Valéry Inkijinoff was a French actor of Russian-Buryat origin, born on March 25, 1895, in Irkutsk gubernia, to a Christian Buryat father and a Russian mother. He studied at the Polytechnical Institute of Saint Petersburg and became a resident actor at an imperial theater in the city.
Inkijinoff's early career in Russia included stuntman work in a few movies, followed by roles as director and actor. His notable lead role in the Soviet propaganda film "The Son in Storm Over Asia" by Vsevolod Pudovkin in 1928 showcased his talent. He also worked with Vsevolod Meyerhold and later directed the movie and theater school of Kiev in Ukraine.
However, in 1930, while on a European tour in France, Inkijinoff chose not to return to the USSR. According to Boris Shumyatsky, Stalin's reaction was: "Too bad that the man escaped. Now he, probably, is dying to come back but, alas, too late." Despite this, Inkijinoff became incredibly popular in Europe, starring in a total of 44 French, British, German, and Italian films.
In France, he frequently played Asian villains, appearing in films like "Les Bateliers de la Volga" and "Le drame de Shanghai". He worked with renowned directors like Fritz Lang and Philippe de Broca, starring in films such as "Der Tiger von Eschnapur" and "Les tribulations d'un Chinois en Chine".
Inkijinoff's final movie was with Brigitte Bardot and Claudia Cardinale, where he played the role of Indian chief Spitting Bull in "Les pétroleuses". He was close friends with Charles Dullin and Louis Jouvet and had a long career in French theater. He passed away on September 26, 1973, at his home in Brunoy, Essonne, France, at the age of 78.
