Nikolai Simonov

Biography

Nikolay Simonov was a renowned Soviet film and stage actor born on December 4, 1901, in Samara, Russia. He graduated with honors from the Saint Petersburg State Theatre Arts Academy in 1924 and went on to become a permanent member of the Pushkin Drama Theatre in St. Petersburg, serving as artistic director during the 1950s and 1960s. Simonov's breakout role was Commander Zhikharev in Chapaev (1934), followed by his iconic portrayal of Peter the Great in The Conquests of Peter the Great (1937-1938).