Vadim Kurchevskiy(1928-1997)

Vadim Kurchevskiy is Soviet animator, film director, screenwriter, TV host, writer, book illustrator, teacher. Honored Artist of the Russian Federation (1978). Since childhood, Vadim drew paper dolls. After graduating from high school, he tried to enter the All-Union State Institute of Cinematography at the department of animated film artists, but did not pass through the competition. A year later, he entered the Moscow Institute of Decorative and Applied Arts at the Faculty of Sculpture. He studied under the leadership of Aleksandr Deyneka. In 1953, after graduating from the institute, he was sent to work at the Zagorsky Research Institute for Toys. From 1957, Kurchevskiy worked at the Soyuzmultfilm studio in the newly created puppet association as an art director of puppet films, collaborated with directors Vladimir Degtyaryov, Anatoliy Karanovich, Teodor Bunimovich, Iosif Boyarskiy, Ivan Ivanov-Vano, Roman Davydov. In 1961 he made his debut as a director, by putting together with Iosif Boyarskiy the animated film About the Goat (1960) based on the play by Samuil Marshak. Then until 1966 he worked in pair with Nikolay Serebryakov. Together, they set a fundamentally different fashion in doll animation, departing from children's fairy tales in the direction of more serious works. The style of the paintings also became more conventional and innovative. In addition, he headed a workshop at VGIK and taught drawing lessons at school, designed children's performances and worked as an illustrator in children's publications.