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Vladimir Menshov

Vladimir Menshov

Actor, also director and writer · Died July 5, 2021, aged 81 · Baku, Azerbaijan SSR, USSR [now Azerbaijan]

Vladimir Menshov was a Russian director and actor, noted for his depiction of the Russian everyman and working class life in his films. Born on September, 17, 1937 in Baku (then USSR, now the territory of Azerbaijan), like many Russian directors and actors Menshov studied at the state film school VGIK. Although his filmography as an actor is superior to that as director (actually confined to only five movies), he will be remembered most of all for his second film as director, Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears (1980), one of the most popular and beloved films in Russia, starring his wife Vera Alentova. The film brought him international recognition and the Oscar for the Best Foreign Film. Menshov did not attend the Academy Awards ceremony personally because he could not leave the country due to some problems of political nature, and the prize statuette was accepted by the USSR Commissioner to the U.S. The film itself is a moving story of three girlfriends who arrive in Moscow in search for a better life. A great melodrama in the first place, on a close analysis, the film can be seen as a biography of a whole generation since in the late 1970s, young people who abandoned their provincial towns with no opportunities for good jobs and strove to settle in the Russian capital. In 1999, the 20th anniversary of the film's original release was celebrated at a series of events around Russia. Another film, an immensely popular comedy of manners Love and Doves (1985), was about a rural farmer peasant falling in love with a glamor urban lady. It ensured that his career continued to glitter. In the decade that followed he refrained from directing and in his rare interviews was very critical of the cinema industry. In 1995 he made Shirli-myrli (1995) - a very long extravaganza satirizing practically every aspect of cultural and political life in Russia. The film showed that these "off the job" years had not affected his talent. Zavist bogov (2000) - a nostalgic drama - demonstrated his longing for the Soviet era life style. Although criticized by some for "being too simple", Menshov was affectionately loved by ordinary cinema-goers who saw him as one of a very few directors capable of creating a perfect comedy or drama out of a down-to-earth situation.

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Biography from IMDb.

Born
September 17, 1939
Died
July 5, 2021 (aged 81)
From
Baku, Azerbaijan SSR, USSR [now Azerbaijan]
Works as
Actor, also director and writer
Titles
7 on MovieCove · 112 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Down 32% in 30 days

What are Vladimir Menshov's films like?

Across a limited sample of 4 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 60th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 71st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
51%
Morality
16%
Ideas
13%
Society
12%
Self
8%
Family bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFate2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 4 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 1 · Serious 1 · Dark 2

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 1 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 1 · Charged 1 · Intense 2

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 1 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 1

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

A split, not a type: Casual 2 · Engaged 0 · Full focus 2

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 2 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

2 analyzed roles

Moods and endings

endings shown from 5 titles

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Warm
2
Tense
2
Melancholic
3
Joyful
1
Dread
1
Other
2

How their films linger

Hopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Vladimir Menshov's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 4 of their 7 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (3).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Vladimir Menshov's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

112 credits, 7 with a MovieCove page; 4 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • It Happens to People (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    as папа

  • Gunman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Actor

  • «Lucky» (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Show 8 episodes · as старик

  • An Ordinary Wedding (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Actor

  • Just One Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Actor

  • The Cry of Silence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    as Anton Ivanovich

  • VGIK100. Love Letter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Director · Writer · as self

  • Stoyanov (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Show 1 episode · as General-leitenant VS

  • The Last Six Degrees of Celebration (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    as Valeriy Mikhailovich Gavrilov

  • Actress (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Show 8 episodes · as Пётр Иванович (начальник РОВД)

  • New Year's Alarm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    as Georgiy Morozov

  • Abandoned (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Actor

  • Ivanovs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Actor

  • Ivanovy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    as Ivan Ivanovitch Ivanov

  • After You're Gone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Actor

  • A Frozen Angel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Producer

  • Milky Way (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Actor

  • The Green Carriage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    as professor Oleg Valentinovich Dobrolyubov

  • Experience (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    as Алексей Николаевич Нечаев

  • Road with no End (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Producer · Writer

  • Under the Thumb (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Ekaterina. Impostors(2014)

    Show 12 episodes · as граф Алексей Бестужев

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all shows

  • White Moss (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Producer

  • Outgoing Nature (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Show 8 episodes · Actor

  • Dialogues (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Actor

  • The Third World War (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Show 4 episodes · as Yura in old age

  • Legend No. 17 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Balashov

  • Möbius(2013)

    as Cherkachin

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • What Men Still Talk About (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    as Лев Николаевич Толстой

  • Six Degrees of Celebration 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    as Grandfather Valera

  • Vysotsky: Thank You For Being Alive (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Actor

  • Generation P(2011)

    as Farsuk Seiful-Farseikin

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Lovey-Dovey 3 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    as Vladimir Andreevich

  • Lucky Trouble(2011)

    as Tryokhgolovich

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Chinese Grandma (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Producer

  • I'm Not Me (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Show 4 episodes · as Бывший

  • O, Luckyman! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as Олег Генрихович

  • High Security Vacation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as Nikolai Vyshkin

  • Volga River Flows (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Actor

  • Projectorparishilton (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Judicial Column (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Show 5 episodes · as Yaroslav Ivanov

  • The Saboteur 2: The End of the War (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Show 5 episodes · as general Kalyazin

  • Liquidation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Show 14 episodes · as Маршал Жуков

  • The Apocalypse Code (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    as Kharitonov

  • Shawls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Producer · Actor

  • 07th Changes Course (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    as Russian President

  • One at Home (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as Georgy Ivanovich (Gosha)

  • Enchanted Region (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Show 10 episodes · Actor

