Vitaly Kishchenko / Biography and filmography

Vitaly Kishchenko: biography

Vitaly was born on May 25, 1964 in the city of Krasnoyarsk. There were no actors or musicians in the future artist’s family—Kishchenko’s relatives were far from creative professions. However, this did not stop the boy from showing a craving for art from childhood - Vitaly’s teachers and classmates were convinced even in elementary school that Kishchenko would connect his life with creativity. They say that when the future actor came to the board to recite a fable or poem he had learned by heart, the class literally froze: such works, familiar to everyone from childhood, performed by Vitaly became a real mini-performance.

According to the expectations of teachers and classmates, after graduating from school, Kishchenko entered the local art institute. Everyone predicted a dizzying career for the future actor.

After receiving his diploma in 1985, Vitaly was accepted into the troupe of the Krasnoyarsk Youth Theater.

Starting conditions

An actor, even performing a cameo role, must attract the attention of the public.
Anyone who does not adhere to this rule is not destined to receive applause that turns into applause. Fans don’t give him flowers and respected men don’t offer him a drink. When passers-by met Vitaly Eduardovich Kishchenko on the street, they paid no attention to him at all. Without makeup, the actor can be mistaken for a plumber or accountant. People with ordinary appearance are trained to become intelligence officers. However, since childhood, Vitaly dreamed of performing in a theater or circus. The future honored artist was born on May 25, 1964 in an ordinary Soviet family. Parents lived in the famous city of Krasnoyarsk. My father worked in the construction of industrial and civil facilities. Mother worked as a teacher of Russian language and literature. The child spent all his free time outside. I didn’t let myself be offended. He knew how to find a common language with his peers. Vitaly did well at school. He actively participated in public events and amateur performances. When he read fables from the stage, he very figuratively supplemented what was said with facial expressions.

Work in the theater

Despite the fact that Vitaly is known mostly as a film actor, one cannot fail to mention his theatrical activities.

Vitaly Kishchenko began his career on the stage of the theater. After a couple of years of working at the Krasnoyarsk Youth Theater, the actor decided to move to the Krasnoyarsk Drama Theater, followed by Omsk and Yaroslavl. Vitaly appeared on the stage of the capital's theater only in 2012 - there he acted as a guest actor.

For his work in the theater, Kishchenko received a huge number of awards. He was twice awarded the Recognition Award for his roles in such performances as Othello and Miss Julie. In the spring of 2005, he was awarded the honorary title “Honored Artist of the Russian Federation.”

Theatrical career of Vitaly Kishchenko

After receiving higher education, the actor joined the local theater for young spectators. In 1989, Kishchenko joined the troupe of the Tilsit Theater, the history of which dates back to the end of the 19th century. The special atmosphere of the ancient theater and the attention of director Evgeniy Marcelli contributed to the deep development of the young actor’s talent.

Vitaly Kishchenko on the stage of the theater

Vitaly Kishchenko's theatrical works were twice awarded the "Recognition" award, and later the actor became a laureate of the "Golden Mask". Viewers of provincial theaters applauded him for his roles in plays by Chekhov, Lermontov and Shakespeare.

In 2005, Kishchenko was awarded the title of Honored Artist of the Russian Federation.

He began to appear on the capital's stages in 2012 as a guest face of the Mossovet Theater.

Debut film

However, Vitaly Kishchenko gained wide popularity only after appearing on television screens - after that, the actor’s career took leaps and bounds. This happened in the 2000s of the new century.

A huge advantage for Vitaly was that he arrived on the set already as an experienced and mature artist, with impeccably polished acting. Like most, Vitaly Kishchenko began with small episodic roles. Kishchenko’s debut as a film actor took place in 2003 - he played a hero with the nickname “Piston” in the series “Lithuanian Transit”.

Vitaly Kishchenko in cinema

The actor’s first film work was the episodic role of a private in the film “I am a Russian Soldier” (1995), the second was the bandit Piston in the series “Lithuanian Transit”.
He began actively acting in films in 2007: the drama “Breakaway”, detective story and “Attraction”, then the thriller “Brownie” with Konstantin Khabensky and Vladimir Mashkov and one of the main roles in the sports drama “Stone Head” by Philip Yankovsky.

