Artur Smolyaninov
Artur Smolyaninov | |
|---|---|
| Born | 27 October 1983 Moscow, Soviet Union |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Artur Sergeyevich Smolyaninov (Russian: Арту́р Серге́евич Смольяни́нов; born 27 October 1983) is a Russian actor.[1][2]
Biography
Smolyaninov was born on October 27, 1983, in Moscow. His mother Maria Vladimirovna is an art teacher. The godfather of Artur is Ivan Okhlobystin. He spent his childhood and youth in the city of Korolyov, Moscow Region. Artur has two younger brothers and a sister.[1]
Smolyaninov's cinematic debut was at the age of fourteen in the 1998 film Who If Not Us by Valeriy Priemykhov.[1]
After completing external school at the age of 16, he entered the Russian Institute of Theatre Arts at the acting section of the directing department (course of Leonid Heifetz) at the age of 16, and in 2004 graduated from it with almost a dozen credits in films and on television.[1]
After his acting debut in Who If Not Us, he played in the movie Triumph (2000). The role of Lyutyy in the film about the Afghan war The 9th Company (2005) brought wide popularity to the actor.[1]
Artur Smolyaninov was accepted into the troupe of the Sovremennik Theatre in 2006. In his theatrical performances, he played the father in Family Situations by Biljana Srbljanović, Vikhorev in Stay in Your Own Sled by Alexander Ostrovsky.[1]
Afterwards he had the roles of Soleny in the play Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov, the Danish king in Once Again about the Naked King Leonid Filatov, Pompey and Gonets in the play Antony & Cleopatra. Version of Oleg Bogayev and Kirill Serebrennikov based on the works of William Shakespeare, Prince Gialmar in Malen by Maurice Maeterlinck.[1]
Artur Smolyaninov played the main role of ambulance doctor Oleg Samarin in the television series Samara which premiered in 2012 and lasted for two seasons.[1]
Took part in the competitive ice skating show Ice Age in 2014, paired with Olympic champion Tatiana Totmianina.[1]
In October 2022, Smolyaninov was charged for discrediting the Russian armed forces after making statements against the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine; he had also fled the country. He commented: "The laws of this state do not exist for me. They, like the state itself, are inherently criminal, which means they have neither moral nor legal force".[3]
In January 2023, Smolyaninov was charged after allegedly making "anti-Russian" comments in an interview with Novaya Gazeta Europe.[4][5] In the interview, he had stated that he would fight for Ukraine, not Russia, if he was forced to take part in the war.[4]
Artur Smolyaninov is also a musician and has a band titled cheLovek which he founded after leaving Russia and moving to Riga, Latvia. The band released their first music video in 2024.[6]
Since January 2025, he has been the host of the podcast «Переживём» (“We’ll Survive”) on Deutsche Welle.[7]
At the 2025 Prague Independent Film Festival, Artur received the Best Actor Award for his role in the film I Never Said Goodbye by director Yev K'banchik.[8][9][10] It is his first role in English language.[11]
In October 2025, the Federal Security Service initiated a criminal case against the actor under Article 278 of the Russian Criminal Code ("Forcible seizure of power or forcible retention of power") and Part 1 and Part 2 of Article 205.4 of the Russian Criminal Code ("Organization of a terrorist community and participation in it").[12][13]
In 2025 Smolyaninov appeared in the short film Extremist by Aleksandr Molochnikov.[14][15]
Philanthropy
Artur Smolyaninov was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Give Life Foundation («Подари жизнь»), organized by Chulpan Khamatova and Dina Korzun, which helps children with oncohematological diseases, and Galchonok, which helps children with organic lesions of the central nervous system. Repeatedly participated in charitable events.[1][16]
Personal life
In 2013 he married the actress Darya Melnikova, in October 2015 the couple had a son, followed by a second son.[1] On June 6, 2021, Melnikova announced her divorce from Smolyaninov.
Smolyaninov stated in October 2022 that he was no longer living in Russia.[4]
Awards
- 1998 – Best Teen Actor Award at the 8th International Children's Film Festival in Artek – for the role of Tolyasik in the feature film Who If Not Us (1998), directed by Valery Priemykhov.
