Biography:

Russian and French actor, director. He made his film debut in 1914 in the four-episode criminal drama Sashka the Seminarist (Russian Rocambole), which was released in cinemas in January 1915. In 1916-1917, he starred in many films by Yevgeny Bauer, including "Retribution" (1916), "Nabat" (1917), "Revolutionary" (1917). In 1917, in the joint-stock company A. Khanzhonkov, he directed the film "Black Love" as a director. In 1919, he starred in the anti-Bolshevik propaganda campaign "Life - to the Motherland, honor - to no one." In 1920 he emigrated to France. Under the name V. de Stry, he starred in the films The Meaning of Death (Le sens de la mort, 1922) by Yakov Protazanov and Golgotha of Love (Calvaire d`amour, 1923) by Viktor Turzhansky. From 1923 he worked in Germany. He directed the films The Abyss of the Big City (Tiefen der Großstadt, 1924), Taras Bulba (1924), The Tsar’s Adjutant (Adjutant des Zaren, 1928) with Ivan Mozzhukhin, The Amusements of the Empress (Spielereien einer Kaiserin, 1929) with Lil Dagover as Catherine I and "Troika" (Troika, 1930). In 1931-1938 he worked in France, made films "Sergeant X" (Le Sergent X, 1931), "Barge Haulers on the Volga" (Les Bateliers de la Volga, 1936), "Princely Nights" (Nuits de princes, 1938). In 1935, he wrote the screenplay for the French film adaptation of Crime et châtiment. In 1945 he directed the film Flesh and Soul (La Carne e l'anima) in Italy, directed by his friend Boris Konstantinovich Bilinsky. In 1945 he left for the USA. Lived there under the name Vlad Strevy.