Sergey Kalvarskyi Producer Date of Birth: 10.05.1965 Country: Russia

1. Early Life and Education
2. Theatre and Music Video Directing
3. "Art Pictures Petersburg" Years
4. Film and Television Directing
5. "Soho Media" and Beyond
6. Politics and Other Ventures

Early Life and Education

Sergey Viktorovich Kalvarskiy was born into a musical family in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg), in 1962. His father was Anatoliy Kalvarskiy, a well-known composer and songwriter. Sergey's passion for music and entertainment began at a young age.

In 1984, Kalvarskiy graduated from the Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Leningrad Music School, specializing in clarinet. Driven by his love of performing, he pursued his education further at the Leningrad State Institute of Theatre and Cinema (LGITMiK). From 1986 to 1990, he studied under renowned professor Igor Vladimirov, earning a degree in Dramatic Theatre and Film Acting.

Theatre and Music Video Directing

During his university years, Kalvarskiy actively participated in student productions at the Lensovet Theatre. Upon graduating from LGITMiK, he joined the "Buff" Theatre. Additionally, in 1990, Kalvarskiy began his career in television as a host and director for Leningrad Television.

Kalvarskiy's foray into music video directing began in 1992. He collaborated with fellow LGITMiK graduates, the band "Secret," on their iconic video for the song "Noch." Subsequently, he co-founded the production company "Art Pictures Petersburg" with Fyodor Bondarchuk. This partnership marked the start of Kalvarskiy's extensive involvement in creating music videos and television programs.

"Art Pictures Petersburg" Years

As a director for "Art Pictures Petersburg," Kalvarskiy played a pivotal role in producing numerous acclaimed television shows and concerts. His collaborations included working with renowned artists such as Alla Pugacheva, Filipp Kirkorov, Igor Nikolaev, and Irina Allegrova. Additionally, he directed solo concerts, commercials, and the popular live music program "Pesnya Goda."

Kalvarskiy also appeared in music videos directed by his colleague Oleg Gusev. His last music video as a director was "Raduga-Duga" for Valeria in April 2004.

Film and Television Directing

In 1998, Kalvarskiy began production on his first feature film, "Marcefal," with Valery Spirin. The film premiered at the Moscow International Film Festival in 2012. In 2000, he participated in the development of the Russian Music Television block for RTR but the project was later discontinued.

Kalvarskiy relocated to Moscow in late 2000, where he directed the Miss Russia beauty pageant. Soon after, he established "Studii Sergiya Kalvarskogo" (Sergey Kalvarskiy's Studio), which joined the VID group of companies. The studio's first project was the talk show "Sati" on ORT, directed by Kalvarskiy until 2004.

In 2003, Kalvarskiy became the chief director of VID television company, focusing on documentary filmmaking. His studio was renamed "Soho Production," and the shows "Vne Zakona" and "Lyubovnye Istorii" were transferred to Channel One.

Kalvarskiy transitioned to Channel One as the Director of Arts, Entertainment, and Educational Programs in 2004. His responsibilities included overseeing the production of high-profile shows such as "Pole Chudes," "Ugadai Melodiu," "Fabrika Zvezd," and "Bolshie Gonki."

"Soho Media" and Beyond

In August 2007, Kalvarskiy left Channel One and founded "Soho Media." The company partnered with the entertainment channel STS, producing successful projects like "Zvonok" and "STS Zazhigayet Superzvezdu!" In 2008, the STS Media holding acquired "Soho Media."

From 2008 to 2010, Kalvarskiy was actively involved in producing programs for STS, "Domashny," and DTV channels. In 2010, he joined the independent studio "Hyde Park" and produced shows for various television channels until its liquidation in 2018.

Politics and Other Ventures

From 2011 to 2012, Kalvarskiy co-hosted the talk show "Barabaka i Seriy Volk" on the Silver Rain radio station with Ksenia Sobchak. He also produced the talk show "Glavnaya Tema," hosted by Sobchak, for the Georgian television channel PIK.

In 2013, Kalvarskiy released the film "Zalozhnik," which examined the case of the Yukos oil company's executives. After this project, he retired from television and moved to Miami, USA, with his family.

Kalvarskiy returned to Moscow in 2017 and joined Ksenia Sobchak's presidential campaign headquarters, where he produced videos and materials for her YouTube channel. In 2019, he became the Director of Development for the Pen&Paper law firm, producing a short film called "Kartina."

Currently, Kalvarskiy is an individual entrepreneur and has revived his "Vne Zakona" project for Channel Che. He remains an active member of the Russian Television Academy.