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.
Now his memoir tells the story in his own words.
The memoir
Oleg: A Memoir
His own account of the stardom, the escape and the life after. Joan Borsten Vidov completed it with archival material and interviews with his co-stars, friends and colleagues.
Out 9 November 2026.
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His life
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.
His films
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.
The documentary
OLEG: The Oleg Vidov Story
An archival film directed by Nadia Tass and narrated by Brian Cox. 35 people who knew him speak on camera. There are no re-enactments.
For press
Covering the book or the film
Checked facts, quotes with their credits, 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."