Mark Zakharov

Directing

Mark Zakharov

Born 1933-10-13 · Moscow, RSFSR, USSR

Mark Zakharov (1933-2019) was a Soviet and Russian theatrical director and playwright. He was also a professor at the Moscow Theatre Institute (GITIS). Born in Moscow, USSR, Mark Zakharov's father was a Red Army soldier during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1920, and his mother was an actress. Zakharov was raised in Moscow, where he was encouraged by his mother in his persistent efforts to become an actor. He was admitted after several attempts and graduated from the acting school of the State Theatre Institute in 1955. Zakharov helped create an ensemble of actors who worked with him at Moscow's Lenkom Theatre, including: Inna Churikova, Leonid Bronevoy, Oleg Yankovsky, Aleksandr Abdulov, Nikolai Karachentsov, Aleksandr Zbruyev, Aleksandra Zakharova, Tatyana Kravchenko, Aleksandr Lazarev, and Dmitri Pevtsov. Mark Zakharov has been the Artistic Director of Moscow's Lenkom Theatre since 1973, where he has helped to define the landscape of Moscow's theatrical culture.

Acting credits

Behind the camera

For Better and for Worse poster
5.8

In December 1825, distinguished members of the Russian military, most of whom were quite affluent and of noble lineage, took it upon themselves to stir revolution against the autocratic and tyrannical Czar Nikolai I in the wake of his not honoring the drafting of a constitution for the Russian people. The revolution failed miserably and the conspirators (known as the Decembrists) were weeded out by the czar himself. One by one, each of the conspirators confess and are systematically exiled to the harsh winters of Siberia, slated to work and wither in a prison/mine. The wives of the conspirators are faced with the prospect of leaving the bosom of wealth and family (including their own children) to be with their husbands in the brutal Siberian locale. If they agree to this, they face having their illustrious social stations stripped away and certain disdain from everyone around them...

For Better and for Worse

1975

The Prisoner of If Castle poster
6.9

A Russian version of the classic Alexandre Dumas novel. Edmond Dantes is falsely accused by those jealous of his good fortune, and is sentenced to spend the rest of his life in the notorious island prison, Chateau d'If. While imprisoned, he meets the Abbe Faria, a fellow prisoner whom everyone believes to be mad. The Abbe tells Edmond of a fantastic treasure hidden away on a tiny island, that only he knows the location of. After many years in prison, the old Abbe dies, and Edmond escapes disguised as the dead body. Now free, Edmond must find the treasure the Abbe told him of, so he can use the new-found wealth to exact revenge on those who have wronged him

The Prisoner of If Castle

1989

The Cherry Orchard poster
NR

Television version of the performance by the "Lenkom" Theatre. Based on the comedy by A.P. Chekhov.

The Cherry Orchard

2011

The Sannikov Land poster
6.1

A group of people setting out to find a previously assumed land and upon reaching it, not knowing how to deal with the customs of the place, have to deal with all the consequences.

The Sannikov Land

1973

The Heavenly Wanderers poster
NR

A stage fantasy by Mark Zakharov based on the works of Aristophanes and Anton Pavlovich Chekhov.

The Heavenly Wanderers

2014

Formula of Love poster
7.5

A young aristocrat, Aleksei Fedyashev, is languishing in his family's country estate, spending his days reading poetry and confessing his love... to a statue. Upon hearing that famous Count Cagliostro is touring Russia and has created quite a buzz in high society with his "magic", he decides to ask the Count to bring the statue to life...

Formula of Love

1984

All In poster
NR

Based on the play "The Last Victim" by Alexander Nikolayevich Ostrovsky.

All In

2004

Juno and Avos poster
NR

The year is 1806. He is 45, she is 15. He is from Russia, she is from America. He is Orthodox, she is Catholic. They love each other… But fate has prepared a harsh trial for them…

Juno and Avos

2004

The Wise Man poster
NR

The story of the adventures of a young man – overly ambitious and cynical, who wanted to make a career but ended up failing.

