Maksim Maksimovich Shtraukh (1900-1974) was a Soviet actor and director, a prominent figure in theater and cinema. He began his career at the Proletkult Theatre, collaborating with influential avant-garde directors such as Vsevolod Meyerhold and Sergei Eisenstein, for whom he acted in the film *Strike* (1925). His fame is inextricably linked to his iconic and recurring portrayal of Vladimir Lenin, whom he brought to the screen in numerous films of great historical and propagandistic importance. Among his most celebrated portrayals of the Bolshevik leader are those in films such as *The Man with the Gun* (1938), *Lenin in 1918* (1939), and *Lenin in Poland* (1966), the latter directed by Sergei Yutkevich. Parallel to his film career, he was an active stage director at the Moscow Revolution Theatre. For his artistic contributions, he was awarded the highest Soviet honors, including the title of People's Artist of the USSR (1965), the Lenin Prize (1959), and three Stalin Prizes.