  • CU (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Show 8 episodes · as Палметов - генерал

  • The Gromovs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Show 12 episodes · as Andreyich

  • Day Watch(2006)

    as Geser

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • A Time to Gather Stones (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Producer · as генерал

  • The 32 of December (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Actor

  • The Saboteur (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Show 4 episodes · as Kalyazin

  • Night Watch(2004)

    as Geser

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Только ты (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Show 12 episodes · as Иван Викторович Лепехин

  • Region (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Show 12 episodes · as Лев Ильич Шаров · as старший брат Лев Ильич Шаров

  • Moscow. Central District (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Show 12 episodes · Actor

  • Spartacus and Kalashnikov (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Actor

  • The Envy of Gods (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Chinese Tea-Set (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as Фрол Аверьянович Сатановский

  • 8 ½ $ (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as Спартак Сергей Львович

  • Love for One's Father's Tombs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Director · Writer

  • Love Is Evil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Producer

  • Quadrille (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Producer

  • An Essay for Victory Day (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as General

  • Tsarevich Aleksey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    as Aleksandr Danilovich Menshikov

  • What a Mess! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Director · Writer · as Russian President

  • Trotsky (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    as Каргин, матрос

  • Russian Ragtime (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    as Otets Mishi

  • General (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    as Георгий Константинович Жуков

  • Abdulladzhan, or Dedicated to Steven Spielberg (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    as Ivan Ivanovich Nakhlobuchko - general

  • In That Region of Heaven… (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    as Юлий Борисович Лихоман

  • New Odeon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Actor

  • Red Mob (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    as Олег

  • Depression (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    as "Godfather"

  • Murder at Cloister Ponds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Actor

  • Distraction for the Soul (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Mikhailov

  • Ivin A. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Actor

  • Our Father (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Actor

  • The Suicide (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as писатель Виктор Викторович

  • Attorney (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Show 3 episodes · as Михаил Петрович Рогалев (главная роль, капитан)

  • Zerograd (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    as Николай Иванович Смородинов, прокурор города

  • A Little Doll (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Actor

  • Where Is Enohp Located? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    as Павел Голиков

  • Year of a Calf (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as Feodosy

  • Dear Edison! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Actor

  • Forgive Me (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Actor

  • Interception (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as Брюстнер

  • Messenger Boy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as Guest on Katya's birthday

  • Got Snow Maiden? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Actor

  • Love and Pigeons (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Director · as dance leader (uncredited)

  • If the Enemy Doesn't Surrender... (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    as Konev

  • The Highway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    as Potapov

  • Time for Reflection (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    as Igor Ignatyevich

  • Under One Sky (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    as Pavlov

  • Night Is Short (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Writer

  • A Deadly Business (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    as Vova Lobanov

  • Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears(1980)

    Director · Writer · as Gosha's friend (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Fedya (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Actor

  • Practical Joke (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Director · as Vladimir Valentinovich (swimming coach) (uncredited)

  • Personal Opinion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as Petrov

  • The Blackamoor of Peter the Great (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Actor

  • Ar-chi-me-des! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Actor

  • The Last Meeting (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Klim Avilov

  • Salty Dog (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Sailor Martiamov

  • I Serve at the Border (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Writer

  • A Man at His Place (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Semyon Bobrov

  • Happy Kukushkin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Screenplay · as Пашка Кукушкин

  • Bridegroom From Medvedkino (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Actor

  • To the Question of the Dialectic of the Perception of Art, or Lost Dreams (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Director

  • Fuse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Show 2 episodes · Director · Writer

Career shape

Star power in the 97th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 112 titles from 1962 to 2023; peak year 2012.

Biggest box office

Night Watch (2004)

$50M worldwide

Highest rated

Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears (1980)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Day Watch (2006)

Film career

MilestoneBreakout
19622023

Peak 2012 · at the high point of their film career. Top draw in 3 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

  • 1984Screen debut· Love and Pigeons
  • 1987First top-billed film· Where Is Enohp Located?
  • 2004Breakout· Night Watch
  • 2014Career best· Ekaterina

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting99 of 112: 92 only acting, 7 with another role · typical Midcredits score61stDirecting9 of 112: 1 only directing, 8 with another roleWriting9 of 112: 2 only writing, 7 with another roleProducing9 of 112: 5 only producing, 4 with another role

112 titles, 12 with more than one role — acting and directing overlap on 4 of them.

By decade

1960s3 · 1 acting · 2 crew1970s10 · 9 acting · 3 crew1980s17 · 16 acting · 3 crew1990s21 · 18 acting · 4 crew2000s25 · 24 acting · 3 crew2010s31 · 26 acting · 5 crew2020s5 · acting

Billing

usually 5th · top billed in 6% of 16 roles
8409

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Vladimir Menshov's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 60th percentile, the median of all 6; across a limited sample of 4 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 57th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

57thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 4

Approval · how many liked their films

62ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 4

Reach · how many have seen their films

91stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 4

Midcredits score across 7 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up2
  • 50th to 74th3
  • 25th to 49th2

Shape of the crowd

4 of their 7 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Crowd Pleaser4
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed1

Most divisive · actor

Lucky Trouble (2011)

60th percentile spread · 20% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor, director, writer

Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears (1980)

Midcredits 97th · 87% liked

Reviewers score the acting 70/100 in their films, across 4 reviewed titles; fans 78, detractors 38. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Vladimir Menshov's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 87 · severeMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 46 · moderateMedian of all films: 32

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Vladimir Menshov work with?

People who share at least 2 of Vladimir Menshov's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Timur Bekmambetov shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Producers