Georgy Nikolaevich Danelia (1930-2019) – Soviet and Russian film director, screenwriter and memoirist. People's Artist of the USSR. Laureate of State Prizes of the USSR and the Russian Federation.
Danelia shot such famous films as “I Walk Around Moscow”, “Mimino”, “Afonya” and “Kin-Dza-Dza”, which became classics of Soviet cinema.
Danelia’s biography contains many interesting facts, which we will discuss in this article.
So, here is a short biography of Georgy Danelia.
What to do with such a fool?
Georgy Nikolaevich in one of his interviews will remember that after graduation, the family decided where their son would go. Dad insisted on VGIK: “Where else should we put him, such a fool,” my father said jokingly. But Gia was already quite an adult and an independent guy, so he chose his own path.
He entered the architectural school, studied there carefully and even got a job in his specialty. In parallel with the architectural service, Danelia applied for higher directing courses at Mosfilm, feeling that he now had a little more experience behind him than immediately after his school graduation.
Great director
Already his first short films received praise and showed that a great director had come to Mosfilm. His first big work, the film “Seryozha” with the Bondarchuk couple in the lead roles, won the hearts of Soviet viewers and was even recognized as the best film according to the magazine “Soviet Screen”. Later Danelia would be called one of the founders of the new cinema.
However, Danelia himself did not consider the film a masterpiece. The attempt to show the child as a separate personality with his own emotions, and not as a future builder of communism, did not seem very successful to him. He attributed the success of the film to chance. Moreover, his main critic, his father, after watching the film, described the work with a short, emotionless phrase: “So-so.” However, Gia continued.
Pepelats
Of course, the real breakthrough was the legendary “Kin-dza-dza” - social science fiction for all times, which is adored and quoted by all new generations. The famous pepelats architect Danelia invented and drew it personally. The abundance of special effects used in the film amazed all directors of that time.
Still from the film “Kin-dza-dza!”
There is a known case when Danelia received a call from the USA to ask for a strange flying car for her fantastic filming. The joker-director replied that the pepelats belonged to the Ministry of Defense. The Americans were not surprised by anything and wrote a request to the Ministry of Education, in connection with which the director was called “on the carpet” and was reprimanded for a long time for his non-Soviet sense of humor.
Biography of Georgy Danelia
After graduating from the course in 1959, Georgy Danelia began working as a production director at the Mosfilm film studio. In 1960, his debut film “Seryozha” was released, directed by him in collaboration with Igor Talankin based on the story of the same name by Vera Panova. The film was awarded the Grand Prix at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. The next work, the psychological drama “The Way to the Pier,” was released on screens across the country in 1962. Fame came to the director in 1964, after the release of the lyrical comedy “I Walk Around Moscow,” which organically entered the history of Russian cinema.
In 1965, in the film “Thirty Three,” Danelia turned to the genre of satire, after which he continued to work in this genre as a staff director of the satirical film magazine “Wick,” creating several miniatures for the film magazine in 1967-1970.
In 1969, the film “Don’t Cry!”, based on the novel “My Uncle Benjamin” by Claude Tillier, appeared in theaters; in 1972, the adventure film “Completely Lost,” based on the novel by Mark Twain.
The director’s next work, “Afonya” (1975), in the filming of which such stars of Soviet cinema as Leonid Kuravlev, Evgeny Leonov, Vladimir Basov and many others took part, became the most commercially successful film of 1975.
Over the next 25 years, Danelia directed only eight films, three of which were included in the “golden fund” of Soviet cinema. These are the comedy “Mimino” (1977), thanks to the main role in which Vakhtang Kikabidze gained all-Union fame, the satirical comedy “Autumn Marathon” (1979), and the cult fantasy comedy “Kin-dza-dza!” (1986), starring Stanislav Lyubshin and Evgeny Leonov.
