Oleg Vidov

 Oleg Vidov

Oleg Borisovich Vidov (Russian: Олег Борисович Видов) was born on June 11, 1943 in Filimonki,, Moscow Oblast, the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (today Moscow Oblast, Russia) during World War 2.

His Mother, Varvara Ivanovna Vidova, was a Teacher and School Principal.

His Father, Boris Nikolaievich Garnevich, was an Economist and a Finance Ministry Deputy who served as an Assistant of Lazar Kaganovich (Stalin’s Closest Ally and Deputy Premier of the Soviet Union from 1938-1953 and the First Deputy Premier of the Soviet Union from 1953-1957.)

Oleg was raised by his Mother as his Father already had a Wife.

Oleg’s Mother was sent to teach Soviet Students in Communist’s Countries (Mongolia from 1946-1947 and East Germany from 1948-1950) and Oleg went with her to those places, but when she went to China he lived with his Aunt Anuta in the Alma-Ata, the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic from 1951-1954.

His Aunt Anuta taught Oleg to never trust the State (her Husband had been wrongfully arrested by Stalin and sent to a Gulag and died.)

While in Kazakhstan Oleg would go to the Movie Theater with his Aunt where he fell in love with the screen.

When Oleg’s Mother was promoted to run all the Schools in Moscow she, Oleg and Anuta moved back to Moscow.

Oleg’s Mother’s Colleagues who were jealous of her success started a smear-campaign against her forcing her to take a Disability and move to the outskirts of Moscow with Oleg and Anuta.

There they lived in a Communal Apartment with 6 other Families (each Family received one room and shared the Kitchen and Bathroom.)

To help support his Mother and Aunt Oleg, who was 14 years old, started working in construction helping to build the Ostankino TV Tower which was the Soviet Union’s tallest structure.

Working during the day he took Night Classes.

In 1960, he acted in his first Film, but his scene was later cut from the final showing.

In 1962 he started studying at the Soviet Union’s only Film School: The All-Union State Institute of Cinematography (Russian: Всесоюзный государственный институт кинематографии) or VGIK.

In 1963 he starred in” The Blizzard” (Russian: Метель) directed by Vladimir Basov, based on the 1831 story "The Blizzard" by Alexander Pushkin.

He graduated from VGIK in 1966 and starred as Prince Hagbard in the Danish-Swedish-Icelandic Film “Hagbard and Signe” – receiving rare Official Soviet Permission to travel to Denmark to make the Film.

In 1969 he was allowed to go to Yugoslavia to film the Movie “The Battle of the Neretva: a Yugoslav-Italian. West German and American Film.

That Film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1970.

In 1970 he starred in the English-Language “Waterloo” a Joint Soviet and Italian Production.

Also, in 1970 he married Natalia Vasilievna Fedotova.

Natalia was the Daughter of a University Professor and Close Friend of Leonid Brezhnev

Natalia was also close Friends with Galina Brezhneva the Daughter of Leonid Brezhnev the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1964-1982.

Natalia and Galina liked to party and used their Official Government Connections to get whatever they wanted (which any other Soviet Citizen would have been arrested for doing.)

Natalia and Oleg had one Son, Viacheslav.

In 1973, he starred in the Film “The Headless Horseman” (Russian: Всадник без головы) based on the Novel by Mayne Reid.

It was the First Soviet Western Movie, was filmed in the Soviet Union and in Cuba and sold 51 Million Tickets across the USSR.

In 1976 Natalia filed for Divorce from Oleg and started using her Political Connections to ruin Oleg’s Career and refused to allow him to see their Son, Viacheslav.

Directors stopped offering him big roles, and when in 1978 he himself finished Director's Courses at the VGIK led by Efim Dzigan, he couldn't receive his Diploma until Stanislav Rostotsky stepped in and awarded his short Film “Crossing” with the highest mark.

In 1978, he had an Illegitimate Son, Sergei, who lived with his Father in California in the 1990s.

In 1983, he married Yugoslavian Actress Verica Stamenković and was allowed to leave the Soviet Union for Yugoslavia.

In 1985 he got divorced from Verica and the Soviet Embassy in Belgrade told him he had to immediately return to the Soviet Union.

Not wanting to go back to the Oppressive Communist USSR Oleg and an Austrain Actor Friend risked everything to drive from Communist Yugoslavia into Neutral Austria.

The Yugoslavian Border Guards were moved concerned with a Soccer Game that was on TV to pay attention to Oleg’s Soviet Passport (which didn’t have the Mandatory Exit Stamp to go to the West.)

He stayed in Austria for a short time before going to Rome.

After a few Months in Italy the US Government made Oleg an American Citizen and allowed him into the United States.

He kicked off his Hollywood Career with a small part in 1988’s “Red Heat” with Arnold Schwarzenegger after Director Walter Hill determined Vidov was too handsome to play the film’s bad guy, a Soviet Drug Kingpin.

He went on to appear in 1990’s “Wild Orchid” with Mickey Rourke and Warren Beatty’s “Love Affair” in 1994.

In 1989 he married American Joan Borsten (an American Journalist working as a Correspondent for the Los Angeles Times.)

In December 1991 the Soviet Union collapsed.

Oleg and Joan garnered the international Distribution Rights to the award-winning Soyuzmultfilm Studio Animation Library in 1992 and helped popularize Soviet Animation around the World.

He even took the Russian Federation to Court to prove he had the Distribution Rights and won. He later sold the Rights to a Russian Businessman.

Oleg returned several times to Russia (as an American Citizen), where his Movies were the subject of Film Festivals.

Also in the 1990s he reconnected with his Son, Viacheslav.

In honor of his 70th Birthday, Channel One Russia gave Oleg a Prime-Time Birthday Party that reportedly garnered 250 Million Viewers across Europe.

Oleg Vidov died on May 15, 2017, from complications following a battle with Cancer at his Westlake Village, California, home at the age of 73.

He is interred at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

He is known as the Soviet Robert Redford.