**Rolan Antonovich Bykov** (1929-1998) was a prolific Soviet actor, director, and screenwriter. His cinematic career was marked by extraordinary versatility and a unique stage presence.

With his unconventional appearance, he excelled at portraying complex characters, often tragicomic, grotesque, or unsettling, yet always imbued with profound humanity. Despite not being conventionally handsome, his expressiveness and intensity made him unforgettable.

Among his most memorable performances are the jester in Tarkovsky's *Andrei Rublev* (1966) and the unsettling Jew Magazinnik in *Komissar* (1967), a film that was long censored. He is also remembered for iconic roles such as the taxi driver in *Ya shagayu po Moskve* (1963) and Basilio the Cat in *The Adventures of Buratino* (1975), demonstrating a wide range of characters, from dramatic to fairy-tale.

Bykov left an indelible mark on Soviet cinema, demonstrating a unique ability to bring unforgettable figures to life.