Vitaly Kishchenko in the film “Separation” Viewers began to recognize Vitaly on the streets in 2010, after he masterfully played the killer Speech therapist in the series “Escape” with Yuri Chursin and Vladimir Epifantsev. Spectators and critics highly appreciated the soulfulness of the image and the subtlety of conveying the personal tragedy of the negative character.

Two years later, Vitaly Kishchenko got the opportunity to work with the famous director Karen Shakhnazarov, starring as Major Fedotov in the fantastic film “The White Tiger,” an adaptation of the novel by Ilya Boyashov.

Vitaly Kishchenko in the film “White Tiger” The actor could be seen in film adaptations of classic works: “Sunstroke” based on the book by Ivan Bunin and “Kuprin” based on the stories of Alexander Kuprin. There were works in the sensational TV series “Gregory R.”, “Executioner”, “Method”.

Film career

Vitaly Kishchenko began to be trusted with his first major roles in 2007-2008. Vitaly fully revealed his acting talent to the audience in the drama “Separation” directed by Alexander Mindadze and in the detective story “Attraction” by Vitaly Vorobyov.

The crime film “Escape,” which was released on television in 2010, made the actor truly popular. Both film critics and viewers unanimously stated that the hero nicknamed “Speech Therapist” is the best role of Vitaly Kishchenko in his entire film career. The actor got used to this image so much that even this negative character could not leave anyone indifferent. Vitaly managed to convey all the drama, all the deep tragedy of the hero.

What is most striking and memorable about the actor is his stunning facial expressions. Kishchenko is one of those few artists who can convey with their eyes the entire mental state of a character, the entire range of his feelings. Therefore, despite his rather ordinary appearance and standard height (1.78 m), Vitaly is often trusted with the roles of various strong and powerful people, who, when viewed, should evoke strong emotions in the audience.

Also in 2010, the actor took part in the filming of the mystical series “Tower”. This film tells the story of people who are isolated from the outside world in a tower, which has become their place of imprisonment. They are trying to cry for help, trying to survive and find the culprit. Having found themselves in a reality looped in time and space, they experience the full range of emotions and rethink their views on life, their actions and their past.

This project became the first original mystical series in Russia.

The following year, the actor returned to his most memorable and beloved role of the Speech Therapist in the second part of “Escape.” In addition, in the same 2011, Vitaly Kishchenko played in the fantasy drama “Target”.

The most productive year for the artist was 2012. Film director Karen Shakhnazarov invited Vitaly to play the role of Fedotov in his film “The White Tiger,” dedicated to the Great Patriotic War. This project represented the Russian Federation at the Oscar film awards, so Vitaly Kishchenko’s acting was appreciated not only by Russian film critics, but also by foreign ones.

In the same year, the actor took part in the filming of a drama called “Mine.” The film tells the story of a boy living in a small town in Northern Russia. Just like his peers, he dreams more than anything else of leaving his hometown and is studying English in the hope of moving to the United States. His father, a former lifeguard, moved with the boy and later became a professional boxer. His role was played by Kishchenko.

Two years later, in 2014, Vitaly appears in the drama “Gregory R.” This project is dedicated to the biography of the famous temporary worker Grigory Rasputin. In the series, actor Vitaly Kishchenko played the role of State Duma deputy Purishkevich.

The following year, Kishchenko returned to television screens in his more familiar role as a criminal. However, in the series “The Judge”, the former criminal Neverov should not cause fear in the audience - according to the plot, he served time and, after leaving prison, decided to put an end to his criminal past, wanting to live an ordinary life and be a good father for his little daughter. True, he never manages to do this - an attempt is made on the life of the judge who imprisoned Neverov fifteen years ago, and he becomes the main suspect.

