The American Oscar award has long been considered the main one in the world of cinema. Soviet and Russian filmmakers have received it six times. However, this list does not include Russian emigrants who represented their films from other countries, such as director Anatoly Litvak, whose real name was Anatoly Mikhaylovich Litvak. Born in 1902 in Kyiv, he enrolled in the philological faculty of Petrograd University and became interested in theater during his student years, which led him to cinema. In 1925, Litvak decided to leave the Soviet Union and moved to Germany.

His first significant success was the melodrama "Mayerling," which tells the tragic romance of an Austrian prince with a simple girl. This film became popular with audiences and opened the door for Litvak to Hollywood, where he worked with major studios like Warner Bros. and 20th Century Studios. Litvak proved to be a versatile director, making not only melodramas. A true sensation was his psychological thriller "The Snake Pit," which tells the story of a writer who ends up in a psychiatric hospital due to a severe illness. Against the backdrop of her story, Litvak also showcased the issues of American life at that time. The film received five Oscar nominations: Best Director, Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Screenplay, and Best Music. In the end, Litvak won an Oscar for Best Sound Recording.

His next success was the historical film "Anastasia," which tells the story of the supposedly surviving daughter of Nicholas II. The lead role was played by the famous actress Ingrid Bergman. The film was a huge success at the American box office, and Bergman won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for Best Actress. Anatoly Mikhaylovich continued to make successful films and worked with stars such as Sophia Loren, Henry Fonda, Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Vivien Leigh, and Yves Montand. Litvak's last significant project was the adaptation of the detective story by Sébastien Japrisot, "The Lady in the Car with Glasses and a Gun." Four years later, in 1974, he suddenly passed away in Paris.