Vitali Kalashnikov was born on March 26, 1936 in Abakan, Khakassian AO, Russian SFSR, USSR [now Khakassia, Russia]. He was a cinematographer and director, known for Dmitriy Kantemir (1973), Gorkie zyorna (1967) and Lautarii (1972). He died on March 5, 1995 in Chisinau, Moldova.