Fyodor Bondarchuk is a Soviet and Russian actor, film director, producer, music video director, and TV presenter. From 2012 to 2024, he served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Lenfilm Studios. He was a member of the Supreme Council of the United Russia political party from 2009 to 2021. Born on May 9, 1967, in Moscow.
Fyodor Bondarchuk's Position on the War in Ukraine
Prior to February 24, 2022
For many years, Fyodor Bondarchuk openly demonstrated support for the current Russian leadership and its foreign policy:
- In 2005, he directed the war movie The 9th Company, which was criticized for anti-Ukrainian undertones.
- In 2012, Bondarchuk became an official authorized campaign representative for Putin in the presidential election.
In 2014, the director spoke negatively about Ukraine's Revolution of Dignity, comparing it to the "Stone Age," and that same year signed a collective letter of cultural figures in support of the annexation of Crimea.
In 2017, Bondarchuk was listed in the database of the Myrotvorets website.
In 2017, during an address, Bondarchuk spoke about how he and the organization "Ukrainian Fellowships of Russia" decided to provide aid to Afghan War veterans in Ukraine, hypocritically lamenting that "our fraternal Ukrainian people" are suffering under conditions of "war and poverty."
After February 24, 2022
With the launch of the full-scale invasion, Fyodor Bondarchuk adopted a stance of public silence. The director made no official statements regarding military operations, signed no anti-war petitions, but also refrained from appearing at Z-rallies.
His stance was commented on by propagandist Zakhar Prilepin:
Fyodor holds different views. First of all, he hasn't spoken out. Secondly, something tells me he has a very complicated attitude toward this topic.
Against the backdrop of Bondarchuk's silence, his wife (at the time), Paulina Andreeva, signed an open letter of Russian screenwriters against the "SMO" in Ukraine and posted a black square on Instagram captioned "No war."
Despite his silence on the topic of the war, Bondarchuk continues to maintain close ties with the state apparatus. In 2025, he and his film crew were evacuated urgently from Iran following the outbreak of hostilities between Israel and Iran. Upon returning, he publicly thanked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and personally the President of the Russian Federation for assistance with the evacuation, emphasizing the value of "feeling at home" and having the country's backing.
Although the director has not directly commented on events in Ukraine after 2022, his long-standing membership in the ruling United Russia party and loyalty to the Russian leadership demonstrate a sustained pro-government stance. It is important to realize that United Russia is the presidential party that unanimously endorses Putin's course, including the waging of war. Remaining in the ranks of this political force and offering personal expressions of gratitude to Putin in times of crisis confirm that Bondarchuk remains an integral part of the state system, sharing its goals and responsibility for the decisions taken.
