01 Moscow
02 The departure
03 Hollywood
Oleg Vidov
The star who chose freedom
He was the Soviet Union’s most popular young film actor. In May 1985 he gave up his country to stay free.
His memoir, Oleg Vidov: A Memoir, is out November 9, 2026. Pre-order it on Amazon.
The documentary OLEG: The Oleg Vidov Story is narrated by Brian Cox and Costa Ronin. Watch it now on Prime Video.
For press: the press kit and who to write to are on the press page.
Stay in touch
News, offerings and updates about Oleg Vidov’s memoir and film.
A star the state controlled
By the age of twenty-five he had starred in some of the Soviet Union’s top-grossing films. The state still decided which roles he could take.
He lost his country and his career. He kept himself.
Some 50 films, two sides of the Iron Curtain
A fairy-tale prince, a Scandinavian saga hero, a cowboy and a policeman in disguise. In Hollywood, Red Heat with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
OLEG: The Oleg Vidov Story
An archival film directed by Nadia Tass and narrated by Brian Cox and Costa Ronin. 35 people who knew him speak on camera.
For press
Covering the book or the film
Checked facts, quotes with their credits, the press kit and who to write to.
The archive
The memorial lives on here
His photographs, videos and articles, and the memories people sent after his death.
In his words
“Happiness belongs to the risk-takers. I have always followed my heart and that is my freedom.”
Oleg Vidov from the back cover of Oleg Vidov: A Memoir