The Wise Man

2004

Three Girls in Blue poster
NR

Three women in their thirties live in the summer with their young sons in the dacha. Svetlana, Tatiana and Ira are third cousins, and they raise their children alone. The women quarrel, finding out who owns half of the dacha, whose son is the offender and whose son is the offended... Svetlana and Tatiana live at the dacha for free, but the ceiling leaks on their half. Ira rents a room from Fedorovna, the owner of the other half of the dacha, but she is not allowed to use the toilet belonging to her sisters.

Three Girls in Blue

1988

Ordinary Miracle poster
7.3

A wizard invents characters who all come to life and start to arrive at his house: a King, his servants, a princes, a bear trapped in a man's body - the usual lot. The Plot mainly rotates around the bear, who the wizard had turned into a man. The Bear, who wishes to be a bear once again, can turn into his old self if he were to kiss a princess. It gets complicated when he falls in love with that princess, that arrived at the wizard's house. For how can they be together, if a single kiss will destroy their love?

Ordinary Miracle

1978

Ordinary Miracle poster
7.3

A wizard invents characters who all come to life and start to arrive at his house: a King, his servants, a princes, a bear trapped in a man's body - the usual lot. The Plot mainly rotates around the bear, who the wizard had turned into a man. The Bear, who wishes to be a bear once again, can turn into his old self if he were to kiss a princess. It gets complicated when he falls in love with that princess, that arrived at the wizard's house. For how can they be together, if a single kiss will destroy their love?

Ordinary Miracle

1978

Marriage poster
NR

A new production of Gogol by Lenkom. This is an absolutely incredible event and an endlessly funny and touching story about unsuccessful suitors and a young woman who has stayed too long in the role of a bride-to-be.

Marriage

2012

Mad Day or Figaro Wedding poster
NR

Based on the comedy by Pierre Beaumarchais. Television version of the performance by the Moscow Theatre "Lenkom".

Mad Day or Figaro Wedding

2005

The Royal Games poster
NR

The story of the relationship between King Henry VIII of England and Anne Boleyn.

The Royal Games

2005

Schweik in World War II poster
NR

Based on the satirical anti-war comedy of the same name by B. Brecht.

Schweik in World War II

1969

The Barbarian and the Heretic poster
NR

Based on the novel The Gambler by Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky.

The Barbarian and the Heretic

2005

The Very Same Munchhausen poster
7.6

A philosophical and poetic portrait of the famous (or maybe infamous?) Baron Munchhausen. His crazy, yet very merriment, stories, views and behavior is what sets him apart from others. He becomes alienated from the society that failed to grasp his brilliance. In fact, his brilliance is what underlines the faults with the society itself. It's a beautiful yet tragic story that is filled with dense and intellectual dialogue.

The Very Same Munchhausen

1979

To Kill a Dragon poster
7.1

Dragon is a bloody dictator, who kills every opponent. People live hopelessly, until Lancelot comes to save the beautiful Elsa. Lancelot can only win, if all people become free from fear, that is feeding the Dragon's power. Dragon's multiple personalities, ranging from a "dragon" to a "samurai" to a "Nazi", scare the hell out of all people, except Lancelot. Finally Dragon drops all his masks, to become the most dangerous of his incarnations - "himself". And the battle begins

To Kill a Dragon

1988

To Kill a Dragon poster
7.1

Dragon is a bloody dictator, who kills every opponent. People live hopelessly, until Lancelot comes to save the beautiful Elsa. Lancelot can only win, if all people become free from fear, that is feeding the Dragon's power. Dragon's multiple personalities, ranging from a "dragon" to a "samurai" to a "Nazi", scare the hell out of all people, except Lancelot. Finally Dragon drops all his masks, to become the most dangerous of his incarnations - "himself". And the battle begins

To Kill a Dragon

1988

The Seagull poster
NR

Based on A. Chekhov's comedy.

The Seagull

1994

Balakirev the Jester poster
NR

The court jester Ivan Balakirev is not afraid to speak out to the fearsome monarch about things that others remain silent about. Becoming involved in the festivities and jests encouraged by the ruler, he inadvertently gets entangled in court intrigues and the complex relationships within the family of Peter the Great.

Balakirev the Jester

2011

Hurry to Build a House poster
NR

A young girl suddenly became famous after her picture was published in a national magazine. What will she do with all the attention?

Hurry to Build a House

1971

Пир во время чумы poster
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Пир во время чумы

1974