Aleksandr Molochnikov

Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Molochnikov is a Russian actor, director, and screenwriter,

Early life His father, Aleksandr Molochnikov, is a teacher, and his mother, Anna Nemtsova, is a journalist contributing to Western media. He graduated from the Anichkov Lyceum in 2008 and studied acting and directing at the Russian Institute of Theatre Arts (RATI-GITIS) under Leonid Kheifets, graduating in 2012.

Career Theater Molochnikov served as an actor at the Moscow Art Theatre (MKhT) named after Chekhov from 2012 to 2020, debuting as Vronsky in the play Karenin. At the Malaya Bronnaya Theatre, he staged Bulba. Feast (2020) and Platonov Hurts (2022). In 2024, he directed a cabaret-style adaptation of Crime and Punishment at the Gesher Theatre in Tel Aviv. In 2022, his plays at the Malaya Bronnaya Theatre and Moscow Art Theatre were removed from the repertoire due to his anti-war stance, with Molochnikov learning of the cancellations from actors rather than theatre management.

Molochnikov directed operas The Telephone and The Medium (2019) and the ballet The Seagull (2021) at the Bolshoi Theatre's Chamber Stage, with the latter winning a Golden Mask Award. In 2023, he presented a workshop of The Seagull: Interrupted Flight at the Segal Theatre in New York.

In 2025, he staged The Seagull: A True Story at the La MaMa Ellen Stewart Theatre in New York, inspired by his own experience of leaving Russia after opposing the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, featuring actors Eric Tabach, Andrey Burkovskiy, Zuzanna Szadkowski, Elan Zafir, Quentin Lee Moore, Stella Baker, Ohad Mazor, Keshet Pratt, and Dylan Douglas. The production was included in The New York Times list of best off-Broadway shows. His drama Tell Her (2020), a melodrama produced by Roman Abramovich and starring Svetlana Khodchenkova, Artyom Bystrov, and Kai Getts, was praised as an unconventional family drama and screened at the Russian Film Festival on BFI Player. He directed and co-wrote the series Monastery (2022), which faced a ban from the Russian Ministry of Culture for its critical portrayal of church life.

Extemistka His short film Extremist (2025), depicting the life of Russian artist and former political prisoner Sasha Skochilenko and her partner Sonya Subbotina, won the Live Action Award and Special Jury Award at the 2025 BAFTA Student Awards. The 17-minute film, shot with cinematographer Mikhail Krichman and starring Viktoria Miroshnichenko, Tina Dalakishvili, and Lilian Malkina, also received multiple awards at the 2025 Miloš Forman/Mike Hausman Columbia University Film Festival, including Best Film, James Ponsoldt Award for Best Director, and 3Pas Studios Award for Excellence in Producing.

Personal life Molochnikov married Russian actress and comedian Ekaterina Varnava in March 2022, but the couple separated in July 2022, maintaining friendly relations. In 2024, he was reported to be in a relationship with producer and actress Odessa Rae, known for the documentary Navalny. In 2022, he signed an anti-war letter, contributing to the cancellation of his plays in Russian theaters. following demands from the parliamentary group GRAD, which also suggested sending him to the Donbas front. During the 2025 BAFTA Student Awards ceremony, Molochnikov highlighted the plight of over a thousand political prisoners in Russia, specifically mentioning theater director Evgenia Berkovich and playwright Svetlana Petriychuk, who were sentenced to over six years in prison for their anti-war views.

Selected theater Karenin (2012, MKhT, actor) 19.14 (2015, MKhT, director) Rebels (2016, MKhT, director) Bright Path. 19.17 (2017, MKhT, director) The Telephone. The Medium (2019, Bolshoi Theatre, director) Bulba. Feast (2020, Malaya Bronnaya Theatre, director) The Seagull (2021, Bolshoi Theatre, director) Platonov Hurts (2022, Malaya Bronnaya Theatre, director) Crime and Punishment (2024, Gesher Theater|Gesher Theatre, director) The Seagull: Interrupted Flight (2023, New York, workshop) The Seagull: A True Story (2025, New York, director)

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Work Result 2014 Oleg Tabakov Award Best Actor The Amazing Journey of Edward Rabbit 2015 Oleg Tabakov Award Best Director 19.14 2016 Golden Mask Award Drama/Large Scale Production 19.14 2017 Golden Mask Award Drama/Large Scale Production Rebels 2021 Golden Mask Award Best Ballet The Seagull 2025 BAFTA Student Awards Live Action Award Extremistka 2025 BAFTA Student Awards Special Jury Award Extremistka 2025 Columbia University Film Festival Best Film Extremistka 2025 Columbia University Film Festival James Ponsoldt Award for Best Director Extremistka 2025 Columbia University Film Festival 3Pas Studios Award for Excellence in Producing Extremistka