Cherviakov, Evgenii Veniaminovich

Born Dec. 27, 1899 (?) in the village of Abdulino; died Feb. 17, 1942. Soviet Russian actor, director, and screenwriter.

Cherviakov graduated from an Ufa drama studio in 1918 and from the State Technicum of Cinematography in Moscow in 1927. He acted and directed at the Ufa Theater. He appeared in films while still a student, playing in Gold Supply and The Cross and the Mauser (both 1925), and was assistant director at the Lenfil’m Studio. He played the role of A. S. Pushkin in the film The Poet and the Tsar (1927), on which he collaborated as screenwriter and director with V. R. Gardin.

Cherviakov’s films are distinguished by their poetic lyricism, original montage, interest in contemporary topics, and profound character development. They include The Girl From the Distant River (1928), My Son (1928), Cities and Years (1930, based on the novel by K. Fedin), The Prisoners (1936), Honor (1938), and Far-off Cossack Village (1940). He also wrote and filmed the short story “The Old Nurse” (Boevoi kinosbornik, no. 2,1941). In 1929 he made the historical film The Golden Beak, based on A. Karavaeva’s novella. He wrote the scripts for a number of his films and played roles in films by other directors.

In 1941, Cherviakov volunteered for a partisan detachment and was mortally wounded on Feb. 16,1942, in a battle near Leningrad.