Institute celebrates 90th anniversary of its famous alumnus, filmmaker Stanislav Govorukhin (1936 – 2018)

Apart from his film career, he also served as a State Duma deputy for several convocations and as Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Culture.

“Stanislav Govorukhin visited Kazan University several times. I had the pleasure of meeting him. He was an extraordinary individual, a fearless person. He could tell anyone the truth. For this, I respect him,” said KFU President Riyaz Minzaripov. “Govorukhin was an honest and principled man who defended the interests of society. He headed Vladimir Putin’s campaign headquarters during the 2012 presidential election.”

Stanislav Govorukhin was born on March 29, 1936, in Berezniki, Sverdlovsk Oblast (now Perm Krai), where he began first grade. Two years later, his family moved to Tetyushi, and in 1947, to Kazan, where he attended School No. 94.

“He had an immense love for the city of Kazan, an immense love for Kazan University, where he graduated from the Geology Department,” said Oleg Morozov, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma, Chairman of the Control Committee, and a graduate of Kazan University, about his friend Govorukhin in a video message he sent to KFU. “I think much of what he is was shaped by Kazan University. He spoke with great affection about his student years and his choice of geology as a profession.”

In an interview with the Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper in 2005, the director, whose films are known and beloved in the nation, spoke about his admission to the Geology Department, where he majored in Geophysical Methods of Prospecting and Exploration of Mineral Deposits, “I remember when I finished high school, I didn’t know where to go next. I didn’t feel any professional calling. I came across a couple of books about geologists. They intrigued me. But perhaps that wasn’t even the deciding factor. In those poor times, when people dressed quite poorly, geology students wore uniforms: a black suit, a double-breasted jacket, and a white shirt. And as soon as I enrolled, in 1953, they made me one of those uniforms. Unfortunately, it hasn’t survived… And what a university Kazan has! It’s not just a building, but a whole complex. Built according to Lobachevsky’s design – an astronomy lab, a geometry department, an anatomical theater, a library. One of the best universities in the world!”

Danis Nurgaliev, Vice-Rector for Earth Sciences at Kazan Federal University and Corresponding Member of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan, explained that the geologist profession was extremely popular in the 1950s.

“At that time, the so-called 200,000-survey [a geological survey at a scale of 1:200,000 – editor’s note] was underway. In the middle of the last century, there were many ‘blank spots’ on the map of Russia – territories unexplored from a geological standpoint. And geologists were pioneers. Interest in this profession was enormous, and the competition for admission was colossal,” he noted.

After entering the university, Stanislav Govorukhin eagerly immersed himself in student life: he took an active part in social activities – he organized and participated in cultural and sporting events, amateur performances, was a member of the Komsomol bureau, and was also a correspondent for the university newspaper.

According to Irina Donskaya, a graduate of the Faculty of Philology at Kazan University, a contemporary and friend of Govorukhin, the future director could often be seen in the newspaper’s editorial office.

Hiking was another passion of the young man – he regularly went with a group of students to the local woods, and during the holidays, he would head to the mountains. His passion for mountaineering later enabled him, when he began acting in films, to perform dangerous stunts without a stunt double.

After graduating, the Kazan University graduate worked for about a year as a geologist at the Middle Volga Geological Prospecting Directorate. In 1959, he returned to Kazan and took a job as an editor at the newly opened Kazan Television Studio, where he later became an assistant director.

“The two years I worked there were the most creative in my life – I learned a new skill,” he recalled. “I was a jack of all trades: editor, presenter, cameraman, and author. And from television, the path was straight to film!”

In 1961, Stanislav Govorukhin left for Moscow to study at the All–Russian State Institute of Cinematography. He directed a large number of feature films and documentaries. One of his first works as a director was the 1966 film, The Vertical.

“I consider one of the greatest achievements of the outstanding film director Stanislav Govorukhin to be his inclusion of Vladimir Vysotsky that film, where he performed his songs for the first time. The film about mountain climbers, featuring his songs about friendship and mutual support, was a resounding success. I was 10 years old at the time, and I remember the release of this film well; it made a huge impression on me, although I, of course, didn’t know who the director was back then. Stanislav Govorukhin’s geography studies, his geological field trips, and his mountain experiences were undoubtedly a great help in creating the film,” said Danis Nurgaliev. “When our alumni receive their diplomas, I always say, ‘We don’t care what career you’ll have, the main thing is that you become successful and happy people.’ Stanislav Govorukhin was one of those successful and happy people.”

Three years ago, on Stanislav Govorukhin’s 87th birthday, a memorial plaque was unveiled on the building of the Institute of Geology and Petroleum Technologies. The Academic Board decided to immortalize the memory of the People’s Artist of the Russian Federation, laureate of the Russian Government Prize in Culture, and university alumnus whose work was recognized with the Order for Merit to the Fatherland.