Andrei Sergeyevich Konchalovsky (Russian: Андрей Сергеевич Кончаловский; né Mikhalkov; born 20 August 1937) is a Russian film and theatre director, screenwriter, and producer. His filmmaking career spans over 60 years in Soviet, Hollywood, and contemporary Russian cinema. Early in his career, he was a screenwriting collaborator of Andrei Tarkovsky. His film credits include Uncle Vanya (1970), Siberiade (1979), House of Fools (2002), The Postman's White Nights (2014), Paradise (2016), and Dear Comrades! (2020). During the 1980's, he resided in the United States, where he directed films such as Maria's Lovers (1984), Runaway Train (1985), Shy People (1987), and Tango & Cash (1989). He also directed the 1997 miniseries adaptation of the ancient Greek narrative The Odyssey.
His films have won numerous accolades, including the Cannes Grand Prix Spécial du Jury, a FIPRESCI Award, two Silver Lions, three Golden Eagle Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. He is the laureate of several civil honours in Russia and abroad, including the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", a National Order of the Legion of Honour, a French Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters, a Cavalier of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic and a People's Artist of the RSFSR.
Konchalovsky is a member of the Mikhalkov family. His father is Sergey Mikhalkov, the lyricist of the Soviet and Russian national anthems, and his brother is filmmaker Nikita Mikhalkov.
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Early life and ancestry
Konchalovsky was born Andrei Sergeyevich Mikhalkov on 20 August 1937 in Moscow, Russia, then part of the Soviet Union. The Mikhalkov family has centuries-old artistic and aristocratic heritage tracing their roots to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania; in 2009, Konchalovsky testified that a great-grandfather resided in Lithuania. His mother was poet Natalia Konchalovskaya, and his father was writer Sergey Mikhalkov. Konchalovsky's brother is filmmaker Nikita Mikhalkov. Konchalovsky is frequently referred to as Andron, but as he stated several times, Andron was just a diminutive used by his grandfather and never was his official name; he prefers the name Andrei.
Career
Konchalovsky studied for ten years at the Moscow Conservatory, preparing for a pianist's career. In 1960, however, he met Andrei Tarkovsky, whom he collaborated with on Ivan's Childhood and Andrei Rublev.
His first own full-length feature, The First Teacher (1964), was favourably received in the Soviet Union and screened by numerous film festivals abroad. His second film, Asya Klyachina's Story (1967), was suppressed by Soviet authorities. When issued twenty years later, it was acclaimed as his masterpiece. Thereupon, Konchalovsky filmed adaptations of Ivan Turgenev's A Nest of Gentle Folk (1969) and Chekhov's Uncle Vanya (1970), with Innokenty Smoktunovsky in the title role.
In 1979 he was a member of the jury at the 11th Moscow International Film Festival. His epic Siberiade upon its 1979 release was favourably received at Cannes, particularly for its scene featuring the binding and abuse of a Siberian Lynx, and made possible his move to the United States in 1980.
His most popular Hollywood releases are Maria's Lovers (1984), Runaway Train (1985), based on a script by Japanese director Akira Kurosawa (who had written it as an adaptation of Dostoevsky's "House of the Dead"), and Tango & Cash (1989), starring Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell. In 1985, Ned Tanen wanted to hire Konchalovsky to direct The Godfather Part III, but the other executives at Paramount Pictures concluded the film could not be made without Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo's involvement. In the 1990s, Konchalovsky returned to Russia, although he occasionally produced historical films for U.S. television, such as his adaption of The Odyssey (1997) and the award-winning remake, The Lion in Winter (2003). In a 2023 SAG-AFTRA Foundation interview, Emily Blunt stated that she auditioned for a role in the latter film, and said of Konchalovsky that "he was vile... he was really horrible," and that he was "really cruel during the audition and loved taking me down a peg or two." Blunt claimed that he promoted a "very misogynistic sort of vibe, and I was a shell of my former self by the time I came out."
Konchalovsky's full-length feature, House of Fools (2003), with a cameo role by Bryan Adams as himself, set in a Chechen psychiatric asylum during the war, won him a Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival.
Political views
In 2012, Konchalovsky was one of 103 public figures to sign a petition in support of the band Pussy Riot during their 2012 trial.
Konchalovsky endorsed Sergey Sobyanin of United Russia in the 2013 Moscow mayoral election.
In 2014, Konchalovsky signed a statement condemning the Russian annexation of Crimea. However by 2017, he made statements supporting the annexation, claiming it was necessary.
In 2020, Konchalovksy stated in an interview that he believed Nikita Khrushchev's debunking of Joseph Stalin's cult of personality during De-Stalinization was a mistake.
Konchalovsky has voiced support for the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. On January 15, 2023, Konchalovsky was sanctioned by the Ukrainian government.
In the run-up to the Russian presidential election in 2024, Konchalovsky supported Vladimir Putin's candidacy, describing him as "an extraordinary leader, the most courageous and wise person".
Personal life
Konchalovsky has been married five times. His first wife was Irina Kandat. His second wife was Russian actress Natalya Arinbasarova, with whom he has one son: Russian film director Egor, born 15 January 1966. His third wife was Viviane Godet, with whom he has a daughter, Alexandra Mikhalkova, born 6 October 1971. His fourth wife was Irina Ivanova, with whom he has two daughters. His fifth wife is Russian actress Julia Vysotskaya; they have been married since 1998 and have two children.
Honours
2018 Cavalier of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (Italy)
2018 Russian Ludvic Nobel award (Russia)
2017 Award of the Government of the Russian Federation in Culture for his theater work (Russia)
2017 The Bridge Award by the Bernhard Wicki Foundation (Germany)
2017 The title of Professor of Moscow State University (Russia)
2017 'Person of the Year' award by Federation Of Jewish Communities in Russia (Russia)
2017 The Federico Fellini Prize 'For a special contribution to the development of the cinema' (Italy)
2017 The European Medal of Tolerance (ECTR), 'For his cultural achievements focused on preserving the tragic memory of the past including his film 'Paradise' (Brussels)
2016 'Baltic Star International Award' for Developing and Consolidating Humanitarian Relations in Countries of the Baltic Region (Russia)
2016 Rivista del Cinematografo Award, Vatican (Italy)
2016 The Robert Bresson Prize, Vatican (Italy)
2015 The Moscow Times Awards 'Person of the Year' (Russia)
2012 Award 'For Contribution to Enlightenment', Kazan International Festival of Muslim Films (Russia)
2012 International Award of Chingiz Aitmatov, 'For Studio adaptation of a novel' for the movie 'The First Teacher', 1965,
Filmography
Feature film
Executive producer
The Last Station (2009)
Documentary film
Co-producer
Royal Paintbox (2013)
Stage credits
Plays
Eugene Onegin. A play performed at La Scala, Italy, in 1985.
The Queen of Spades. A play performed at La Scala, Italy, in 1990.
Miss Julie. A play performed at the Malaya Bronnaya Theatre, Moscow, in 2005.
King Lear. A play performed at Na Woli, Warsaw, in 2006.
The Seagull. A play performed at the Odeon Theatre, Paris, in 1987, and at the Mossovet Theatre, Moscow, in 2004. Toured Italy in 2007.
Uncle Vanya. A play performed at the Mossovet Theatre, Moscow, since 2009. Toured Italy in 2009, the Baltics in 2009 and Israel in 2010.
Three Sisters. A play performed at the Mossovet Theatre, Moscow, since 2012.
La Bisbetica Domata. A play performed at the San Ferdinando Theater, Naples, 2013.
Edip di Colone. A play performed at Teatro Olimpico, Vicenza, 2014.
The Cherry Orchard. A play performed at the Mossovet Theatre, Moscow, since 2016.
Edip di Colone. A play performed at the Tovstonogov Bolshoi Drama Theater, Saint-Petersburg, since 2017.
Operas
War and Peace. An opera staged at the Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg, in 2000, and at the Metropolitan Opera, New York, in 2002 and 2009.
Un ballo in maschera. An opera staged at the Teatro Regio, Italy, in 2001, and at the Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg, in 2001.
Boris Godunov. An opera staged at the Teatro Regio, Turin, Italy, in 2010.
Our Ancient Capital. A musical event held to commemorate Moscow's 850th anniversary pageant on Red Square in 1997.
Celebrating 300 Years of St. Petersburg A show held in St. Petersburg, in 2003.