Among the director’s other works are the tragicomedies “Tears Are Dripping” (1982), “Passport” (1990), the melodrama “Nastya” (1993), and the comedy “Heads and Tails” (1995). In 2000, after a long break, Danelia directed the comedy film “Fortune”. In 2013, the animated film “Ku! Kin-dza-dza" based on the 1986 science fiction comedy.
Georgy Danelia is the author or co-author of the scripts for most of his films, as well as co-author of the scripts for films shot by other directors, including “Gentlemen of Fortune” (together with Victoria Tokareva), “The Frenchman” (together with Sergei Bodrov), “Greetings from Charlie Trubach” "(together with Sergei Dernov), co-authored with Rustam Ibragimbekov the script "Anna" based on Ostrovsky's play "Guilty Without Guilt."
As an actor, Danelia appeared in episodic roles in several films.
Georgy Danelia is the author of the biographical books “Stowaway” (2002), “The Toasted One Drinks to the Bottom” (2005), “Chito-Grito” (2006). Two of his author’s collections of scripts “Gentlemen of Fortune” (2007) and “Don’t Cry!” have been published. (2008).
Georgy Danelia - Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1965), People's Artist of the USSR (1989). Laureate of the USSR State Prize (1978, for the film “Mimino”); laureate of the State Prize of the RSFSR named after the Vasiliev Brothers (1981, for the film “Autumn Marathon”); laureate of the State Prize of the Russian Federation (1996, for the films “Passport”, “Nastya”, “Heads and Tails”). Laureate of the Russian Government Prize in the field of culture for 2014.
Awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor (1980), the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, III (2000) and II degree (2010). In 2000 he was awarded the Georgian Order of Honor.
Winner of the Golden Aries award (1994) and the National Triumph award (2002). In 2006, he became a laureate of the Golden Eagle award in the honorary nomination “For fidelity to the profession.”
Georgy Danelia is the winner of an unprecedented number of prizes at various film festivals, including the main ones at the festivals in Karlovy Vary, Venice, San Sebastian, Moscow, Dushanbe, Gabrovo, Varna, Chamrouz, Map del Plata, Cannes (in the section “Cinema Perspective” ), as well as special prizes in Acapulco, Rimini, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro, Stratford, Vancouver, Ovelino, Edinburgh, Cartagena, Berlin, Thessaloniki, Yerevan, Sochi, etc.
In 2002, the Russian science fiction congress “Strannik” named Georgy Danelia “Legend of Science Fiction Cinema” (for the film “Kin-dza-dza”).
Georgy Danelia is an academician of the National Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Since 1987 - President and artistic director of the Rhythm film studio (now a film and television production studio) of the Mosfilm Film Concern.
Since 2003, he has been president of the Georgy Danelia Cinema Fund for the Preservation of Traditions and the Development of New Cinema.
Georgy Danelia is married for the third time. The first wife is lawyer Irina Ginzburg, their daughter Svetlana also became a lawyer. Georgy Nikolaevich's second wife was People's Artist of the USSR Lyubov Sokolova, with whom he had a son, Nikolai (1959-1985).
The third wife is Galina Danelia-Yurkova, stage director. Galina Ivanovna’s son from her first marriage is Kirill, an artist.
The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources
Ira
However, the director’s sense of humor was liked not only by the army of Soviet film fans, but also by specific women. He had several marriages and left many grandchildren.
The director's first wife was the daughter of the Minister of Construction, Irina Ginzburg. It is clear that the future director from an intelligent family belonged to the golden youth. It cost him nothing to charm the young beauty. And they met literally at the entrance: Danelia came to visit a friend, on the same staircase with whom the minister’s family lived.
They got married, got little Sveta and seemed to live happily ever after. But exactly a year later they suddenly decided to get a divorce. It is not known whether the famous love of love hit the wife’s pride or whether the marriage was too early and weak; only the former lovers managed to remain good friends and raise their daughter together.
Childhood and adolescence
Grigory Danelia was born in the Georgian capital Tbilisi on August 25, 1930. Before he was one year old, the family moved to the capital of Russia, Moscow.
