After World War II, the family moved to Liepāja, Latvian SSR where his father served at the Baltic Fleet.

It was followed by several claymation comedy films, including Break!, a parody on a boxing match for which Bardin received a Golden Dove award at the 1986 Dok Leipzig.

[5] In 1990, he directed his last Soyuzmultiflm cartoon — Grey Wolf and Little Red Riding Hood, a claymation musical film that satirized last days of the USSR.

[4][10] After that, Bardin founded and headed the Stayer animation studio where he continued directing claymation and stop motion films, as well as TV commercials.

[11] It received mixed reviews from critics and failed at the box office, while central Russian TV channels refused to show it according to Bardin.