Background
Shukshin, Vasilii was born on July 25, 1929 in Siberia.
Actor director scriptwriter writer
Shukshin, Vasilii was born on July 25, 1929 in Siberia.
Graduated from the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography (State Film School, Moscow), 1960, as a director.
Worked for years as a fitter, served in the Navy, taught at evening classes. Acted in Dva Fedora, My Dvoe Muzhchin (based on the A. Kuznetsov short story), Alenka, Zhurnalist, Kalina Krasnaia, and others. Became famous for his short stories in Novyi Mir.
From 1960 until his death, one of the leading writers of derevenskaia proza. Tried to make a film about Sten’ka Razin, the legendary rebel and leader of the Don Cossacks, but the title of the story and film, la Prishel Dal’ Yam Voliu (I Came to Give You Freedom), was too much for the authorities and it was never realised. His best (and last) film remains Kalina Krasnaia (The Red Snowball Tree), 1973, based on his own story, directed and acted by him.
His death was mourned as a national tragedy. Other works: Sel’skieZhiteli, 1963, Kharaktery, 1973, Liubaviny (novel), 1965, and Zhivet Takoi Pared, (script and film), 1964.