ical ▁Institute . ▁For ▁about ▁ 1 0 ▁years ▁he ▁worked ▁in ▁various ▁the at res ▁in ▁the ▁Ur als ▁and ▁Si ber ia ▁and ▁eventually ▁became ▁chief ▁director ▁of ▁Sver d lov sk ▁Young ▁Spect ator ' s ▁Theatre . ▁ ▁He ▁decided ▁to ▁start ▁af resh ▁in ▁cinema , ▁despite ▁having ▁no ▁technical ▁qual ifications . ▁Event ually ▁he ▁directed ▁his ▁first ▁film , ▁Children ▁of ▁Pam irs ▁( 1 9 6 3 ) ▁( D ety i ▁Pam ira / Д е ти ▁Па мира ) ▁in ▁T aj ik istan . ▁This ▁work ▁was ▁met ▁with ▁public ▁success , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁ear ning ▁him ▁the ▁State ▁Prize ▁of ▁T aj ik ▁SS R ▁( 1 9 6 4 ), ▁and ▁the ▁title ▁of ▁honor ary ▁citiz en ▁of ▁D ush an be ▁( 1 9 7 7 ). ▁ ▁His ▁next ▁film ▁Z hen ya , ▁Zh ene ch ka ▁and ▁K aty ush a ▁( 1 9 6 7 ) ▁( Ж ен я , ▁Ж ене чка ▁и ▁" К ат ю ша "), ▁a ▁rom antic ▁comedy / d rama ▁set ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁was ▁warm ly ▁accepted ▁by ▁the ▁public ▁as ▁well , ▁but ▁earned ▁the ▁dis ple asure ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁ag it prop ▁for ▁" dis res pect ful " ▁treatment ▁of ▁the ▁second ▁world ▁war ▁theme , ▁and ▁the ▁director ▁fell ▁into ▁dis f avor . ▁ ▁Nevertheless , ▁he ▁was ▁invited ▁to ▁direct ▁a ▁film ▁which