Filmstrips / a.k.a. Diafilms

Victor Boundin worked at «Diafilm» Studios from 1961 to 1970. Altogether he published 15 diafilms most of which can be viewed at this site. «Diafilm» Studios were founded in Moscow in 1930 and from 1938 to 1991 occupied a building of St. Peter and Paul church in Starosadkiy Per. 7.

In the 60s artistic director of the Studios was Alexander Antonovich Morozov. He periodically visited Leningrad to meet Leningrad artists working for “Diafilm”. Meetings with B.M. Kalaushin, B.M. Starodubcev, T. Obolenskaya and V.G. Shevchenko often took place in the studio of V.A. Boundin. Artists came with children, had tea with homebaked pies and watched freshly released diafilms. Such viewings were a real happening for children.

Diafilms are rolls of slide or movie film with a sequence of b&w or colored drawings or photographs with accompanying text. Some diafilms are accompanied by phono records creating an effect of a sound movie.

In 1991 “Diafilm” Studios building was returned to the church, studios were moved, lost it’s archives and practically ceased to exist. The last diafilm was produced in 1995. Unfortunately Studios did not return drawings to their artists and today these works can only be seen on miraculously survived old films, with curtains drawn and an old filmstrip projector on.

A list of diafilms by V.A. Boundin:

  1. Large Pearl (1962): 50 drawings; 60,000 copies
  2. Drummers Plot (1963): 45 drawings; 60,000 copies
  3. Little Beaver Shop (1964): 35 drawings; 250,000 copies
  4. Animal Alphabet (1964): 30 drawings; 250,000 copies
  5. Metric History (1964): 53 drawings; 200,000 copies
  6. Animal New Year (1964): 32 drawings; 250,000 copies
  7. Telescope Stories (1965): 45 drawings; 200,000 copies
  8. Lazy Boys Pillow (1966): 33 drawings; 250,000 copies
  9. Physics for 6th grade (1966): 45 drawings; 75,000 copies
  10. Moon Station (1967): 43 drawings; 200,000 copies
  11. Where Fish Sleeps (1967): 30 drawings; 250,000 copies
  12. What Forest Saw (1968): 33 drawings; 250,000 copies
  13. Blue Ships (1969): 40 drawings; 250,000 copies
  14. Funny Stories 7 (1969): 9 drawings; 250,000 copies
  15. House from Factory (1970): 42 drawings; 200,000 copies

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