Biographie
Vadim Kurchevskiy was a Soviet animator, film director, screenwriter, TV host, writer, book illustrator, and teacher. He was honored as an Artist of the Russian Federation in 1978. From a young age, Vadim enjoyed drawing paper dolls. After finishing high school, he attempted to enter the All-Union State Institute of Cinematography in the animated film artists department but was unsuccessful. A year later, he enrolled at the Moscow Institute of Decorative and Applied Arts, studying sculpture under Aleksandr Deyneka. Upon graduating in 1953, he was assigned to work at the Zagorsky Research Institute for Toys. Starting in 1957, Kurchevskiy joined the Soyuzmultfilm studio’s newly formed puppet division as an art director for puppet films, collaborating with directors such as Vladimir Degtyaryov, Anatoliy Karanovich, Teodor Bunimovich, Iosif Boyarskiy, Ivan Ivanov-Vano, and Roman Davydov. He made his directorial debut in 1961, co-directing the animated film About the Goat (1960), based on Samuil Marshak’s play, alongside Iosif Boyarskiy. Until 1966, he worked closely with Nikolay Serebryakov, together pioneering a new approach to doll animation that shifted away from children's fairy tales toward more serious themes. Their painting style also became more stylized and innovative. Additionally, Kurchevskiy led a workshop at VGIK, taught drawing at schools, designed children's performances, and worked as an illustrator for children's publications.