- 2006 – Winner of the MTV Russia Movie Awards in the Breakthrough of the Year category – for the role of Private (later Junior Sergeant) Oleg Lyutaev ("Lyutyi") in the feature film 9th Company (2005), directed by Fyodor Bondarchuk.[17]
- 2006 – Nominee for the Nika Award in the Best Actor category – for the role of Private (later Junior Sergeant) Oleg Lyutaev ("Lyutyi") in the feature film 9th Company (2005), directed by Fyodor Bondarchuk.
- 2006 – Winner of the Triumph Award (youth non-governmental award for achievements in literature and arts) on December 7, 2006.
- 2025 – Winner of the Prague Independent Film Festival in the Best Actor category for the role of Alex in the film I Never Said Goodbye, directed by Yev K'banchik.[18][19]
Theatre
Acting
- 2006 — "Naked Pioneer" based on the novel of the same name by Mikhail Kononov (director – Kirill Serebrennikov; premiere – 3 March 2005)
- 2006 — "Once Again About the Naked King" based on the play of the same name by Leonid Filatov (director – Mikhail Efremov, director – Nikita Vysotsky; premiere – 2001) — Danish King
- 2006 — "Antony & Cleopatra. Version" based on the play by Oleg Bogaev and Kirill Serebrennikov, inspired by William Shakespeare's tragedy Antony and Cleopatra (director – Kirill Serebrennikov; premiere – 4 October 2006) — Pompey / Messenger
- 2007 — "Malen" based on the play Princess Malen by Maurice Maeterlinck (director – Vladimir Ageev; premiere – 30 May 2007) — Prince Hjalmar
- 2008 — "Don't You Want to Walk Arm-in-Arm?" 75 minutes of poetry, love, and music (director – Igor Kvasha; premiere – 4 February 2008, dedicated to the 75th anniversary of Igor Kvasha) — Reader
- 2008 — "Three Sisters" based on the play of the same name by Anton Chekhov (director – Galina Volchek; premiere – 26 March 2008) — Vasily Vasilyevich Soleny, Staff Captain
- 2008 — "Hand Organ" based on the play of the same name by Andrey Platonov (director – Mikhail Efremov; premiere – 26 May 2008) — Yevsey, deputy head of the cooperative system in a distant district of Shchoyev
- 2009 — "The Show" based on the play of the same name by Mikhail Pokrass (director – Mikhail Pokrass; the show was part of the "Experiments" project; premiere – 17 January 2009) — Max (Laertes)[20]
- 2009 (until March 2015) — "Murlin Murlo" based on the play of the same name by Nikolai Kolyada (director – Galina Volchek, director – Sergey Garmash; premiere – 26 March 2009; updated version of the play, which had been staged at the theatre from 1990 to 2008) — Mikhail[21]
- 2010 — "Gentleman" based on the 1897 comedy by Alexander Sumbatov-Yuzhin (director – Evgeny Kamenkovich; premiere – 5 February 2010) — Larion Denisovich Rydlov, son of the head of the "Rydlov Widow and Chechkov" trading house, Olga Spiridonovna Rydlova
- 2011 — "Gorbunov and Gorchakov" based on the dramatic poem by Joseph Brodsky (director – Evgeny Kamenkovich, director – Vera Kamyshnikova; premiere – 14 October 2011) — Gorchakov[22]
- 2013 — "Hot Heart" based on the play of the same name by Alexander Ostrovsky (director – Egor Peregudov; premiere – 26 April 2013) — Taras Tarasovich Khlunov, wealthy contractor
- 2014 — "Dedicated to Yalta" based on the poem of the same name by Joseph Brodsky and Cello Sonata No. 1 by Alfred Schnittke (concept – Artur Smolyaninov and Boris Andrianov, director – Artur Smolyaninov; premiere – 2 November 2014) — All male roles
- 2016 — "Don't Leave Your Planet" — a stage fantasy based on the novella The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (director – Victor Kramer; premiere – 30 March 2016 as part of the "Presenting Friends" project) — All roles (all roles were performed alternately by two actors: at one time by Konstantin Khabensky, at another by Artur Smolyaninov)[23]