He could not have had any other destiny other than cinema, since his mother Mary Ivlianovna Andzhaparidze began her career at Mosfilm as an assistant director.
Georgy Danelia in his youth
Also read! Anton Megerdichev: nationality, biography (photo)
Father Nikolai Dmitrievich Danelia was far from creativity - he worked as a military man, an engineer, led a brigade, and was the boss of a mine. Subsequently he became a leading engineer of the Moscow and Soviet Metrostroy. Under his leadership, such stations as “Paveletskaya” and “Kyiv” were built.
George’s future was also influenced by close relatives, People’s Artists of the Soviet Union - Veriko Andzhaparidze and Mikhail Chiaureli.
Sokolova
Having met Lyubov Sokolova some time later, the director fell madly in love. She had just returned from a long business trip to Germany, bloomed in lush colors and attracted the attention of men. But she was in no hurry to start a relationship with them: during the blockade, the actress lost her husband and a very tiny son in Leningrad. Now she was simply scared to connect her life with a new relationship.
Lyubov Sokolova
Danelia surrounded her with care and attention, lied that he was actually older than her (Love did not agree to a younger man!), gave flowers, saw her off, was constantly nearby and charmed the young beauty.
She didn’t marry him, but she agreed to move in together. Outwardly, their union resembled an exemplary family: Lyuba gave birth to a son from Georgiy Nikolaevich, was on excellent terms with his famous mother, took care of the family and even put her career aside. However, it will soon become known that the husband is having a serious affair on the side.
Mistress
Roman's name was Victoria Tokareva. Then she was a famous writer and even co-authored with her beloved during the creation of the script for “Gentlemen of Fortune.” The sensual director's relationship with the fatal beauty lasted about 15 years.
Victoria Tokareva
All of Moscow was whispering about the affair, and Lyubov Sokolova, who was waiting at home, knew everything perfectly well, cried into her pillow, but loved her common-law husband so much that she could not leave. Georgy Nikolaevich’s mother also asked him to break up with his mistress. She was on the side of Lyuba and her son, begging not to destroy the relationship.
Gia listened.
Personal life
Personal life was also not monotonous. In the life of Georgy Danelia there were 3 beloved women, two of whom were his official spouses and had children, and one was his common-law wife.
The director's first wife is Inna Gisburg
In 1951, he married for the first time to Irina Ginzburg. It was an unforgettable and vivid romance, but fate prepared for them only a year of marriage. Even despite the birth of their daughter Svetlana, the couple could not live together. The daughter from her first marriage later became a lawyer, and she maintained a warm relationship with her father, calling each other on Tuesdays.
For 7 years, from 1957 to 1984, Danelia was filled with cinema star Lyubov Sokolova. He long and persistently sought her reciprocal feelings, but she was adamant, since during the Second World War she lost her family, her husband and son, in the blockade.
Georgy Danelia and Lyubov Sokolova
But then Love gave up, and they lived 25 happy years, but never got married. They had a son, Nikolai, but at the age of 26 the guy died.
The relationship between the director and the famous writer Victoria Tokareva lasted for about 15 long years, with whom they worked together on the script for the film “Gentlemen of Fortune.” Tokareva wrote an autobiographical novel about this, “The Tree on the Roof.” But their relationship never ended in a registry office.
With Victoria Tokareva
The third wife of Georgy Danelia was Galina Yurkova. She, as a director, is famous for such films as “A Joke?!”, “God’s Creature” and “The Frenchman”.
Georgy with his son Nikolai
Since 2000, Danelia began writing autobiographical books, 5 of them were published: “Stowaway,” “The Toasted Man Drinks to the Bottom,” “Chito-Grito,” “Gentlemen of Fortune and Other Film Scripts,” and “Don’t Cry.”
And in 2014, another manuscript by Georgy Danelia was published - “The cat is gone, but the smile remains.”
Georgy Danelia and Galina Yurkova
