Igor Fyodorovich Maslennikov was a renowned Soviet and Russian film director born on October 26, 1931, in Nizhny Novgorod. He completed his education in journalism at Leningrad University in 1954 and began his career as an editor, script writer, and cameraman on Leningrad television.
Maslennikov's entry into the film industry was marked by his debut at the end of the 1960s with the film "The Personal Life of Kuzyaev Valentin". He went on to direct a range of films, including children's movies, sports films, historical costume-dramas, and a joint Soviet-Norwegian production.
One of Maslennikov's most successful projects was his cycle of films about Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson, starring Vasily Livanov, Vitaly Solomin, and others. The films gained immense popularity, and the director's talent was widely recognized.
Maslennikov's other notable works include the melodrama "Winter Cherry" (1985),which became a blockbuster and launched the career of actress Yelena Safonova. He also directed the television adventure picture "Philipp Traum" (1989) and the co-production "The Dark" (1990) with French partners.
In the 2000s, Maslennikov continued to work on various projects, including the television series "Chto skazal pokoynik" (2000) and the filming of "Vospominaniya o Sherloke Kholmse" (2000-2001). He was a member of the jury at the 23rd Moscow International Film Festival in 2001.
Throughout his career, Maslennikov received numerous accolades, including the title of People's Artist of the RSFSR in 1988 and the State Prize of the Russian Federation in 2001. He also published his memoirs, "The Baker Street in Petrogradskaya", in 2006, on the occasion of his 75th birthday.
Maslennikov passed away on September 17, 2022, at the age of 90, leaving behind a legacy of iconic films and a lasting impact on the Russian film industry.
