Grigori Vasilyevich Aleksandrov (born Mormonenko) was an influential Soviet director and screenwriter, and a key figure in his country's cinema. He began his career as a close collaborator and co-director with Sergei Eisenstein, with whom he co-directed silent cinema masterpieces such as *Strike* (1925), *Battleship Potemkin* (1925), and *October* (1928). After an extensive study tour in Europe and America, he established himself as the leading master of the Soviet musical comedy. Beginning in the 1930s, he directed immensely popular films that combined entertainment, music, and ideology, often starring his wife, the actress Lyubov Orlova. His most celebrated works include *Jolly Fellows* (1934), *Circus* (1936), and *Volga-Volga* (1938), the latter being particularly admired by Stalin. For his artistic contributions, he was awarded the highest state honors, including two Stalin Prizes (1941, 1950), the Order of Lenin, and the title of People's Artist of the USSR in 1948.