Happy Birthday, Konstantin Yershov! Born today in 1935 as Konstantin Vladimirovich Ershov, this Soviet actor, screenwriter and director was born in Chelyabinsk, Chelyabinskaya obast, RSFSR, USSR (now Russia).
Years later, Yershov met and partnered with Russian film production designer and director Georgi Kropachyov.
Eventually, he and Kropachyov became known for co-writing and co-directing the film of which both of them are best known. This was the 1967 Soviet horror/fantasy drama film 'Viy' (also known as 'Vii' or 'Spirit of Evil').
The film had also been co-written by Soviet animation and fantasy film director Aleksandr Ptushko. He was also a People's Artis of the USSR in 1969.
Adapted from the eponymous 1835 Russian horror fantasy fiction novella by Russian dramatist of Ukrainian origin Nikolai Gogol, the story was first published in the first volume of his collection of tales entitled "Mirgorod".
The title of the novella is the Russian pronunciation of the name of the Ukrainian city Myrhorod, meaning "city of peace" in both languages. The title is also the name of the demonic entity central to the plot.
Shot in color, 'Viy' follows a group of seminary students from the city who go on summer break, drunkenly wandering the countryside. They end up lost, and spend a night in the company of Vedma (Nikolai Kutuzov), a haggard witch.
When a scuffle breaks out, one of the students, Khoma (Leonid Kuravlyov), murders the crone, only to discover that he really killed the beautiful landowner's daughter Pannochka (Natalya Varley).
Upon doing this, he must sit with her body in a church for three days, protecting it from evil spirits.
'Viy' was distributed by Mosfilm, and was the first Soviet-era horror film to be officially released in the USSR.
Yershov is known for writing and directing solo features as well.
These include the 1974 Soviet black and white drama film 'Kazhdyy vecher posle raboty' ('Every Night After Work') and the 1981 Soviet comedy/romance film 'Zhenshchiny shutyat vseryoz' ('Women Are Seriously Off').
Also known as K. Yershov or Kostyantyn Yershov, he passed in Kyiv, Ukraine on December 28, 1984. Yershov was 49.
Yershov had been active from 1961–1983.
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