Elina Bystritskaya

Acting

Elina Bystritskaya

Born 1928-04-04 · Kiev, Ukrainian SSR, USSR [now Ukraine]

Elina Bystritskaya is a Soviet and Russian actress best known for her role of Aksiniya in Sergei Gerasimov's epic screening of Mikhail Sholokhov's novel And Quiet Flows the Don (1958). Jewish by ethnicity and a native of Kiev, Bystritskaya was chosen to play Aksiniya by Sholokhov himself over several distinguished candidates, notably Nonna Mordyukova. Before that, she co-starred with Sergey Bondarchuk in the Unfinished Story, an archetypal Socialist Realist film. In the 1960's, Bystritskaya turned to theatre work in the Maly Theatre and her appearances on screen grew sporadic. She was named People's Artist of the USSR in 1978.

Acting credits

Quiet Flows the Don poster
6.3

Based on the novel of the same name by Mikhail Sholokhov, about the fate of people broken by the First World War, the October Revolution of 1917 and the Civil War in Russia (1917-1922), about the collapse of the foundations and ideals of the Don Cossacks of Russia at the beginning of the XX century, about the personal tragedy of the protagonist — Grigoriy Melekhov.

Quiet Flows the Don

1957

Crazy Money poster
NR

A story about the morals of 19th-century Russian nobility resonates in a striking way with the realities and ethical values of our own time. Emotions are paid for with money — money that is ruthless and destructive. A timely tale of a “spiritually impoverished” man of great wealth, confident in his power and certain of how to achieve his goals.

Crazy Money

1978

Wolves and Sheep poster
NR

Ostrovsky and the Maly Theatre tell us an age-old story, as old as the world itself, about how some people are destined to be simple and meek, like sheep, while others are predatory and dangerous, like wolves. However, sometimes even the most seasoned predator finds themselves in a bind...

Wolves and Sheep

1973

The Ostrovsky House poster
NR

A production of the State Academic Maly Theater. The film, dedicated to the memory of Alexander Nikolayevich Ostrovsky, includes fragments of plays based on the playwright's plays: "We'll settle accounts with our own people", "Thunderstorm", "Wolves and Sheep", "The Abyss", "The Snow Maiden", "The Heart is not a Stone", "It Shines but Doesn't Warm", "Mad Money", "The Truth is Good, but Happiness is Better", and "It's not all for naught".

The Ostrovsky House

1974

All Remains to People poster
4.8

Renowned scientist Dronov works in Novosibirsk on the creation of ultra-modern engine. He has a bad heart, he was afraid not to have time to finish the job, and test engine at a factory in Moscow, unfortunately, is not the first time passes unsuccessfully. Dronov abandons the rest of the work, even the leadership of the Institute entrusts to his disciple Morozov.

All Remains to People

1963

Seven Days After the Murder poster
5.8

A terrible tragedy occurs in the family of a famous general: one of his daughters is killed. The investigator leading the case understands that an outwardly prosperous and friendly family only seems to be pretending to be happy.

Seven Days After the Murder

1992

Babi Yar poster
NR

Melodrama about the mass shooting of Ukrainian Jewry at Babi Yar in Kyiv during the Second World War.

Babi Yar

2002

Nikolay Bauman poster
7.0

This film tells about two years of life (1904-1905) of the revolutionary-Leninist, one of the founders of the newspaper "Iskra" Nikolai Ernestovich Bauman, who was killed on October 18, 1905 by a Black Hundred, a security agent, during a demonstration of the Moscow committee of the RSDLP.

Nikolay Bauman

1967

Brave Guys poster
9.5

Four veteran pilots were invited by the leadership of the military unit to perform a special task. And it does not matter that they haggle in the market, because everything that happens — it's just a dream…

Brave Guys

1993

Saga of the Ancient Bulgars: The Ladder of Vladimir the Red Sun poster
NR

The second part of Bulat Mansurov's planned epic film series; “The Saga of the Ancient Bulgars". The film depicts the life and reign of Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich of Kiev, known in legends as Vladimir the Red Sun. The story begins in 972 AD, after the death of his father, Grand Prince Svyatoslav, which ignites a power struggle among Vladimir and his brothers. The film emphasizes that Russian princes only succeeded when they maintained good relations with the Bulgars and other steppe nations. It also depicts Vladimir's reflection on his rise to power upon receiving the book "The Ladder" in 1005, ten years after his conversion to Christianity.

Saga of the Ancient Bulgars: The Ladder of Vladimir the Red Sun

2004

Unfinished Story poster
5.3

The local doctor Yelizaveta Maksimovna is a beautiful woman and a wonderful sympathetic person. She is lonely, although she is cared for by a confident and promising colleague. Yelizaveta Maksimovna has one patient, a manly, full-energy ship builder Yershov, chained to the bed with a paralysis of both legs. All doctors recommend him rest, and Elizaveta Maksimovna advises to work and not feel sorry for herself. Yershov with all his heart falls in love with his doctor, and she loves him, but she does not dare to say her feelings. Ershov thinks that he has no hopes, but...

Unfinished Story

1955

Russian Souvenir poster
4.6

The end of the 1950s. The Chinese passenger plane, following the Beijing-Moscow flight, enters a thunderstorm and makes an emergency landing in the Baikal region. In addition to the Soviet citizen Varvara Komarova, all other passengers are foreigners. Using a stop, they explore new cities and get acquainted with the life, work and rest of Soviet people.

Russian Souvenir

1960

The Volunteers poster
5.5

Together with hundreds of other boys and girls, Komsomol members Kolya Kaitanov, Slava Ufimtsev, Alyosha Akishin, Lyolya and Masha came to the construction of the first stage of the Moscow metro. They are united by the romance of the feat, the desire to always be on the most difficult and dangerous site.

The Volunteers

1958

«Bogatyr» Goes to Marto poster
7.5

The Soviet steamer Bogatyr delivers construction materials and rafts with timber to the earthquake-stricken city of Marto. However, foreign intelligence is preparing a sabotage operation on the Bogatyr...

«Bogatyr» Goes to Marto

1954

In Peaceful Time poster
6.2

A few days from the life of Soviet submariners - during a regular peaceful time...

In Peaceful Time

1950

Farewell Tour poster
NR

Four actresses of the provincial theater are traveling in one compartment on tour to Moscow. They are connected by their love for one person, the director of this theater. However, for some, everything is in the past, and for others in the present.

Farewell Tour

1992

The Saga of the Ancient Bulgars: The Tale of Saint Olga poster
0.5

The first part of Bulat Mansurov's planned epic film series; “The Saga of the Ancient Bulgars". Tells the story of pagan Rus' during the time of Prince Igor, his murder by the Drevlyans, Olga's revenge, Olga's repentance and adoption of Christianity.

The Saga of the Ancient Bulgars: The Tale of Saint Olga

2004

Summer Residents poster
7.0

In the focus of the film is the fate of Varvara Basova, whose painfully soulless, philistine-gray existence, devoid of ideals and moral content. Relevant today, the picture sounds like a verdict to all who are mired in vulgarity, who have exchanged life for petty pleasures, profit, empty philosophizing.

Summer Residents

1967

Guilty Without Guilt poster
NR

A story based on a classic play by Alexander Ostrovsky.

Guilty Without Guilt

1985

Eternal Fire poster
9.0

About the difficult fate of a former political prisoner who came in search of his son in the places where he served his sentence.

Eternal Fire

1964