REN TV's creative producer Vladimir Filimonov has died.

Vladimir Filimonov, creative producer of REN TV and head of the Film and TV Series production department, passed away on Thursday, July 9th. His contribution to the development of Russian television production has become an era, and his filmography has included many landmark projects that have become popular with millions of viewers.

"We didn't just lose a colleague. Volodya was a true friend, with whom we worked side by side for 25 years. He was reliable, honest, infinitely kind and selfless. He was also a great professional, of which there are few, had a unique flair and, of course, talent. Our entire team is grieving and expresses its sincere condolences to the family and friends," said Vladimir Tyulin, General Director of Izvestia and REN TV.

The producer is remembered not only as a professional in his field, but also as a man of rare spiritual qualities. They often went to him for advice or just for a kind word.

"I met Volodya Filimonov many years ago. We worked together on the TV series "Cadetship". He was filming one of the seasons. <...> He is a very sincere person, a true professional. <...> Then after some time we crossed paths with him when he started working for REN TV, and we did several projects with him. He is a talented, responsible specialist and, most importantly, a good person," said Dmitry Tabarchuk, CEO of NMG Studio.

Filimonov was born on November 29, 1963. His career in film and television was long and eventful: he managed to work both on NTV and in the theater. Over the years at REN TV, he became not just a producer, but also someone who knew how to see the potential where others saw the risks, and assemble a team so that everyone felt needed.

Among the producer's works are such films as "Evil", "Operation Neman", "The ZIG ZAG Gang", "Varyag", "Fathers", "The Fugitive" and "Drastic Measures". He also worked on the projects "Operation Carpathians — 1, 2", "SMERSH. Continuation", "SMERSH 3", "SMERSH 4", "Smashing ray", "On the trail of the beast", "Dear Willy", "Rooks", "Treasures of the Scythians" and "Extreme measures". In these stories, the producer put not only professional qualities, but also a piece of his soul, finding a common language with the audience.

Vladimir Filimonov's departure was an irreparable loss for the entire media community. He will remain in the memory of friends and colleagues as a man who combined iron professional acumen and sincere warmth.