Maxim Munzuk
Maxim Monguzhukovich Munzuk (2 May 1910 – 28 July 1999) was a Tuvan actor, one of the founders of the Republic of Tuva's regional theatre. He is best known for playing the title role in Akira Kurosawa's film Dersu Uzala. The versatile and creative Munzuk was an actor, director, singer, collector of musical folklore, composer, and teacher.
Also recorded as Maksim Monguzhukovich Munzuk · Maxim Monguzhukovich Munzuk
Maxim Munzuk
- Born
- 1910
- Died
- 1999 · Kyzyl.
- Nationality
- Qing dynasty · Tuvan People's Republic · Soviet Union
- Occupation
- actor · singer · composer
- Honours
- People's Artist of the RSFSR · Merited Artist of the RSFSR · Order of Friendship of Peoples · Medal For Valiant Labour in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945 · Medal Veteran of Labour
- Languages
- Russian
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Maxim Monguzhukovich Munzuk (2 May 1910 – 28 July 1999) was a Tuvan actor, one of the founders of the Republic of Tuva's regional theatre. He is best known for playing the title role in Akira Kurosawa's film Dersu Uzala. The versatile and creative Munzuk was an actor, director, singer, collector of musical folklore, composer, and teacher.
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wikipedia incomplete · checked 25 September 2026
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wikidata · Q926680 · wikipedia · Maxim Munzuk
In this article
Filmography
Filmography
Originally a musician in the military, Munzuk served as the commander of Tyva’s Artillery Regiment orchestra. He founded the Tuvan musical-drama theatre in the 1930s and played a huge number of roles of the most varied characters. Akira Kurosawa picked Munzuk as the lead in his Soviet-financed epic Dersu Uzala (1975), along with Yury Solomin as writer-explorer Vladimir Arsenyev on whose 1923 book the film was based. Munzuk's impressive acting contributed greatly to the film’s international success — the picture won the 1975 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. He was awarded the titles of People's Artist of the RSFSR and of the Tuvan ASSR, and was also awarded the State Prize of the Republic of Tuva. In 2004, the government of Tuva funded a prize for Best Actor named after Munzuk, awarded annually at a national competition; the same year, the Dersu Uzala Foundation was inaugurated, also named in Munzuk’s memory and intended to support Tuvinian artists.
• Dersu Uzala (1975) – Dersu Uzala • Siberiade (1979) – Fedka the hunter • Valentina (1981) – Ilya Yeremyev, hunter
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1910
Maxim Munzuk born.
1999
Maxim Munzuk died at Kyzyl.
Citations
References
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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