Sergei Gerasimov was a Soviet Russian film director and screenwriter. He is best known for his films "The Young Guard" (1948) and "And Quiet Flows the Don" (1957). Gerasimov started his career as an actor in the theater, but his passion for film led him to become a director in the 1930s. During World War II, Gerasimov worked for the Soviet Army's propaganda department, making films to boost morale and encourage patriotism. It was during this time that he made "The Young Guard," a film about a group of young people who fought against the Nazi occupation in their city. After the war, Gerasimov continued to make films that reflected the ideology of the Soviet Union. "And Quiet Flows the Don," based on the novel by Mikhail Sholokhov, was a sweeping epic about the lives of Cossacks in southern Russia during the early 20th century. Gerasimov was also involved in the Soviet film industry as a teacher and administrator. He served as the head of the Moscow Film School from 1948 until his death in 1985. He was awarded numerous honours throughout his career, including the title of People's Artist of the USSR in 1950 and the Lenin Prize in 1974.