Yura Borisov

Yura Borisov
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Name:
Yura Borisov
Real name:
Yuriy Borisov
Who is:
Birth date:
(32 y.o.)
Place of birth:
Reutov, Moscow Region, Russia
Height:
5'10 ft ()
Weight:
150 lb (68 kg)
Relationship:
married
Namesakes:
Birth Sign:
(characteristic)
Chinese zodiac:
Links:

Photos: Yura Borisov

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Biography of Yuri Borisov

Yuri Alexandrovich Borisov is a Russian theater and film actor who first gained recognition through his roles in the series "Young Guard," "The Shot," "Butterflies," and "Father's Shore." Following "Father's Shore," Borisov became a fixture in major domestic productions, appearing in films like "T-34," "Union of Salvation," "Invasion," and the series "Olga."
Yuri Borisov
Yuri Borisov
In 2024, he achieved international fame: his role in the Hollywood film "Anora" earned him a Golden Globe nomination, making him the first Russian actor to achieve this milestone.

Childhood and Youth

Yuri was born on December 8, 1992, in Reutov, Moscow Region. His father was a jack-of-all-trades who worked as an electrician and plumber, though he'd originally studied medicine. In the 90s, he started selling flowers at the market. His mother worked as a real estate agent.

As a child, Borisov dreamed of becoming an astronaut, but his love for the stage won out. After finishing school, Yuri applied to the Shchepkin School and became a student in the course of Vladimir Mikhailovich Beilis and Vitaly Nikolaevich Ivanov.
Childhood photo of Yuri Borisov
Childhood photo of Yuri Borisov
In interviews, the actor jokes that he chose Mikhail Shchepkin Higher Theatre School because as a kid he'd dreamed of studying at Hogwarts, and the school's courtyard reminded him of the wizarding school. Plus, he was offered a dorm room there, and Yuri was eager to leave small-town Reutov behind and taste independence.

His parents stayed out of his career choice, with just one condition: he had to get into a tuition-free program. After graduation, Yuri didn't do any special prep work—just learned a poem and some prose for the theater school entrance exams.
The Phenomenon of Yura Borisov or 'Cinema for Love'
By the time he graduated from school, his portfolio included several significant works. For one of them—the role of Ametistov in "The Zoyka's Apartment"—the young actor received the "Golden Leaf 2013" award, which is given annually to the best graduates of theater schools in Russia.
Yuri Borisov and Anna Shevchuk ('The Zoyka's Apartment')
Yuri Borisov and Anna Shevchuk ('The Zoyka's Apartment')

Acting Career

After graduating from theater college, Yuri joined the Satirikon Theater troupe, where he worked until 2014. Yuri performed in the plays "Othello" and "Romeo and Juliet," directed by Konstantin Raikin. Eventually, the young actor chose film over theater and threw himself into movie work. "I saw the routine, got scared, and ran away," Yuri confessed.
Yuri Borisov worked at the Satirikon Theater
Yuri Borisov worked at the Satirikon Theater
Yuri's earliest film roles were small but memorable: audiences caught glimpses of young Borisov, still a theater student, in Andrey Zvyagintsev's drama "Elena," the military-historical drama "Atonement," and the biographical series "Duels."
Yuri Borisov at the dawn of his career
Yuri Borisov at the dawn of his career
In 2011, Yuri scored his first leading role in the series "Everyone Has Their Own War," based on Eduard Volodarsky's story. The young actor portrayed Robert Krohin, a schoolboy head-over-heels for the gang leader's friend (played by Katerina Shpitsa).
In the photo: Yuri Borisov and Katerina Shpitsa
In the photo: Yuri Borisov and Katerina Shpitsa
Once the series aired, directors took notice of the talented young actor and started offering him more compelling roles. His next project landed him a leading role in the crime series "In the Danger Zone," where he played young lieutenant-programmer Denis Tavardin, a "technical genius" on a team led by Lieutenant Colonel Sergey Demidov (played by Evgeny Sidikhin).
A shot from the TV series "In the Danger Zone"
A shot from the TV series "In the Danger Zone"
In 2012, Yuri took the lead in "Butterflies," a love story set against the backdrop of the Chernobyl tragedy.
A shot from the movie "Butterflies"
A shot from the movie "Butterflies"
2014 saw the release of four Borisov projects, including starring roles in the drama "The Shot," detective series "Goodbye, Beloved!," war drama "The Old Gun," and melodrama series "Fading Nature."
Yuri Borisov in the film "Goodbye, Beloved!"
Yuri Borisov in the film "Goodbye, Beloved!"
Borisov often played roles in war films. In 2015, he was cast in "Road to Berlin," based on Emmanuil Kazakevich's story "Two in the Steppe," and the series "Young Guard," which offered a fresh take on one of the most dramatic episodes of the Great Patriotic War.
Yuri Borisov in the film "Road to Berlin"
Yuri Borisov in the film "Road to Berlin"
After grueling film shoots, the actor decided to return to his theater roots. In 2016, audiences could catch Borisov at the M.A. Bulgakov Theater in "Zoyka's Apartment," reprising the role of Amethystov.

After nearly a two-year hiatus, fans spotted Borisov in a small role in the second season of the hit series "Law of the Stone Jungle," which premiered in March 2017.

September 2017 brought the premiere of the dramatic saga "Father's Shore" to Russian TV, set in the Urals spanning pre-war, wartime, and post-war years. In Milena Fadeeva's series, Yuri took on the lead role of Stepan Morozov, a member of the sprawling Morozov family weathering hard times.

