Ilya Kopalin

Biography

Ilya Petrovich Kopalin (1900–1976) was a Soviet film director renowned for his impactful documentaries. He is best remembered for capturing some of the most historic moments of the 20th century, including the Yalta Conference, where he filmed Stalin, Churchill, and Roosevelt, as well as the momentous flight of Yuri Gagarin, the first human to journey into space. Kopalin's work as a filmmaker focused on documenting significant events in Soviet history, earning him recognition as a key figure in Soviet documentary filmmaking.

Directed

1. Moscow Strikes Back (1942) — Director
2. Moscow (1927) — Director
3. Crimean Conference (1945) — Director
4. Velikoye proshchaniye (1953) — Director
5. A Celebration of Our Youth (1955) — Director
6. For Peace and Friendship (1954) — Director
7. Day of the Victorious Country (1948) — Director
8. Warsaw Meetings (1955) — Director
9. Berlin Conference (1945) — Director
10. One of Many (1931) — Director
11. First Flight to the Stars (1961) — Director
12. The Court Is in Session (1943) — Director
13. To Protect Native Moscow (1942) — Director
14. Towards the Sun (1941) — Director
15. In the Bryansk Polesie (1930) — Director
16. The Unforgettable Years (1957) — Director
17. The Liberated Czechoslovakia (1946) — Director
18. Новая Албания (1949) — Director
19. Обновление земли (1950) — Director
20. Албания (1953) — Director
21. Международный концерт (1954) — Director

Also appeared in

1. World Without a Game (1966) — Self
2. The Magic Beam (1963) — Self (archive footage)