Tatyana Lioznova

Tatyana Mikhailovna Lioznova (Татья́на Миха́йловна Лио́знова; 20 July 1924 – 29 September 2011) was a Soviet film director best known for her TV series Seventeen Moments of Spring (1973).

Film career
All of Lioznova's features - from Three Poplars in Plyushcikha (1967), a cult film of the 1960s, to her last movie, Carnival (1981), - are distinguished by open narratives, psychologically penetrating close-ups, and poignant musical scores.

The subtle and touching drama Three Poplars at Plyuschikha Street (1967) sprouted from Aleksandra Pakhmutova’s song “Tenderness”. The starry duet of Tatiana Doronina and Oleg Yefremov is a masterpiece of acting. This story of a nearly sprung love of a taxi driver and a married peasant woman won the hearts of Russian viewers, just like Casablanca gained the love of Americans.

Known as a tireless perfectionist, filming just half a dozen features, this didn't prevent her becoming People's Artist of the USSR in 1984. She worked at the Gorky Film Studio.

Lioznova devoted many efforts and much time to teaching. Among the students of Professor Lioznova there are a lot of cinematographers well-known today.

Personal life
Lioznova was never married, but adopted a daughter Lyudmila Lisina in the 1960s.

Political activity
Lioznova was Jewish and was a member of the Anti-Zionist Committee of the Soviet Public from 1983 to the closing of Committee in 1994.

Filmography

 * The Memory of the Heart (1958)
 * Yevdokiya (1961)
 * They Conquer the Skies (1963)
 * Early in the Morning (1966)
 * Three Poplars in Plyushcikha (1967)
 * Seventeen Moments of Spring (1973); TV mini-series
 * We, the Undersigned (1981)
 * Carnival (1981)
 * End of the World with Symposium to Follow (1986)

Honours and awards

 * Order of Merit for the Fatherland;
 * 3rd class (20 July 1999) - for outstanding contribution to cinema
 * 4th class (20 July 2009) - for outstanding contribution to the development of the domestic art of film and many years of creative activity
 * Order of Honour (9 March 1996) - for services to the state, many years of fruitful work in the arts and culture
 * Order of the Red Banner of Labour
 * Order of Friendship of Peoples
 * Order of the October Revolution (1982)
 * People's Artist of the USSR (1984)
 * People's Artist of the RSFSR (1974)
 * Honoured Artist of the RSFSR (1969)
 * Special Prize of the President of the Russian Federation "For outstanding contribution to the development of Russian cinema" (12 June 2000)
 * State Prize of the RSFSR Vasiliev brothers (1976) - a multi-part television film "Seventeen Moments of Spring"