Remembering Oleg Borisov

Oleg Borisov was born Albert Ivanovich Borisov on November 8, 1929 in Privolzhsk, Ivanovo, Russia, U.S.S.R. His given name was Albert, which was chosen by his mother in honor of the Belgian prince Albert, who visited Moscow in 1929. His parents were agricultural professionals. His mother, Nadezhda Andreevna, was an agricultural engineer, and also played as an amateur actress at a local drama. His father, Ivan Borisov, was a wounded World War II veteran, who worked as director of Privolzhsk Agricultural Technical School.

 

Young Oleg Borisov was fond of acting and theatre, he was known as a good impersonator and comedian among his classmates at school. However, during the Second World War young Oleg Borisov was a tractor driver at a collective farm near Moscow. At the same time he was involved in amateur acting at his school drama class.

 

After World War II Borisov graduated from a secondary school and applied to study at the Moscow Art Theatre. He passed a series of professional tests and was admitted to the Moscow Art Theatre School of Acting in 1947. While a student Borisov was regarded for his talent as a comedian. In 1951, Borisov graduated and joined the troupe of the Lesya Ukrainka National Academic Theater of Russian Drama in Kiev.

 

In 1955, Borisov made his film debut at the Dovzhenko Film Studio in Kiev, Ukraine; he played a cameo role in film “Mother” (1955) by director Mark Donskoy. Eventually Oleg Borisov ascended to fame in the Soviet and Russian cinema. His best known roles in film were as Gudionov in “Sluga” (1989) by Vadim Abdrashitov, and as Naoum Kheifitz in “Luna Park” (1992) by Pavel Lungin.

 

He played in over seventy films and television series. He also directed stage productions and led several popular radio shows. In 1992 Oleg Borisov made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem together with his wife. He died of complications from a blood disorder on April 28, 1994 in Moscow, Russia.

 

Borisov appeared in only one Euro-western as Tom Atkins in “Atkins” (1985).

 

Today we remember Oleg Borisov on what would have been his 85^th birthday.