Dmitry Naumovich Babichenko, a Soviet filmmaker-animator of exceptional repute, was a virtuoso of drawing animation, a talented script writer, and a gifted artist, whose life began on May 17, 1901, in the city of Zhitomir.
The individual in question pursued his academic endeavors at the prestigious Academy of Plastic Arts in Kiev, where he acquired the necessary skills and knowledge to excel in his future endeavors.
Subsequently, he embarked on a career as a cartoonist, honing his craft by contributing to various magazines and newspapers in both Kiev and Moscow.
As his talents and expertise continued to grow, he joined the esteemed workshop of artistic animation at the renowned Soyuzkino film studios and Mezhrabpomfilm, a move that would ultimately shape his professional trajectory and contribute to his success in the industry.
Babichenko's artistic odyssey was intricately woven with the fabric of Soyuzmultfilm studio, where he emerged as one of the studio's most prominent and influential directors. Throughout his illustrious career, he ventured into a diverse array of genres, yet it was his remarkable contributions to the realm of fairy-tale animation that cemented his status as a master of the craft.
The 1950s marked a pivotal era in the illustrious career of Babichenko, as he produced a plethora of iconic and unforgettable works that continue to be revered and celebrated to this very day.
Among his most notable creations were the films "A Million in a Sack" and "Greetings to Friends!", which garnered prestigious prizes at the All-Union Film Festival in the years spanning 1956 to 1957.
Furthermore, his cinematic masterpiece "Little Shego" received a diploma at the esteemed International Film Festival in Venice, while "The First Violin" went on to win a prize in 1958, cementing Babichenko's status as a visionary filmmaker of his time.
Babichenko's creative partnership with Ivanov-Vano was marked by a remarkable synergy, yielding a timeless Russian animation masterpiece, "The Adventures of Pinocchio", a cinematic adaptation of Tolstoy's enchanting fairy tale, "The Golden Key". This artistic collaboration culminated in a film that would go on to achieve the highest accolade at the 2nd World Congress of Film (WCF) in Minsk, winning the prestigious First Prize in 1960.
Babichenko held the esteemed position of director and artistic director at the renowned animation studio, a subsidiary of the prestigious Creative Association "Ekran", from the inception of his tenure in 1969 to the culmination of his term in 1975.