Directorial Work
- 2014 — "Dedicated to Yalta" based on the poem of the same name by Joseph Brodsky and Cello Sonata No. 1 by Alfred Schnittke (concept – Artur Smolyaninov and Boris Andrianov, director – Artur Smolyaninov; premiere – 2 November 2014)
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Who If Not Us | Tolyasik |
| 2003 | The Suit | Geka |
| 2004 | Daddy | Lyonchik |
| 2004 | Mars | Gregory |
| 2005 | The 9th Company | Oleg Lutaev |
| 2006 | Heat | Artur |
| 2006 | Last Slaughter | Andryukha |
| 2007 | 1612 | Kostka |
| 2008 | He Who Puts Out the Light | Alexander Orlov |
| 2008 | Nirvana | Valera |
| 2009 | The Book of Masters | Yangul |
| 2009 | I Am | I |
| 2010 | Burnt by the Sun 2: Exodus | Jurka |
| 2010 | Yolki | Aleksey |
| 2011 | Burnt by the Sun 2: Citadel | Jurka |
| 2011 | Five Brides | Vadim Dobromyslov |
| 2011 | The Darkest Hour | Yuri |
| 2011 | Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf | Gray Wolf |
| 2011 | Fairytale.Is | Hare |
| 2012 | My Boyfriend Is an Angel | Seraphim |
| 2012 | Soulless | Avdyei |
| 2012 | The White Guard | adjutant Boyko |
| 2013 | Break Loose | Buts |
| 2014 | Redirected | Doncius |
| 2014 | Yolki 1914 | Pyotr Kuznetsov |
| 2017 | Life Ahead | Grigory Kiselev |
| 2017 | Yana+Yanko | Timofey |
| 2020 | AK-47 | Lyutyy |
| 2021 | Mariya. Spasti Moskvu | Father Vladimir |
| 2025 | I Never Said Goodbye | Alex |
TV
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Samara | Oleg Samarin ("Samara") |
| 2020 | Wolf | Nikolay Bezruk |
| 2021 | Survivors | Sergey Shadrin |
| 2021 | An Hour Before Dawn | Dmitry Kopyrin ("Buyan") |
| 2022 | Monastery | Alexey |
Voice acting
Films
- 2006 – Bumer. Film the Second – The Chinese (Turar Murtaliev)
- 2006 – Rabbit Over the Void – Lautar, Anna's fiancé, violinist (Vartan Darakchyan)
- 2010 – No Problem – Slavik (Grigory Gandlevskiy)
- 2017 – Podval
Animated Films
- 2011 – Ivan Tsarevich and the Grey Wolf – Grey Wolf
- 2014 – Alisa Knows What to Do! – Generalissimo Chapad, Laboratory Assistant Ipad
Dubbing
- 2017 – The Son of Bigfoot – Bigfoot[24]
Music videos
- 2006 – Song "Под запретом" by the band Non Stop [25]
- 2016 – Song "Обычный человек" (album "Дивный новый мир") by the rock band Louna[26]
- 2018 – Song "Грустные люди" by the rock band Nochnye Snaipery[27]
- 2022 – Song "С Новым годом, сынок" by the rock band Nogu Svelo![28]
- 2024 – Song "Elsinore" by the band CheLovek [29]
Music
The first lineup of the band, formed in Saint Petersburg in 2020, was called "Смола" (Smola). After Artur Smolyaninov's emigration to Latvia, a new lineup was formed under the name "cheLovek" (guitarist Yanis Rungis, bassist Stanislav Yudin, keyboardist Evalds Lazarovich, and drummer Krishjanis Bremshs).[30][31]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Артур Смольянинов". Russia-1. Archived from the original on 2020-10-17. Retrieved 2018-03-31.
- ^ Felperin, Leslie (21 May 2006). "Review: '9th Company'". Variety. Archived from the original on 2014-12-18. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
- ^ На актера Артура Смольянинова составили протокол о «дискредитации» армии. Недавно он дал интервью «Медузе», Meduza, october 17th 2022
- ^ a b c "Russian actor faces criminal charges over 'anti-Russian' interview". Reuters. 2023-01-09. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
- ^ "Russian actor faces criminal charges over 'anti-Russian' interview". The Moscow Times. 9 January 2023.
- ^ "Гостье без будущего. Артур Смольянинов выпустил в Риге клип ко второй годовщине вторжения в Украину". Delfi.
- ^ ""Переживем": Артур Смольянинов - ведущий нового подкаста DW". Deutsche Welle. 24 January 2025.
- ^ "Winners of the 2025 Prague International Film Festival". World Film Geek.
