Yuriy Nikulin

Acting

Yuriy Nikulin

Born 1921-12-18 · Demidov, Smolenskaya oblast, RSFSR, USSR

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Yuri Vladimirovich Nikulin (Russian: Юрий Владимирович Никулин; 18 December 1921 – 21 August 1997) was a well-known Soviet and Russian actor and clown who starred in many popular films. He was awarded the title of People's Artist of the USSR in 1973 andHero of Socialist Labour in 1990. He also received a number of state awards, including the prestigious Order of Lenin, which he received twice in his lifetime. Nikulin's effortless style and precise delivery, as well as his mastery of timing and his hilarious masks made him an outstanding comedian, arguably the best Russian comedian ever. Nikulin showed his range in a variety of genres from slapstick comedy to romance and war drama. His most popular film partners were Georgiy Vitsin, Yevgeni Morgunov,Natalya Varley, Rolan Bykov, Anatoli Papanov, Sergei Filippov, Mikhail Pugovkin, Aleksandr Demyanenko, Leonid Kuravlyov, Andrey Mironov, Evgeni Evstigneev, Vasili Shukshin, Vyacheslav Tikhonov, Sergei Bondarchuk, Nikolay Burlyaev, Viktor Pavlov, Boris Novikov Vladimir Etush, Saveli Kramarov, Nikolai Grinko, and many other notable Russian actors. In the ring, Nikulin presented a phlegmatic temperament, slow and unsmiling, and to many in the West his personality was reminiscent of the great silent film comedian Buster Keaton. Rich in mimicry, doleful of expression, Nikulin was hailed as “a brainy clown” outside Russia. Simple in style and gentle with children, his only vestiges of make-up were a reddened nose and black lines around his eyes, much different from the grotesquely painted faces of Western clowns. Nikulin, affectionately called Uncle Yury by Russian children, relied mainly upon his wits to earn his place in history as one of the best clowns of the 20th century.

Acting credits

Andrei Rublev poster
7.9

An expansive Russian drama, this film focuses on the life of revered religious icon painter Andrei Rublev. Drifting from place to place in a tumultuous era, the peace-seeking monk eventually gains a reputation for his art. But after Rublev witnesses a brutal battle and unintentionally becomes involved, he takes a vow of silence and spends time away from his work. As he begins to ease his troubled soul, he takes steps towards becoming a painter once again.

Andrei Rublev

1966

My Friend, Kolka! poster
5.8

Pupils of the ordinary high school organize a “secret society” under the motto “Help the offended and weak, avenge widers and upstarts!” The new pioneer leader supports the children, and soon he manages to make the school life of the children truly fascinating.

My Friend, Kolka!

1961

Operation Y and Other Shurik's Adventures poster
7.5

The film consists of three independent parts: "Workmate", "Déjà vu" and "Operation Y". The plot follows the adventures of Shurik, the naive and nerdy Soviet student who often gets into ludicrous situations but always finds a way out very neatly.

Operation Y and Other Shurik's Adventures

1965

Kidnapping, Caucasian Style poster
7.6

Shurik, a kind but naïve ethnography student, falls in love with the intelligent, athletic and beautiful All-Union Leninist Young Communist League member Nina. He has a rival in the wealthy comrade Saakhov, who concocts a kidnapping scheme to force Nina to marry him.

Kidnapping, Caucasian Style

1967

Strictly Business poster
7.3

Three stories based on O. Henry novels. (1) Bob Tidball recovers $30,000 in pristine credit cards from a bandit’s sack and races across the plains until his horse breaks its leg. Forced to mount Dodson’s stallion, he’s ambushed and killed by “Shark” Dodson, who seizes the entire loot. (2) A thief slips through a third-floor window to steal a stack of bills from a sleeping gentleman’s dressing table. When the homeowner awakens and raises only one hand against the revolver—his other immobilized by a sudden rheumatic attack—the would-be robber reconsiders his plan. (3) Sam and Bill, two small-time grifters short $2,000 for their swindle, decide to kidnap Ebeneger Dorset’s young son. They demand exactly that sum as ransom, setting in motion a desperate bargain.

Strictly Business

1963

Young-Green poster
6.5

The beginning of the 1950s. Nikolai Babushkin, a young specialist in one of the taiga construction sites, who had just been elected a deputy of the district council, was sent behind a brick to the city of Dzhegor. He is already familiar with the bold project of the engineer Cheremnykh, according to which one of the shops of the brick factory can be transferred to the production of expanded clay blocks in a short time. To provide the construction site with the necessary material, Nikolai gathers a team and helps the inventor to implement the project. There, in Dzhegor, he meets Irina, a graduate of the architectural institute …

Young-Green

1962

Old Men: Robbers poster
7.2

An old detective does not want to retire. The only way out is to prove to his boss that he still can catch criminals. The problem is that there were no crimes recently to work on. Together with his retired friend he decides to commit a perfect crime himself and then quickly solve it. Real problems start when a real criminal steals money he has stolen.

