Georgy Aleksandrovich Tovstonogov (, – 23 May 1989) was a Russian- Georgian theatre director. He was the leader of the Gorky Bolshoi Drama Theater which was renamed after him in 1992.

Biography

Georgy Tovstonogov was born in

Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი, ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), ( ka, ტფილისი, tr ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia ( ...

(now

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

), or in

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...

on 28 September 1915, to a Russian noble and a Georgian classical singer Tamara Papitashvili. In 1938 he graduated from the State Institute of Theatrical Art in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

. From 1938 to 1946, he worked as a director in the Tbilisi Griboedov Theater, from 1946 to 1949 in the Central Children's Theater in Moscow, from 1950 to 1956 in the

Leningrad Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

Leninsky Komsomol Theater, and from 1956 until his death in 1989 in the Bolshoi Academic Gorky Theater. He was a professor at the Leningrad State Institute of Theatre, Music and Cinema since 1960. In 1957 he became a

People's Artist of the USSR People's Artist of the USSR, also sometimes translated as National Artist of the USSR, was an honorary title granted to artists of the Soviet Union. The term is confusingly used to translate two Russian language titles: Народный арти ...

. He won the Stalin Prize thrice (1950, 1952, 1956), and got two

Orders of Lenin The Order of Lenin (, ) was an award named after Vladimir Lenin, the leader of the October Revolution. It was established by the Central Executive Committee on 6 April 1930. The order was the highest civilian decoration bestowed by the Soviet ...

and many other Soviet awards. In 1972, he produced the book ''The Profession of the Stage-Director'', which is the best example of his directing style, and in which he shares his honest opinions on

Lee Strasberg Lee Strasberg (born Israel Strassberg; November 17, 1901 – February 17, 1982) was an American acting coach and actor. He co-founded, with theatre directors Harold Clurman and Cheryl Crawford, the Group Theatre in 1931, which was hailed ...

and

Konstantin Stanislavsky Konstantin Sergeyevich Stanislavski ( rus, Константин Сергеевич Станиславский, p=kənstɐnʲˈtʲin sʲɪrˈɡʲejɪvʲɪtɕ stənʲɪˈslafskʲɪj, links=yes; ; 7 August 1938) was a seminal Russian and Sovie ...

. On 1985 the International Theatre Institute invited Tovstonogov to teach Stanislavski Method for international actors, Juan Furest from

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

and José Antonio Rodríguez from

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

. On May 23, 1989, Tovstonogov died of

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

in his car returning home after general rehearsal of his new production '' The Visit'' by

Friedrich Dürrenmatt Friedrich Dürrenmatt (; 5 January 1921 – 14 December 1990) was a Swiss author and dramatist. He was a proponent of epic theatre whose plays reflected the recent experiences of World War II. The politically active author's work included avant- ...

Main works

Tovstonogov was the first who returned

Fyodor Dostoevsky Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky. () was a Russian novelist, short story writer, essayist and journalist. He is regarded as one of the greatest novelists in both Russian and world literature, and many of his works are considered highly influent ...

into Soviet theater, by his productions of ''

The Insulted and Humiliated ''Humiliated and Insulted'' (, ''Unizhennye i oskorblyonnye'') — also known in English as ''The Insulted and Humiliated'', ''The Insulted and the Injured'' or ''Injury and Insult'' — is a novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky, first published in 1861 i ...

'' (1956 in Leningrad Leninsky Komsomol Theater) and ''

The Idiot ''The Idiot'' (Reforms of Russian orthography, pre-reform Russian: ; post-reform ) is a novel by the 19th-century Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. It was first published serially in the journal ''The Russian Messenger'' in 1868–1869. The titl ...

'' (1957 in Gorky Theater). Among other famous performances are: * '' The Three Sisters'' (1965) and ''

Uncle Vanya ''Uncle Vanya'' ( rus, Дя́дя Ва́ня, r=Dyádya Ványa, p=ˈdʲædʲə ˈvanʲə) is a play by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. It was first published in 1897, and first produced in 1899 by the Moscow Art Theatre, directed by Konstan ...

'' (1982) by

Anton Chekhov Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; ; 29 January 1860 – 15 July 1904) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer, widely considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career as a playwright produced four classics, and his b ...

* ''Five Evenings'' (1958) and ''My big sister'' (1961) by

Alexander Volodin Aleksandr Moiseyevich Volodin (; 1919 – 2001), born Lifschitz, was a Soviet and Russian playwright, screenwriter and poet. His first play was ''The Factory Girl'' (1956). His most famous plays were ''Five Evenings'' (1959), ''My Elder Sister'' ...

* ''Irkusk Story'' by

Aleksey Arbuzov Aleksei Nikolayevich Arbuzov (; April 20, 1986) was a Soviet and Russian playwright. Biography Arbuzov was born in Moscow, but his family moved to Petrograd in 1914. His father was Russian and his mother was Greek. Orphaned at the age of eleven ...

(1960) * '' Wit Works Woe'' (1962) by

Alexander Griboedov Alexander Sergeyevich Griboyedov (; 15 January 179511 February 1829) was a Russian diplomat, playwright, poet, and composer. His one notable work is the 1823 verse comedy ''Woe from Wit''. He was Russia's ambassador to Qajar Persia, where he and ...

* ''Barbarians'' (1959) and ''Meschane'' (1966) by

Maxim Gorky Alexei Maximovich Peshkov (; – 18 June 1936), popularly known as Maxim Gorky (; ), was a Russian and Soviet writer and proponent of socialism. He was nominated five times for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Before his success as an aut ...

* ''Once Again About Love'' (1964) by

Edvard Radzinsky Edvard Stanislavovich Radzinsky (; born September 23, 1936) is a Russian historian, playwright, television personality, and screenwriter. He authored more than forty history books that are popular in Russia. Biography Edvard Stanislavovich Rad ...