Creativity[ | ]

Theater roles[ | ]

Krasnoyarsk State Theater for Young Spectators[ | ]

1988 — “An Incident at the Zoo”
1988 — “Invisible”

Kaliningrad Regional Drama Theater[ | ]

1998 - “Fatherless” - Platonov
1998 - “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (based on the play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by William Shakespeare) - Lysander
1998 - “Do-do” - Chaika
1998 - “Sonata of Ghosts” - student
2009 - “Twelfth Night” - Orsino
2009 - “Summer Residents” - Suslov

"Tilsit Theater" (Sovetsk, Kaliningrad region)[ | ]

1990 - “Ting” (based on the play of the same name by Evgeny Kharitonov; director - Evgeny Marcelli) - actor
1990 - “Romeo and Juliet” (based on the play “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare) - Benvolio, Romeo’s cousin and friend
1990 - “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” - minister
1990 - “Love Madness” - Kriossin
1991 - "E.T." - Michael
1991 - “In a white corolla of roses” - antihero
1991 - “The Hunted Horse” - Humphrey Darton
1992 — “Our Forbidden Thoughts” —
1992 - “Three Ivans” - Ivan Foundling
1993 - "Aladdin's Magic Lamp" - fortune teller
1993 - “Uncle Vanya” (based on the play “Uncle Vanya” by A.P. Chekhov) - Mikhail Lvovich Astrov, doctor
1993 - “Butterfly Fight” - Max
1993 - “The Secret of the Black Lake” - guard
1995 - “Masquerade” - Arbenin
1996 - “Pippi Longstocking” - Jim the Clown
1996 - “In the Land of Fairy Tales” - storyteller-fortune teller
1996 - “Cabal of the Saint” - Archbishop
1997 - “A Month in the Village” - Rakitin
1997 - “The Tricks of Scapin” - Octave
1997 - “The Tale of the Old Castle” - Barabashka
1999 — “Othello” (based on the play “Othello, the Moor of Venice” by William Shakespeare) — Othello
2001 - “Crystal Hearts” - Oscar
2003 - “Little Tatar” (based on the play of the same name by A. Poyarkov) - Kolyay Kolyayich
2003 - “Three Sisters” - Vershinin
[7][8]
2007 - “Deadly Number” - red-haired clown

Omsk State Academic Drama Theater[ | ]

2004 - “Fröken Julie” (based on the play “Fröken Julia” by Johan August Strindberg; director - Evgeniy Marcelli) - Jean
2004 — “A Play Without a Title”

Russian State Academic Drama Theater named after Fyodor Volkov (Yaroslavl)[ | ]

2011 - “Untitled” (based on the play “Fatherless” by A. P. Chekhov; director - Evgeny Marcelli) - Mikhail Vasilyevich Platonov, rural school teacher
[9]

State Academic Theater named after Mossovet (Moscow)[ | ]

2012 - “Don Juan. Version" - Don Guan
[3]
2012 (to date) - “Three Sisters” (based on the play of the same name by A. P. Chekhov; production and scenography - Andrei Konchalovsky) - Vasily Vasilyevich Solyony, staff captain
[3]
2015 (to date) - “The Cherry Orchard” (based on the play of the same name by A.P. Chekhov; production and scenography - Andrei Konchalovsky) - Ermolai Alekseevich Lopakhin, merchant
[3]

Moscow Art Theater named after A.P. Chekhov[ | ]

2014 - “Drunk” (based on the play “Drunk” by Ivan Vyrypaev; director - Viktor Ryzhakov; premiere - April 4, 2014) - Mark, director of a major international film festival
[4][5][6]

Filmography[ | ]