Old Men: Robbers

1972

The Diamond Arm poster
7.7

A diamond smuggling operation goes wrong when an ordinary Soviet citizen becomes unwittingly involved, and the criminals are forced to court him to retrieve their diamonds.

The Diamond Arm

1969

Sovershenno seryozno poster
6.9

An interesting voyage through the Soviet television and film industry.

Sovershenno seryozno

1961

They Fought for Their Motherland poster
7.0

In July 1942, in the Second World War, the rearguard of the Russian army protects the bridgehead of the Don River against the German army while the retreating Russian troops cross the bridge. While they move back to the Russian territory through the countryside, the soldiers show their companionship, sentiments, fears and heroism to defend their motherland.

They Fought for Their Motherland

1975

Here, Not Far Away poster
NR

An old soldier has come to Moscow to find his fellow soldiers. But he is plagued by misfortune: some have died, others have moved away, and he mumbles confusedly to the taxi driver as he gives him another address: "Here... not far..."

Here, Not Far Away

1979

Parad-Alle poster
NR

Documentary film about the Soviet circus with the participation of Yuri Nikulin, Zinovy Gerdt, Yuri Durov, Mikhail Rumyantsev and Irina Shestua.

Parad-Alle

1971

Голубой огонек - в первый час poster
5.0

In the first hour of the new year 1965, a holiday program with the participation of Pavel Rudakov and Sergei Lavrov, Larisa Mondrus, Tatiana Shmyga, Leonid Engibarov, Arkady Raikin, brothers Sazonov, Iosif Kobzon, Maya Kristalinskaya, Muslim Magomaev, vocal octet "Line" and pop orchestra conducted by Eddie Rosner, Yulia Pashkovskaya, Vladimir Shubarin, Eduard Khil, quartet "Accord" was broadcast. Among the guests are cosmonauts Gagarin, Belyaev and Leonov.

Голубой огонек - в первый час

1965

Captain Krokus poster
8.7

Appearance of Coco the Clown and Peach the Pig in the circus is always a happy holiday for children and adults in a small town. But the terrible Chuchelische is ready to do whatever it takes for this celebration to not take place and make children's laughter turn to tears. At this time, the city government is in the hands of insidious Kibernator-General, which decides to close the circus, arrest Coco and make a stuffed out of Peach. Two friends, Kid and Slice, with a good and brave Captain Crocus decide to save Coco and Peach and return the children to the circus.

Captain Krokus

1991

The Man from Nowhere poster
6.3

In a young anthropologist's dream, he brings a member of the imaginary mountain tribe called Tapi to Moscow, in order to save him from being eaten by other tribesmen as well as to prove the tribe's existence to academia. The main character is probably based on Yeti.

The Man from Nowhere

1961

12 Chairs poster
7.7

A former aristocrat Ippolit Vorobyaninov leads a miserable life in Soviet Russia. His mother-in-law reveals a secret to him - she hid family diamonds in one of the twelve chairs they once had. Vorobyaninov in cooperation with a young con artist Ostap Bender start a long search for the diamonds.

12 Chairs

1971

Bobik Visiting Barbos poster
7.2

Two dogs, one stray the other well-off, become friends.

Bobik Visiting Barbos

1977

Seven Old Men and One Girl poster
5.8

Lara Velichko is a young coach who's dreaming about coaching world champions but suddenly she's forced to train a group of a very grumpy old men.

Seven Old Men and One Girl

1968

A Girl with Guitar poster
5.3

A romantic story about the girl working in the musical instruments store.

A Girl with Guitar

1958

Big "Wick" poster
8.0

A satirical express train sets off on its way. The driver S. Mikhalkov gives a farewell beep ... On the first carriage an inscription - "Summer cottage". The following are 8 short stories ...

Big "Wick"

1964

No artwork available
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Георгий Вицин. Отшельник

2008

Twenty Days Without War poster
6.6

War correspondent Lopatin takes a 20-day-leave from his hard work at the front in 1942. He travels to faraway Tashkent to meet the family of the killed soldier and visit the film set of the screen adaptation of his war-time stories. Lopatin also manages to walk the streets of Tashkent, take part in a factory workers' meeting and have a short-lived love affair. Although with no bombings and fighting, the city dwellers breathe the atmosphere of the ongoing war.

Twenty Days Without War

1976

No artwork available
10.0

A clown comes to visit a sick child. A bright performance unfolds in front of the baby, which helps him to find the cheerfulness necessary for his recovery.

Clowns and Children

1977

Dog Barbos and Unusual Cross poster
7.6

This is the very first silent slapstick comedy short about adventures of Worldly, Coward, and Fool. What's more fun: fishing with worms, or dynamite? Three friends decided to have a blast! Unfortunately their dog Barbos just loves playing fetch. And this time that stick was used for blast fishing. Barbos saw people throwing a smoking stick in a water, and fetched it right back to his owners. The "unusual cross" part begins when owners try to outrun the dog with dynamite.

Dog Barbos and Unusual Cross

1961