- ^ "Смольянинов в Праге получил награду за лучшую мужскую роль". TVNET. 23 September 2025.
- ^ "Старался показать не «злодейского злодея» — актер о роли куратора от КГБ". LSM. 30 November 2025.
- ^ "Kristin Griffith and Artur Smolyaninov Win Top Acting Honors at Prague Independent Film Festival". Indie Cinema. 25 September 2025.
- ^ "Против Ходорковского завели дело о терроризме". TASS.
- ^ "ФСБ завела дело об организации террористического сообщества на Ходорковского". Interface.
- ^ "The price of freedom – Director Alexander Molochnikov talks about Extremist, his short film about former political prisoner Sasha Skochilenko". Novaya Gazeta.
- ^ "Building a State of Fear in "Extremist"". New Yorker.
- ^ Galina Mursaliyeva (24 April 2009). "Артур Смольянинов: "Сострадать здесь не надо — ты куда-то выйди, справься с чувствами"". Novaya Gazeta.
- ^ Named Winners of the MTV Russia Film Awards. – Breakthrough of the Year was awarded to Arthur Smolyaninov for his portrayal of Lyutyi in 9th Company. Archived 2008-01-18 at the Wayback Machine // gazeta.ru (22 April 2006)
- ^ "Winners of the 2025 Prague International Film Festival". World Film Geek. 21 September 2025.
- ^ "Smolyaninov Wins Best Actor Award in Prague". TVNET. 23 September 2025.
- ^ Olga Romantsova (Gzt.ru). Mikhail Pokrass's production "The Show". - The "Sovremennik" Theatre hosted the first showing of the result of an unusual experiment by artistic director Galina Volchek. Archived 2022-03-30 at the Wayback Machine Official website of Sovremennik Theatre (old version) // old.sovremennik.ru (19 January 2009)
- ^ Elena Yampolskaya. God was here, but has already left. – A rare event in the "Sovremennik" Theatre – reincarnation. Sergey Garmash cautiously (but clearly with good prospects) stepped into directing by reviving the famous play by Galina Volchek "Murlin Murlo". 19 years after the premiere, young actors replaced the original cast. Archived 2021-08-24 at the Wayback Machine Internet portal of the newspaper Izvestia // iz.ru (26 March 2009)
- ^ "Gorbunov and Gorchakov". Sovremennik Theatre. Press about the show. Archived 2021-06-24 at the Wayback Machine // smotr.ru (18-20 October 2011)
- ^ 21 April 2016 in the play "Don't Leave Your Planet" Artur Smolyaninov will appear on stage. — The premiere of the play "Don't Leave Your Planet" took place as part of the "Presenting Friends" project. Archived 2020-09-26 at the Wayback Machine Official website of Sovremennik Theatre // sovremennik.ru (21 April 2016)
- ^ "Артур Смольянинов, Дарья Мельникова и Семён Трескунов, озвучившие главных героев, побывали на яркой премьере мультфильма "Стань легендой! Бигфут Младший"". ovideo.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2023-01-14. Retrieved 2023-01-14.
- ^ Артур Смольянинов снялся в клипе группы Non Stop Archived 2016-08-05 at the Wayback Machine // allstars.pp.ru (March 30, 2006)
- ^ "Главную роль в клипе "Обычный человек" сыграл Артур Смольянинов". louna.ru. 2016-11-26. Archived from the original on 2019-08-25. Retrieved 2022-05-10.
- ^ Смольянинов оказался замешан в любовной истории Дианы Арбениной Archived 2019-08-03 at the Wayback Machine // 7days.ru (January 12, 2018)
- ^ ""Ногу свело" сняли антивоенный клип на песню о том, что ждёт россиян в наступающем году". Esquire Kazakhstan - электронный журнал для умных мужчин. (in Russian). 2022-12-21. Archived from the original on 2022-12-21. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
- ^ Elsinore on YouTube
- ^ ""Мой cheLovek — мне его и нести". Артур Смольянинов* — о своей музыке и новом музыкальном альбоме, контексте времени и обретённой свободе творчества". Новая газета (in Russian). 2023-11-23. Archived from the original on 2024-02-25. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
- ^ "Презентация нового музыкального проекта Артура Смольянинова и концерт группы "cheLovek"". L'Officiel Baltic (in Russian). Retrieved 2024-02-25.