Yuri Kara
Also recorded as Yury Viktorovich Kara · Yuri Viktorovich Kara
Yuri Kara
- Full name
- Юрий Викторович Кара.
- Born
- 1954 · Donetsk.
- Died
- 2025 · Yalta.
- Nationality
- Soviet Union · Russia
- Occupation
- film director · film producer · screenwriter · actor
- Fields
- film
- Education
- Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography · National University of Science and Technology
- Honours
- Medal of the Order For Merit to the Fatherland and 2nd class without swords · Order For Merit in Culture and Art · Honored art worker of the Russian Federation
- Languages
- Russian
In this article
Key facts
Yuri Kara studied at Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography and National University of Science and Technology. The recorded working language is Russian. The field of work recorded is film. Places of work recorded in the authority are Soviet Union. Distinctions recorded are Medal of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 2nd class without swords, Order For Merit in Culture and Art and Honored art worker of the Russian Federation.
• Name — Yuri Kara
• Native Name — Юрий Кара
• Native Name Lang — ru
• Birth Name — Yuri Viktorovich Kara
• Born — 1954 11 12
• Birthplace — Stalino, Ukrainian SSR, USSR
• Died — 2025 7 16
• Place of death — Yalta, Crimea
• Occupation — * Film director
• screenwriter
• producer
• Years Active — 1982–2015
Yuri Viktorovich Kara (Russian: Юрий Викторович Кара; 12 November 1954 – 16 July 2025) was a Russian film director, screenwriter and producer.
Life and career
Yuri Kara was born on 12 November 1954 in Stalino, Ukrainian SSR, USSR, which is now called Donetsk.
After graduating from high school No.17 in Donetsk in 1972, Yuri Kara entered the Physics and Chemistry department of the Moscow Institute of Steel and Alloys (MISA). During his studies, he was the head of the institute's vocal and instrumental ensemble. In 1978, he graduated from the MISA with a degree in physics of metals. He then worked as a radio physics engineer in Donetsk.
In 1982, he entered the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography, where he worked with film director Sergei Gerasimov and actress Tamara Makarova. He graduated in 1987 with a thesis film Tomorrow Was the War based on the story written by the Russian author Boris Vasilyev. The picture was sold in 48 countries.
Yuri Kara became known in Russia with his movies Barons of Crime (1988) and The Feasts of Belshazzar, or a Night with Stalin (1990), and with his conflict with the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roskosmos) which was caused by his film Korolev, based on the novel Cassandra's Brand written by the Russian author Chinghiz Aitmatov. Roskosmos did not allow that actor Vladimir Steklov would really go into space for the film.
In 1994, Yuri Kara became internationally known for the controversies surrounding his film The Master and Margarita. Although the film was made in 1994, it was only premiered in the Russian cinemas on 7 April 2011. Despite the highest budget ever spent on a Russian film and the impressive cast with the most famous Russian actors, the producers decided not to release it. According to them, Yuri Kara's director's cut was unacceptable. Nevertheless, the soundtrack composed by Alfred Schnittke was released on CD. On 15 November 2010, the Russian film distributor Luxor announced out of the blue that they had bought the rights on Kara's film, and that it would be released in March 2011. Eventually, it would be 7 April 2011.
Kara continued making big budget films like Korolev (2007), Reporters (2008; video) and Hamlet. XXI Century (2010).
Kara died in Yalta on 16 July 2025, at the age of 70. The cause of death was a massive heart attack.
Political position
Yuri Kara signed the petition of support of Putin's actions in Ukraine and Crimea in 2014.
He called for the Russian government to officially recognize the Donetsk People's Republic (he was a native of Donetsk).
Filmography
• 1986 – Two on a Bench
• 1987 – Tomorrow Was the War
• 1988 – Barons of Crime
• 1989 – The Feast of Belshazzar, or a Night with Stalin
• 1994 – The Master and Margarita
• 2001 – I'm a Doll
• 2002 – King of the Cage
• 2002 – Interesting Men
• 2005 – The Star of an Epoch (Loving you is like a Disaster)
• 2007 – Korolev
• 2008 – Reporters
• 2009 – Hamlet. XXI Century
• 2015 – Main
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Donetsk.
Birth place
Yalta.
Death place
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Yuri Kara, revision 1355085160 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record.
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.МИСиС. Выпускники МИСиС 1985–1994 годы.
- 2.Argumenty i Fakty. Юрий Кара собирается в космос. 11 December 2006.
- 3.The Master and Margarita website.
- 4.Кино Театр (Kino Teatr), Russian Film Encyclopaedia, lemma Мастер и Маргарита.
- 5.Ушёл из жизни режиссер Юрий Кара. interfax.ru. 17 July 2025.
- 6.Причиной смерти режиссёра Юрия Кары стал инфаркт. Channel One. 17 July 2025.
- 7.Деятели культуры России — в поддержку позиции Президента по Украине и Крыму . Ministry of Culture of Russian Federation. March 2014
- 8.Культурная элита РФ: Россия должна признать ДНР и ЛНР. mianews.ru.
- 9.Российский режиссер Юрий Кара призывает Москву признать ДНР и ЛНР - Новороссия.
- 10.Культурная элита РФ: Россия должна признать ДНР и ЛНР.
- 11.Кино-театр.ру. Завтра был шлягер.
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Partially resolvedreference work
Partially resolved
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 30 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Film memorabilia
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