Vladimir Vengerov Soviet screenwriter and director Date of Birth: 11.01.1920 Country: Russia

1. Early Life and Education
2. Assistant at Mosfilm and Lenfilm
3. Debut as a Director
4. Shift to Adult Films and Critical Acclaim
5. Landmark Adaptations and Later Years
6. Struggles and Final Years

Early Life and Education

Vladimir Yakovlevich Vengerov, a renowned Soviet screenwriter and director, was born on January 11, 1920, in Saratov, Russia. During the WWII years, he embarked on his education at VGIK (the All-Union State Institute of Cinematography) in Alma-Ata, evacuated from Moscow due to the conflict. Under the tutelage of the legendary Sergei Eisenstein and Grigory Kozintsev, he honed his cinematic skills.

Assistant at Mosfilm and Lenfilm

In 1944, Vengerov joined Mosfilm as an assistant, but soon after, he was invited to work at Lenfilm, where the director promised him more substantial opportunities. He assisted Fridrikh Ermler on the film "The Great Turning Point," which won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. In addition to assisting Ermler on other films, Vengerov also taught acting at the Leningrad Theatre Institute.

Debut as a Director

Vengerov's directorial debut came in 1954 with "Kortik," a film based on Anatoly Rybakov's novel, which he co-directed with Mikhail Schweitzer. The following year, he directed "Two Captains" based on Veniamin Kaverin's novel. Both films achieved immense popularity, with "Two Captains" attracting over 32 million viewers in its first year of release.

Shift to Adult Films and Critical Acclaim

While Vengerov had initially focused on children's films, he later transitioned to making films for adults. His most notable work in this genre is "The Workers' Settlement" (1965), which explores the lives of workers in the post-war period and features a star-studded cast including Oleg Borisov, Lyudmila Gurchenko, and Lyubov Sokolova.

Landmark Adaptations and Later Years

Vengerov directed several notable adaptations of literary works, including "The Living Corpse" (1968) based on Leo Tolstoy's play, "Karpushin" (1972) based on Grigory Baklanov's novel, and "The Strogovs" (1976) based on Georgy Markov's novel. His last film was "The Precipice" (1983), an adaptation of Ivan Goncharov's novel.

Struggles and Final Years

Despite the success of some of his films, Vengerov faced criticism for his artistic style and struggled to find a consistent creative voice. In his later years, he suffered from health issues and rarely left his home. Vladimir Yakovlevich Vengerov passed away in Saint Petersburg on November 15, 1997.