* ''

Henry IV, Part 1 ''Henry IV, Part 1'' (often written as ''1 Henry IV'') is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written no later than 1597. The play dramatises part of the reign of King Henry IV of England, beginning with the Battle of H ...

'' (1969) by

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

* '' Revisor'' by

Nikolay Gogol Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol; ; (; () was a Russian novelist, short story writer, and playwright of Ukrainian origin. Gogol used the grotesque in his writings, for example, in his works " The Nose", " Viy", "The Overcoat", and "Nevsky Prospe ...

(1972) * ''Last Summer in Chulimsk'' by

Alexander Vampilov Alexander Valentinovich Vampilov (; 19 August 1937 – 17 August 1972) was a Soviet playwright. His play ''The Elder Son'' was first performed in 1969, and became a national success two years later. Many of his plays have been filmed or televised ...

(1974) * ''Energetic People'' by

Vasily Shukshin Vasily Makarovich Shukshin (; 25 July 1929 – 2 October 1974) was a Soviet Russian writer, actor, screenwriter and film director from the Altai region who specialized in rural themes. A prominent member of the Village Prose movement, he beg ...

(1974) * ''History of a Horse'' after

Leo Tolstoy Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy Tolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; ,Throughout Tolstoy's whole life, his name was written as using Reforms of Russian orthography#The post-revolution re ...

's ''

Kholstomer "Kholstomer" ( rus, Холстомер, p=xəlstɐˈmʲer), also translated as "Strider", is a work by Leo Tolstoy that has been referred to as “one of the most striking stories in Russian literature”. It was started in 1863 and left unfinish ...

'' (1975) He was also responsible for producing mass

spectacle In general, spectacle refers to an event that is memorable for the appearance it creates. Derived in Middle English from c. 1340 as "specially prepared or arranged display" it was borrowed from Old French ''spectacle'', itself a reflection of the ...

s. During his prime Tovstonogov was considered one of the best theatre directors of Europe. The prominent members of his troupe include

Alisa Freindlich Alisa Brunovna Freindlich (born 8 December 1934) is a Russian actress. Since 1983, Freindlich has been a leading actress of the Bolshoi Drama Theater in Saint Petersburg, Russia. She was awarded the title of the People's Artist of the USSR in ...

, Zinaida Sharko, Lyudmila Makarova,

Tatiana Doronina Tatiana Vasilyevna Doronina (born 12 September 1933) is a popular Soviet and Russian actress who has performed in movies and the theater. She is generally regarded as one of the most talented actresses of her generation and was named a People's ...

, Svetlana Kryuchkova,

Kirill Lavrov Kirill Yuryevich Lavrov (; 15 September 1925 – 27 April 2007) was a Soviet in Russian stage, a film actor and a director. He was honoured with the following titles; People's Artist of the USSR (1972), Hero of Socialist Labour (1985), Order of Le ...

Innokenty Smoktunovsky Innokenty Mikhailovich Smoktunovsky (; born ''Smoktunovich'', 28 March 19253 August 1994) was a Soviet and Russian stage and film actor. He was named a People's Artist of the USSR in 1974 and a Hero of Socialist Labour in 1990. Early life Smo ...

, Pavel Luspekaev,

Yefim Kopelyan Yefim Zakharovich Kopelyan (6 March 1975) was a Soviet Union, Soviet actor of theatre and cinema, one of the legendary masters of the Bolshoi Theatre of Drama (BDT) in Leningrad. He performed bright, characteristic roles in the films ''The Elusi ...

Sergey Yursky Sergei Yurievich Yursky (, 16 March 1935 – 8 February 2019) was a Soviet and Russian stage and film actor, theatre director and screenwriter. His best known film role is Ostap Bender in ''The Golden Calf (1968 film), The Golden Calf'' (1968) B ...

Vladislav Strzhelchik Vladislav Ignatievich Strzhelchik (; 1921–1995) was a Soviet and Russian actor. People's Artist of the USSR (1974). Biography Vladislav Strzhelchik born in Petrograd (now Saint Petersburg, Russia). His father, Ignatiy Petrovich was a native of ...

Yevgeni Lebedev Yevgeni Alekseyevich Lebedev ( rus, Евгeний Алeксeeвич Лeбeдeв, , jɪvˈɡʲenʲɪj ɐlʲɪkˈsʲe(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ ˈlʲebʲɪdʲɪf; January 15, 1917, Balakovo – June 9, 1997, Saint Petersburg) was a Soviet and Russian actor and ...

, and

Oleg Basilashvili Oleg Valerianovich Basilashvili (born 26 September 1934) is a Soviet Union, Soviet and Russian stage and film actor. He was awarded People's Artist of the USSR in 1984. Biography Childhood He was born to a family of mixed Russians, Russian, Pol ...

. His contribution to the Russian tradition of theatre education is important, especially where it comes to education of theatre directors. His theories continue to have large influence, especially in Russian and Scandinavian theatre education.

In film

*''Demiurge'' (2008),

documentary film A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...

directed by Tigran Mutafyan, featuring

, Aleksei German, Zinaida Sharko,

Kama Ginkas Kama Mironovich Ginkas (; born 7 May 1941 in Kaunas, Lithuanian SSR, USSR) is a Russian and Soviet theatre director. Biograрhy Born into a Jewish family, Ginkas was forced by occupying German forces into the infamous Kaunas ghetto with his fa ...

, Genrietta Yanovskaya, Eduard Kochergin, Gennady Trostyanetsky, and Natella Tovstonogova

Legacy

* A minor planet was named after Tovstonogov.

References

External links