Lev Konstantinovich Durov (23 December 1931 – 20 August 2015) was a Soviet and Russian theatre and film actor who appeared in more than 200 films and numerous stage productions between 1955 and 2008. He was named a People's Artist of the USSR in 1990.
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Early life and education
Durov came from the illustrious Durov family, whose members included memoirist Nadezhda Durova and animal trainer Anatoly Durov. His aunt's husband Prov Sadovsky Jr. ran the Maly Theatre in 1944–1947. Lev Durov married actress Irina Kirichenko (1931–2001) in 1954. Their daughter Ekaterina is also an actress.
Durov attended the Moscow Art Theatre School, where his teachers included Sergey Gerasimov and Sergey Blinnikov.
Career
He joined the troupe of Anatoly Efros in 1954 and was a mainstay of Efros's productions until 1984. For some 30 years, he worked at the Malaya Bronnaya Theatre both as an actor and as a director. He was the theatre's principal director from 2003 to 2006.
Durov was also known for his voice acting, most notably, as Sharik the Dog in Three from Prostokvashino and its sequels. He published three books of memoirs, in 1999 and 2008.
Death
Lev Durov died on 20 August 2015 and was buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery.
Selected filmography
Actor
Nine Days in One Year (Девять дней одного года, 1962) – KGB officer
I Step Through Moscow (Я шагаю по Москве, 1963) – police officer
Lebedev against Lebedev (Лебедев против Лебедева, 1965) – a passenger in the subway
I'm Going to Search (Иду искать, 1966) – Ivashov
All The King's Men (Вся королевская рать, 1971) – Sugar Boy
Stariki-razboyniki (Старики-разбойники, 1971) – driver
Bumbarash (Бумбараш, 1971) – miller
Big School-Break (Большая перемена, 1972) – police sergeant
A Man at His Place (Человек на своём месте, 1972) – Ivan Maksimovich
We rode the tram Ilf and Petrov (Ехали в трамвае Илья и Петров, 1972) – passerby / Gusev-Lebedev
Moscow-Cassiopeia (Москва-Кассиопея, 1973) – Academician Filatov
Seventeen Moments of Spring (Семнадцать мгновений весны, 1973) – agent Klaus
Ksenia, Fedor's Beloved Wife (Ксения, любимая жена Фёдора, 1974) – Sidorov
Teens in the Universe (Отроки во Вселенной, 1974) – Academician Filatov
Diamonds for the Dictatorship of the Proletariat (Бриллианты для диктатуры пролетариата, 1975) — Pojamchi
Voice
Three from Prostokvashino (1978) – voice of Sharik the dog
The Fire-Fairy (1979) – the narrator / the grandfather
Dog in Boots (1981) – voice of Foxhound and Fisherman's dog