who Go Beyond the Horizon" (for best portrayal of a romantic hero)
Filmography
Assistant Director- 1963: The Third Missile
Second Director
- 1964: Through the Cemetery
- 1965: City of Masters
Director/Co-Director
- 1968: The Tough One (short film)
- 1969: Create a Battle
- 1970: The Fall of the Empire (co-director)
- 1971: The Rudobel Republic
- 1972: Those Who Go Beyond the Horizon
- 1973: The Dagger
- 1974: The Bronze Bird
