Sergei Yursky

Sergei Yurievich Yursky (, 16 March 1935 – 8 February 2019 ) was a Soviet and Russian stage and film actor, theatre director and screenwriter. His best-known film role is Ostap Bender in The Golden Calf

His first major film role was Chudak in the film The Man from Nowhere (1961). The actor gained wide fame for his roles as Vicknicksor in the film The Republic of ShKID (1966) and Ostap Bender in The Little Golden Calf (1968).

From 1979, he was an actor and director of Mossovet Theater in Moscow. He also worked as an actor and director in Moscow Art Theatre, as well as in Belgium, France and Japan.

Yursky performed one-man recitals of poetry and prose, touring widely with them in the USSR, then Russia and beginning in the 1990s many countries with a Russian-speaking population.

From 1961 to 1968, Yursky was married to actress Zinaida Sharko. From his second marriage, he had a daughter, Daria Yurskaya, who became an actress at the Moscow Chekhov Art Theatre.

On 8 February 2019, the actor felt unwell while at home. By the time the ambulance arrived, he had died.

A civil memorial service was held on February 11 at the Mossovet Theater. He was buried at the Troyekurovskoye Cemetery.

On 8 February 2021, a monument was erected on the actor's grave.

Partial filmography

1961: The Man from Nowhere as Chudak 1963: The Serf Actress as Prince Nikita Petrovich Baturin 1965: Time, Forward! as Margulies 1966: The Republic of ShKID as Vicknicksor 1968: The Little Golden Calf as Ostap Bender 1969: Intervention as Masks 1969: King Stag as Tartaglia 1976: The Darvish Detonates Paris as Musje Jordan 1979: The Meeting Place Cannot Be Changed (TV Mini-Series) as Gruzdev 1979: Little Tragedies (TV Mini-Series) as Improviser 1983: Look for a Woman (TV Movie) as notary Rochet 1984: Love and Pigeons as Uncle Mitya 1987: The End of Eternity as Computer Hobbe Finge 2006: Master and Margarita as Berlioz (voice, uncredited) 2007: Korolyov as Konstantin Tsiolkovsky

Awards

1968: Honored Artist of the RSFSR 1987: People's Artist of the RSFSR 1991: Kinotavr Grand Prize in feature films 1995: Order of Honour 2000: Pushkin Medal 2005: Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 4th class 2010: Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 3rd class