From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Yuri Vladimirovich Nikulin (Russian: Юрий Владимирович Никулин; 18 December 1921 – 21 August 1997) was a well-known Soviet and Russian actor and clown who starred in many popular films. He was awarded the title of People's Artist of the USSR in 1973 andHero of Socialist Labour in 1990. He also received a number of state awards, including the prestigious Order of Lenin, which he received twice in his lifetime. Nikulin's effortless style and precise delivery, as well as his mastery of timing and his hilarious masks made him an outstanding comedian, arguably the best Russian comedian ever. Nikulin showed his range in a variety of genres from slapstick comedy to romance and war drama. His most popular film partners were Georgiy Vitsin, Yevgeni Morgunov,Natalya Varley, Rolan Bykov, Anatoli Papanov, Sergei Filippov, Mikhail Pugovkin, Aleksandr Demyanenko, Leonid Kuravlyov, Andrey Mironov, Evgeni Evstigneev, Vasili Shukshin, Vyacheslav Tikhonov, Sergei Bondarchuk, Nikolay Burlyaev, Viktor Pavlov, Boris Novikov Vladimir Etush, Saveli Kramarov, Nikolai Grinko, and many other notable Russian actors. In the ring, Nikulin presented a phlegmatic temperament, slow and unsmiling, and to many in the West his personality was reminiscent of the great silent film comedian Buster Keaton. Rich in mimicry, doleful of expression, Nikulin was hailed as “a brainy clown” outside Russia. Simple in style and gentle with children, his only vestiges of make-up were a reddened nose and black lines around his eyes, much different from the grotesquely painted faces of Western clowns. Nikulin, affectionately called Uncle Yury by Russian children, relied mainly upon his wits to earn his place in history as one of the best clowns of the 20th century.

Filmography

• To Remember — Narrator
• Клуб «Белый попугай»
• 1991Captain Krokus — introductory and concluding remarks
• 1983Scarecrow — Nikolay Bessoltsev - Lena's grandfather
• 1982I Don't Want to Be a Grown-Up — Kloun
• 1979Here, Not Far Away
• 1977Bobik Visiting Barbos — Bobik (voice)
• 1977Clowns and Children
• 1976The Adventures of Travka
• 1976Twenty Days Without War — Major Vasily Nikolaevich Lopatin
• 1975They Fought for Their Motherland — pvt. Nekrasov
• Yeralash
• 1972Old Men: Robbers — Николай Мячиков
• 1972Point, Point, Comma... — Alexey's father
• 1972Telegram — Fyodor Fyodorovich
• 197112 Chairs — janitor Tikhon
• 1971Parad-Alle
• 1970Deniska's Stories — сосед Дениски из похожего дома
• 1969New Girl
• 1969The Diamond Arm — Semyon Semyonovich Gorbunkov, Songs
• 1968Seven Old Men and One Girl — грабитель («Балбес»)
• 1967Kidnapping, Caucasian Style — Balbes, Songs
• 1967Сказки русского леса — Balbes
• 1966Andrei Rublev — Patrikey
• 1966The Little Runaway
• 1965Fantasizing
• 1965Give Me a Complaints Book — продавец
• 1965Operation Y and Other Shurik's Adventures — «Balbes» (segment "Operation Y")
• 1964Big "Wick" — Петя-Петушок (нлвелла «Влип»)
• 1964Come Here, Mukhtar! — Glasychev
• 1963Strictly Business — Thief (segment "Makes the Whole World Kin")
• Fuse
• 1962No Fear, No Blame — clown
• 1962Young-Green — Nikolai
• 1961Bootleggers — «Балбес»
• 1961Dog Barbos and Unusual Cross — «Балбес»
• 1961My Friend, Kolka! — Vasya
• 1961Sovershenno seryozno — «Балбес» (новелла «Пёс Барбос и необычный кросс»)
• 1961The Man from Nowhere — Militsioner (uncredited)
• 1961The Taming of the Shrew — Boys' Choir Master
• 1961When the Trees Were Tall — Kuzma Kuzmich Iordanov
• 1959The Unamenables — Vasily Klyachkin
• 1958A Girl with Guitar — Pyromancer Loser

Appearances as themselves (6)

• Legends of Cinema — Self (archive footage)
• 2016Георгий Вицин. Не надо смеяться — Self (archive footage)
• 2008Георгий Вицин. Отшельник — Self (archive footage)
• When Idols Were Gone — Himself / ArchiveFootage
• 1976Pyotr Martynovich And The Years Of Great Life — Himself
• 1965Голубой огонек - в первый час — Self