Artur Smolyaninov

Artur Sergeyevich Smolyaninov (; born 27 October 1983) is a Russian actor.

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.

Since January 2025, he has been the host of the podcast «Переживём» ("We’ll Survive") on Deutsche Welle.

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. It is his first role in English language.

In 2025 Smolyaninov appeared in the short film Extremist by Aleksandr Molochnikov.

In 2026, the film Minotaur by Andrey Zvyagintsev starring Smolyaninov, won the Grand Prix at the 79th Cannes Film Festival.

Political persecution 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".

In January 2023, Smolyaninov was charged after allegedly making "anti-Russian" comments in an interview with Novaya Gazeta Europe. In the interview, he had stated that he would fight for Ukraine, not Russia, if he was forced to take part in the war. On October 5, Smolyaninov was added to Rosfinmonitoring's list of terrorists and extremists.

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").

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.

Personal life In 2013 he married the actress Darya Melnikova, in October 2015 the couple had a son, followed by a second son. 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.

Theatre Acting Sovremennik Theatre 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) 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 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 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)

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 YearTitleRole 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 YearTitleRole 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

Music videos 2006 – Song "Под запретом" by the band Non Stop 2016 – Song "Обычный человек" (album "Дивный новый мир") by the rock band Louna 2018 – Song "Грустные люди" by the rock band Nochnye Snaipery 2022 – Song "С Новым годом, сынок" by the rock band Nogu Svelo! 2024 – Song "Elsinore" by the band CheLovek

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).