Russian Personalities

People well-known in art, sport, film, fashion

Talgat Nigmatulin – Soviet Bruce Lee

Talgat Nigmatulin - Soviet Bruce Lee

Talgat Nigmatulin – Soviet Bruce Lee


Talgat Nigmatulin was a Soviet film actor, best known for the films Pirates of XX century, The Adventures Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. He is the legend of Soviet cinema. Fans call him the second Bruce Lee.
The boy was born on March 5, 1949, Kirghiz SSR into the Uzbek-Tatar family. His childhood was hard. The father was a miner and tragically died when the boy was only two years old. Talgat started to earn money as a teenager, working in different places: in a sugar factory, in a shoe shop. His mother was a school director, but, despite this, the family was very poor. It was difficult for his mother to bring up two sons, so Talgat was sent to an orphanage.
He was a very shy and weak boy and did not speak Russian. Active games with peers usually ended in tears, bruises and sometimes more serious injuries. One day in summer camp a girl refused to dance with bowlegged boy. Talgat ran away into the steppe, so that no one could see him crying. Then he decided to make his body beautiful. Since then he danced, did athletics, and later karate. He was also fond of reading and soon began speaking good Russian. In order to study the language better he rewrote two volumes of War and Peace by hand.

His dream was to become a filmmaker. He decided to enter the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography (VGIK). After high school, Talgat went to Moscow to enter the institute. But his first attempt failed. Talgat did not want to leave Moscow and entered the School of Circus and Variety Arts.
In 1967, he was offered the role of the White Guard officer in the film The Ballad of the Commissioner.
In VGIK Nigmatulin studied with other future stars: Nikolai Eremenko Jr., Vadim Spiridonov and four Natalias – Belokhvostikova, Gvozdikova, Arinbasarova and Bondarchuk.
After graduating from VGIK in 1971, Talgat went to Tashkent and became an actor. You know, he played his first roles in the films The Seventh Bullet (1972), Date and Separation (1973), The Legend of Siyavush (1976).
By the way, Talgat wrote stories and poems. All his free time he spent at home and wrote. Some of his stories were published in Tashkent. To tell the truth, he is the author of the words of the famous song Russian Birch.
In 1978, Talgat graduated from the Higher Courses for Scriptwriters and Directors at the State Film Committee of the USSR.
Talgat was a fighter, a champion of Uzbekistan in karate and striking dramatic actor

Talgat was a fighter, a champion of Uzbekistan in karate and striking dramatic actor


Personal life
While studying at VGIK Talgat met a young student, and now the Honored Artist of the Ukrainian SSR, Irina Shevchuk. They were together for more than two years.
When Talgat returned to Tashkent after graduating from the Institute of Cinematography he married singer Larisa Kandalova. They had a daughter named Ursula. While being pregnant Larisa learned about his 18-year-old lover Halima Hasanova. Halima became the second wife of Talgat. On October 21, 1980 their son Said was born. Halima and Talgat were together for seven years.
On the set of the film Provincial Novel directed by Melis Ubukeev, in which Talgat played the main role, he met Venera Ibragimova. She became his last true love. The girl was 19 years old and Talgat was 33. On May 14, 1983 Venera gave birth to their daughter Linda. Venera also became involved in karate, received a black belt and became a candidate for master of sports.
Talgat - Soviet film actor

Well known actor Talgat Nigmatulin


The life of Nigmatulin ended tragically and unexpectedly for numerous admirers.
The 1980s became fatal for Talgat. One day the actor met Abai Borubaev and Mirza Kambatbaev, who created a sect called The Fourth Way. Relatives of the actor admitted that they did not see the reasons why Talgat could join the sect.
On February 10, 1985, five sectarians brutally beat Nigmatulin. The next day he died of numerous injuries. By the decision of Venera Nigmatulina, the actor was cremated.
Borubaev and Kambatbaev were sentenced to 14 and 10 years in prison. Abai died of tuberculosis, and Mirza went free and later died of cirrhosis.
In memory of Nigmatulin a biopic The Parable of Life and Death directed by Boris Fedorov was filmed.

Talgat Nigmatulin – Soviet Bruce Lee

Talgat in the film Pirates of XX century

Popular actor Talgat Nigmatulin in the film Pirates of XX century

Talgat was a fighter, a champion of Uzbekistan in karate and striking dramatic actor

Prominent actor Talgat Nigmatulin

Talgat Nigmatulin Soviet Bruce Lee

Talgat Nigmatulin – Soviet Bruce Lee

Talgat - Soviet film actor

Renowned actor Talgat Nigmatulin