Discover Five Overlooked Films Starring Yuri Solomin
Yuri Solomin, a People«s Artist of the USSR and long-time artistic director of the Maly Theatre, passed away in 2024, leaving behind a rich creative legacy. He is primarily remembered by the general public for his spy roles in »The Adjutant of His Excellency« and »TASS Is Authorized to Declare...«. However, beyond these hits lie other remarkable works—films that are unjustly forgotten today.
«Sleepless Night» (1960)
Solomin«s film debut was in this film by Isidor Annensky, based on the story »My Roads« by Nikolai Dementyev. It is a classic industrial melodrama: young engineer Pavel Kaurov (Solomin) arrives in the port city of Sibirsk for his first job. He is to manage a group of cranes, and professional tasks quickly become complicated. Simultaneously, his fiancée and childhood friend arrives in town, creating a love triangle. The film explores the eternal conflict between career and personal life, remaining a touching story of growing up and choice.
«Dersu Uzala» (1975)
This large-scale Soviet-Japanese project was Akira Kurosawa«s first work not in Japanese. The film with a budget of $4 million is based on Vladimir Arsenyev»s books «In the Ussuri Region» and «Dersu Uzala». The action takes place in 1902–1908, and Yuri Solomin brilliantly performs the role of Arsenyev himself—an explorer of the Far East. The picture is not just an adventure film, but a deep meditation on friendship, nature, and civilization, which won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.
«Melodies of a White Night» (1977)
Another Soviet-Japanese film, this time directed by Sergei Solovyov. Solomin plays a Soviet composer invited to Kyoto to record his piano concerto. In two days in Japan, the hero not only manages to work but also meets a long-lost love, which turns into a poetic and sad farewell. An integral part of the atmosphere is the beautiful music of Isaac Schwartz, which sounds throughout the film.
«A Scandalous Incident in Brickmill» (1980)
Here Yuri Solomin acted not only as an actor but also as a director, adapting the play by English playwright J.B. Priestley. The action unfolds in a sleepy British town, where bank manager Mr. George Cattell (Solomin) leads a measured life. Suddenly, he commits a series of eccentric acts: buys half a toy shop and confesses his love to married Delia Moon. Their unexpected romance stirs up the provincial environment, and the film becomes a subtle comedy-drama about the awakening of feelings.
«The Shore of His Life» (1984)
Completing the selection is a large-scale three-part film, which Solomin initiated and filmed himself, inspired by the diaries of Nikolai Miklouho-Maclay. The actor played the lead role—the famous traveler and humanist. The film covers dramatic episodes from the last years of the scientist«s life, his expeditions, and reflections on human nature. This historical-biographical canvas allows us to see Solomin in the unusual role of an explorer and dreamer.
These five films show Yuri Solomin from different sides—from a young engineer to a mature traveler. They are not as well-known as his spy roles, but it is in them that the versatility of his talent is revealed. Today, these films can be found in online archives or on video services, making them an ideal choice for an evening of Soviet cinema.
