**Semyon Svashenko (1904-1990)** was a Soviet actor renowned for his involvement in important silent films of the era, particularly those directed by Sergei Eisenstein.

His most iconic role was that of the sailor **Vakulinchuk in *Battleship Potemkin*** (1925), a symbolic figure of proletarian rebellion and a revolutionary martyr whose sacrifice sparks the mutiny. He also portrayed Vladimir Lenin in *October* (1928), again under Eisenstein's direction, solidifying his association with grand Soviet historical dramas.

Svashenko embodied the archetype of the Soviet actor of that era: often chosen for his imposing physicality and his ability to represent the popular hero or the collective will of the masses. His characters were idealized figures, rather than complex psychological portraits, serving as powerful symbols of revolutionary determination.