1995 - I am a Russian soldier - private
2003 – Lithuanian transit – “Piston”
2007 - Exile - Herman
2007 - Breakaway - driver
(main role)
2008 - Attraction - Oleg Nikolaevich Sokolov, FSB lieutenant colonel
(main role)
2008 - Brownie - Sergei Valentinovich Snesarev, investigator, police captain
[10]
2008 - Stone Head - Nail, director of the boxer nicknamed “Stone Head”
2008 - Lake (France) - Christian
2009 - Miracle - Vasily Pershin, police major
2010 - Orange juice - creditor
2010 - Tower - Roman, security guard of a building called "Tower", former military man
(main role)
2010 - It doesn’t hurt a wrestler - club security
2010 - Black Sheep (Ukraine) - Rychigin, NKVD major
2010 - Escape - Vladimir Aleksandrovich Khlynov, one of the eight escaped “Speech therapist” (prototype - Theodore Bagwell)
2010 - Zhurov 2 (film No. 3 “The Delights of Hell”) - Semyon Petrovich Plavuntsov, homeless man
2011 - Diamond Hunters - Semyon Albertovich Ivanov, intelligence officer
2011 - Alien wings - Sergeant Labus
2011 - Target - Nikolai, head of customs, involved in smuggling cases
(main role)
2011 - Escape 2 - Vladimir Aleksandrovich Khlynov, one of the eight escaped “Speech therapist” (prototype - Theodore Bagwell)
2011 - Sea Devils 5 - captain of the ship
2011 - Moscow is not Moscow - Dmitry Petrovich Poletaev, head of the police department, Dasha’s father
2011 - Kalachi - Mamontov, major, company commander
2011 - Schism - Ivan Rodionovich, governor
2011 - Relative - relative
(main role)
2011 - Once upon a time there lived a woman - a security officer, head of a special department
(main role)
2012 - White Tiger - Alexey Nikolaevich Fedotov, major, deputy chief of counterintelligence of the tank army
2012 - Mine - Konstantin (“King”), professional boxer
2012 - Cosmonautics - (main role)[11]
2013 - Joker (Kazakhstan) - shaman
2013 - Live on - Andrei Nikolaevich Krotov, owner of a large advertising company
2013 - We swear to protect (Belarus, Russia) - Yakov Rodionovich Pavlyuchenko (“Cuba”), international criminal
2014 - Sunstroke - captain
2014 - Grigory R. - Vladimir Mitrofanovich Purishkevich, deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Empire
2014 - Kuprin. In the Dark - Yuvenaly Alekseevich Abag, author of the system of winnings in gambling
2014 - Cancellation of all restrictions - Mikhail Nikitich Shadrin, FSB Major General
2014 - Son for father - Igor Turyansky (“Turk”)
2014 - Executioner - Egor Afanasyevich Krivovyaz, “spinner” during the Second World War, husband of partisan Raisa Ivanovna Safonova (false Nina Krivovyaz)
(main role)
2014 - Judge 2 - Artyom Neverov, former repeat offender
2015 - The Longest Day - Sazhin
2015 - Londongrad (episode No. - Konstantin Agranovich, top manager of the group
2015 - Method - Andrey Sergeevich Steklov, Yesenia’s father, senior adviser to justice, colonel
2016 — How to raise a million. Confession - oligarch
2016 - Superbobrovy - Valery, captain of the ship
2017 - Rock - Hungarian
2017 - Two Lives (Ukraine) - Vadim Sergeevich Khoromansky, major businessman, Angela’s father
2017 - Anna Karenina (TV series) - Alexey Alexandrovich Karenin, Anna’s husband
2017 - Anna Karenina. The Story of Vronsky (feature film) - Alexey Alexandrovich Karenin, Anna's husband
2017 - Wife of a policeman - Viktor Vladimirovich Valetsky, major, head of the operational group of the district police department, husband of Valeria, father of Vasilisa and Volodya
2017 - Matilda - Vlasov, chief of detective police
2018 - Badaber Fortress - Lykov, instructor
2018 - Embassy - Karel Schultz, Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Caledonia
2018 - Russian demon - Pyotr Alexandrovich, Asya’s father, banker
2018 - Yellow Eye of the Tiger - Valery Pavlovich Konetsky, local thief in law nicknamed "Horse"
2019 - Brotherhood - Lieutenant General of the Soviet Army Vasiliev, division commander
2019 - Union of Salvation - Emperor Alexander I
2020 - Chiki - Valera

Personal life

Vitaly Kishchenko prefers not to talk about his personal life. He answers all questions from journalists about his wife and children in monosyllables and reluctantly. According to the limited information from the Internet, Vitaly Kishchenko does not have a wife, and, most likely, no children either. However, there is no way to verify this - the actor has not yet opened accounts on social networks, and, apparently, does not intend to create one. Therefore, you can look at Vitaly Kishchenko’s photo and find out new information about him only on various sites.

Vitaly Kishchenko now

The actor has no plans to interrupt his career yet. In 2020, Vitaly played the main role in the film “The Policeman’s Wife”, and also received the role of Alexei Karenin in the military drama “Anna Karenina”. This project is not a direct adaptation of the novel by Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy; rather, it is the events of the book according to the director’s version.

In the same year, the actor took part in the filming of the notorious biographical drama “Matilda” directed by Alexei Uchitel. This film tells the story of the romantic relationship between Nicholas II and prima ballerina Matilda Kshesinskaya.