biography

Ilya Petrovich Kopalin (1900–1976) was a Soviet film director renowned for his impactful documentaries. He is best remembered for capturing some of the most historic moments of the 20th century, including the Yalta Conference, where he filmed Stalin, Churchill, and Roosevelt, as well as the momentous flight of Yuri Gagarin, the first human to journey into space. Kopalin's work as a filmmaker focused on documenting significant events in Soviet history, earning him recognition as a key figure in Soviet documentary filmmaking.