Valentin Zubkov

Valentin Ivanovich Zubkov (Russian: Зубко́в Валенти́н Ива́нович ; 12 May 1923 – 18 January 1979) was a Soviet film actor.

Valentin Ivanovich Zubkov was born in Peschanoye Settlement of Ryazan Province. He finished Armavir Military Aviation School (1941—1943) and served as a pilot at frontlines of the German-Soviet War.

In the late 1940s Valentin Zubkov studied in Konstantin Voynov’s studio and later played the leads in his films Three Came Out of the Woods (Troe vyshli iz lesa) (1959) and The Sun Shines for All (Solntse svetit vsem) (1959), as well as episodic roles in Time of Summer Vacations (Vremya letnikh otpuskov) (1960) and Dream of an Uncle (Dyadushkin son) (1966). He gave his film debut in Lev Kulidzhanov and Yakov Segel’s It Began This Way (Eto nachinalos tak...) (1956).

In 1960 he joined the Theatre Studio of Film Actor.

In 1957 Valentin Zubkov played a front soldier in The Cranes Are Flying (Letyat zhuravli) (1957) and a cowardly villain in The Communist (Kommunist) (1958).

The actor’s most famous roles include those in the films Our Father's House (Otchiy dom) (1959), Leon Garros Is Looking for His Friend (Leon Garros ishchet druga) (1961), Northern Story (Severnaya povest) (1960), Ivan's Childhood (Ivanovo detstvo) (1962), and A Day of Happiness (Den schastya) (1963).

In the Hospital Train (Poezd miloserdiya) (1964) Zubkov played together with his son Sergey.

In summer 1977 tragedy befell the actor’s family: his only son Sergei Zubkov died in an accident at the age of 23. It was an unbearable blow for the actor: soon after that he fell badly ill with deep sclerosis. Valentin Zubkov died in a hospital on 18 January 1979.

Selected filmography

• A Home for Tanya (1959)
• The Cranes are Flying (1957)
• Ivan's Childhood (1962)