His role in "Father's Shore" proved controversial—the plot centers on Yuri's character developing romantic feelings for his sister. Borisov's on-screen siblings were played by Arina Zharkova, Maxim Kerin, Svetlana Kolpakova, Alina Lanina, and Aleksey Kravchenko.
"Father's Shore": Yuri Borisov as Stepan Morozov
"Father's Shore": Yuri Borisov as Stepan Morozov
In 2018, Borisov appeared in Kirill Belevich's military drama "Seven Pairs of Unclean," starring alongside Mari Vorozhi, Timofey Tribunts, Vasily Mishchenko, Mikhail Evlanov, and other established actors.

Yuri also starred in the war blockbuster "T-34" with Alexander Petrov. His character Serafim Ionov is an artilleryman who escapes from a concentration camp with the rest of the tank crew.

He was offered the lead role in Fyodor Bondarchuk's "Attraction" but turned it down, feeling no connection to the character. However, he played Captain Korobanov in its sequel "Invasion."

In 2018, Borisov joined the vibrant cast of the series "Olga." He played Lev, Anya's (Ksenia Surkova) new boyfriend—a tough guy in leather and cowboy hat who didn't fit into his girlfriend's usual crowd.
Yuri Borisov in the TV series "Olga"
Yuri Borisov in the TV series "Olga"
Borisov credits "The Bull" (2019), which won the top prize at Kinotavr, as the film that launched his career. Yuri's character, young hooligan Anton Bykov, receives support from a Moscow criminal authority. At first, he's thrilled with this partnership, but quickly discovers he's in way over his head.
A shot from the movie "The Bull"
A shot from the movie "The Bull"
While Yuri's a versatile actor, he's particularly at home in war dramas. The film "AK-47" (2020) was no exception, where he played the legendary inventor of the AK-47. The actor says what drew him to the role was Kalashnikov's short stature (160 cm):
For me, it was the story of a small man whom no one took seriously. And partly, everything that happened to him later was the result of those complexes that led him to create the weapon.
Borisov also wanted to explore the question of personal responsibility for the weapon Kalashnikov created. The director ignored Yuri's input, choosing not to emphasize the protagonist's height or tackle the ethical questions surrounding Kalashnikov's legacy. However, this didn't make Yuri's character any less convincing.
Yuri Borisov as Mikhail Kalashnikov
Yuri Borisov as Mikhail Kalashnikov
In 2020, audiences got the melancholy fairy tale "Silver Skates," where Yuri took on a darker role—what he calls a character "obsessed with something, yet denying everything in the world." Around the same time, the series about the 90s era "Peace! Friendship! Gum!" premiered, featuring Yuri as Alyk, a guy who helps his younger brother out of various troubles.
On the set of the series "Peace! Friendship! Gum!"
On the set of the series "Peace! Friendship! Gum!"
Borisov aims to "maintain a balance between underground and mainstream" and believes Russian cinema desperately needs better scripts, blaming this on Russians' internal lack of freedom:
We are incredibly unfree in our country because different parts of the state do not hear each other. The Ministry of Culture doesn't hear cultural figures. Cultural figures don't want to interact with the Ministry of Culture. The people live in their problems, and the state doesn't know what problems the people live in.
In 2020, work continued on another war drama featuring Yuri, "Red Ghost." In 2021, the Finnish film "Compartment No. 6," which won the Cannes Grand Prix, was released, and at the Venice Film Festival, they screened the surreal drama "Captain Volkonogov Escaped." Yuri Borisov played the lead roles in both films.
Actor Yuri Borisov
Actor Yuri Borisov
In the summer of 2022, it was announced that Yuri Borisov would portray a young Alexander Pushkin in the musical "Prophet."

Personal Life of Yuri Borisov

Yuri Borisov is married. His wife, actress Anna Shevchuk, is from Orsk and is two years his senior. She also studied at the Shchepkin School, graduated in 2013, and worked at the Sovremennik Theater. They tied the knot in 2014, though they'd had feelings for each other since their student days.
I was 16, she was 18. She wore these weird Orsk felt boots and had long hair. She didn't pay any attention to me at all. Later, when we ended up in neighboring dorm rooms, I tried to win her over, but it was hopeless.
The couple has two daughters: the older daughter Marfa, born right after they graduated from Mikhail Shchepkin Higher Theatre School, and her younger sister Akulina, who's two years younger. The actor prefers not to share more personal details about his private life.
Yuri Borisov and Anna Shevchuk
Yuri Borisov and Anna Shevchuk
Throughout his various projects, Borisov has picked up an impressive range of skills: accordion playing and horseback riding.
Yura Borisov with his wife and children
Yura Borisov with his wife and children

Yuri Borisov Now

In 2024, Yuri Borisov starred in two major projects spanning both Russian cinema and Hollywood.

First up was the adaptation of Kir Bulychev's novella "Guest from the Future," where he took on the villainous role of space pirate Glot. His partner, the jester Wu, was played by Alexander Petrov.
On the set of the movie "One Hundred Years Ahead"
On the set of the movie "One Hundred Years Ahead"
His second project was the drama "Anora." Yuri Borisov plays Igor, a bodyguard watching over Ivan, the son of a Russian oligarch living in Brooklyn. Ivan (Mark Eidelstein) marries an American prostitute Annie (Mikey Madison), which infuriates his family, who demand the marriage be annulled.
Anora's Sean Baker, Mikey Madison & Yura Borisov Discuss Making One of the Best Films of 2024
Director Sean Baker first met Borisov at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, was blown away by his work in "Compartment No. 6," and personally called the actor a year later to offer him the "Anora" role.
Yuri Borisov in the film "Anora"
Yuri Borisov in the film "Anora"
The film earned rave reviews for tackling complex social themes, with Borisov's performance becoming a major talking point. He scored a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor, becoming the first Russian actor ever nominated in this category. Additionally, Borisov received the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award.