People's Artist of the RSFSR, President of the Moscow Academic Theater of Satire Alexander Shirvindt died at the age of 90.

“Misha, the son of Alexander Anatolyevich, called me - he (Alexander Shirvindt. -

RT

) died in the hospital half an hour ago.

I don’t know yet how and what we will do,” Sergei Gazarov, artistic director of the Satire Theater, told TASS.

Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed condolences to the relatives of Alexander Shirvindt.

According to press secretary Dmitry Peskov, the Russian leader sent a telegram to the artist’s relatives.

“Putin deeply sympathizes with the death of Shirvindt,” TASS quotes Peskov as saying. 

As Honored Artist of Russia Alexander Voevodin told Gazeta.Ru, Shirvindt’s health has recently worsened.

“I know he wasn’t feeling well.

“We’ve been communicating less lately,” he noted.

Voevodin expressed condolences for the loss of the artist, and also remembered that he spent his whole life next to him.

“And my first appearance in the theater, and The Marriage of Figaro, where I played Cherubino, and joint scenes... Time passed, and I participated in his play when he had already become a theater director, and he had new productions,” explained Russian actor.

“When you communicate with a person for so long and know that there is a big life ahead, then you realize that you should have been more careful and careful, you should have absorbed more from this person.”

Despite feeling unwell, Alexander Shirvindt continued to work.

As People's Artist of the Russian Federation Natalya Seleznyova told TASS, the president of the Satire Theater a week ago was still in charge of the creative process.

“I was very shocked by this news; I didn’t live to see my 90th birthday.

He came to the theater a week ago and took part in the life of the theater.

Everyone reckoned with him and respected him very much,” Seleznyova clarified.

Director, general director and chairman of the board of the Mosfilm film concern Karen Shakhnazarov, in a conversation with RT, called Shirvindt an extraordinary person, and his death a huge loss. 

“I was lucky enough to work with him.

For many years, decades, I watched his work in the theater, cinema, and on the stage.

He was an extraordinary person in every sense.

An outstanding actor, but not only that, he was also a man of style.

“He largely determined the style of the Soviet era,” Shakhnazarov said.

“This is truly a huge loss not only for our culture, but also for our society, for our public.”

Shirvindt's intonation is very important.

He had his own intonation, unlike anything else.

It was a very correct intonation, very true.

He left, and with him went the entire era of this great Soviet theater.”

Chairman of the Moscow City Duma Alexey Shaposhnikov in his Telegram channel also spoke about the loss due to the departure of the outstanding artist.

“Sad news... At the age of 90, the president of the Satire Theater, People's Artist Alexander Shirvindt, passed away.

An entire era in the history of Russian theater and cinema is associated with his name,” Shaposhnikov wrote.

The politician called Shirvindt “a talented, bright and extraordinary master with a unique directorial and acting gift.”

“Under his many years of leadership, the Satire Theater has become one of the most popular and beloved cultural venues in our country, a real “forge of creative talent.”

I sincerely express my condolences to the family and friends of Alexander Anatolyevich Shirvindt.

This is a huge loss for our culture, for our country...” concluded Shaposhnikov.

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Actress Natalya Feklenko also expressed her condolences.

In a conversation with Lenta.Ru, she called Shirvindt’s death “a huge sadness.”

“This is a loss and the last connection of the present with the Satire Theater that existed,” said the Honored Artist of the Russian Federation.

Alexander Shirvindt was born on July 19, 1934 in Moscow in the family of the editor of the Moscow Philharmonic Raisa Samoilovna and musician Anatoly Gustavovich Shirvindt.

Their old house in Skatertny Lane was often visited by prominent artists, in particular pianist Yakov Flier, actors Vasily Kachalov and Rostislav Plyatt, singer Leonid Utesov.

In 1952, Shirvindt entered the B.V. Theater School.

Shchukin (now the Boris Shchukin Theater Institute) on the course of Vera Lvova, graduating in 1956 with honors.

Until 1970, the artist served at Lenkom and the Moscow Drama Theater on Malaya Bronnaya (now the Theater on Bronnaya), and after that he joined the troupe of the Satire Theater.

On the stage of what later became his home theater, Alexander Shirvindt performed about 30 roles, in particular, he played Count Almaviva in the production of “Crazy Day, or The Marriage of Figaro”, Dobchinsky in “The Government Inspector”, Molchalin in “Woe from Wit”, Moliere in the play of the same name, Hector in "Heartbreak House" and many others.

In addition to his acting career, Shirvindt began to realize himself as a director and screenwriter almost from the first days of his service at the Satire Theater.

In 1970, together with Mark Zakharov, he staged the play “Awake and Sing!”, based on the play by M. Dyarfash, and in 1985 he created a production based on his own script, “Be silent, sadness... be silent.”

In 2000, Shirvindt became the artistic director of the theater.

Alexander Shirvindt made his film debut in 1957, playing a role in the comedy “She Loves You.”

The artist’s filmography includes many culturally significant and famous films, including “The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!”

(1975), “12 chairs” (1976), “Station for two” (1982), “The most charming and attractive” (1985).

In addition to cinema, pop and theater, Alexander Shirvindt was also interested in literature.

He wrote several books, notably “Excerpts from Scraps,” “Ahead of the Obituary,” “Sclerosis, Scattered Through Life,” “In Between,” and “Passing Yards of Biography.”

For his work, Alexander Shirvindt was awarded many prizes, orders and medals.

Thus, the artist became the laureate of the “Russian of the Year” award in 2005, and in 2009 he was awarded the “Crystal Turandot” theater award.

He was also a full holder of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland.