**Anatoli Alekseyevich Solonitsyn (1934-1982)** was a Soviet actor, universally recognized for his profound and intense collaborations with director Andrei Tarkovsky. He played iconic roles in Tarkovsky's most celebrated films, often embodying complex and tormented characters.

Among his most memorable performances are the monk painter in *Andrei Rublev* (1966), Dr. Sartorius in *Solaris* (1972), the Doctor in *The Mirror* (1975) and, perhaps most emblematically, the Writer in *Stalker* (1979).

His career was not limited to Tarkovsky; he also worked with other important Soviet directors, such as Nikita Mikhalkov (*At Home Among Strangers, A Stranger Among His Own*, 1974; *A Slave of Love*, 1976). Solonitsyn was celebrated for his intense stage presence and his ability to bring to life intellectual, introspective figures often marked by existential or spiritual dilemmas, making him an emblematic face of Soviet art-house cinema.