Boris Dyozhkin: Movies & Filmography

Boris Petrovich Dyozhkin was a prominent Soviet animator, animation and art director, caricaturist, book illustrator, and educator who spent the majority of his career at the legendary Soyuzmultfilm studio. Born on August 19, 1914, in Kursk into a Russian working-class family, Dyozhkin's father was a railwayman who was later transferred to Moscow, where Boris began his professional life as a locksmith at a factory. Simultaneously, he honed his artistic skills by learning to draw caricatures and completing training courses organized by the Krokodil magazine under the guidance of Alexei Radakov. In 1934, he finished animation courses at the Moscow Printing House and joined the Experimental Animation Workshop under the Main Directorate of the Photo-Cinematographic Industry alongside Radakov, Vladimir Suteev, and Pyotr Nosov. This workshop, headed by Viktor Smirnov, focused on developing an animation style inspired by both Disney and Fleischer Studios, producing cartoons that were highly regarded by Soviet authorities, including Joseph Stalin. In 1936, the collective was merged with several other Moscow workshops to form the Soyuzdetmultfilm Studio, later renamed Soyuzmultfilm, where Dyozhkin worked alongside luminaries such as Ivan Ivanov-Vano, Aleksandr Ivanov, Leonid Amalrik, and the Brumberg sisters. Unlike some colleagues who resisted the American influence, Dyozhkin was a devoted admirer of Walt Disney and meticulously redrew Disney films frame by frame to master the techniques, particularly learning to synchronize picture and sound and follow the rhythm. This dedication quickly established him as one of the most skillful and sought-after animators at the studio, and he co-directed his first short, Hail to the Heroes! (1937), just before the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War. During the summer of 1941, Moscow suffered heavy bombing by Nazi aviation, and one bomb struck the house of fellow animator Roman Davydov, where Dyozhkin and his wife, animator Faina Yepifanova, were staying. Dyozhkin shielded his wife with his body but was struck by a shell fragment, resulting in the loss of his left eye—a tragedy compounded by his existing vision problems. For the remainder of his life, he wore a distinctive eyepatch. Despite this injury, he continued working at Soyuzmultfilm for the next 40 years, frequently serving as director, art director, and animator, developing characters and pre-recording soundtracks to synchronize with the movement. By 1955, he had created a popular series of short comedy films centered around two teams competing in various sports such as football, hockey, skiing, and boxing, characterized by fast-paced slapstick and minimal dialogue. His only feature film, Cipollino (1961), an adaptation of the Italian fairy tale, was also made in his signature dynamic style, featuring a score by acclaimed composer Karen Khachaturian that was later adapted for a ballet performed at the Bolshoi Theatre. After 1984, Dyozhkin stopped receiving offers from Soyuzmultfilm and earned money by illustrating books and postal cards while continuing to write screenplays that went largely unproduced. This period of professional stagnation undermined his health, and by the end of 1991, he became seriously ill. He died on March 13, 1992, aged 77, and was buried at the Vagankovo Cemetery in Moscow, survived by his second wife, Olga Gaiduk-Dyozhkina, and his son from his first marriage, Sergei Dyozhkin (1939–2000), who also became a prolific Russian animator. Throughout his career, Dyozhkin received numerous accolades, including awards at the Venice International Film Festival and various Soviet film festivals, and was named Honored Art Worker of the RSFSR in 1969.