Aleksandr Abdulov

Born in Tobolsk, Siberian Russia, and raised in Uzbekistan, Aleksandr Abdulov studied at GITIS after failing his first entrance tests and, on graduating in 1975, was hired by the Lenkom Theatre, where Mark Zakharov directed him. He played his finest parts under Zakharov in films including The Very Same Munchhausen (1979), while An Ordinary Miracle brought him wide popularity. Working with Sergey Solovev, he made A Black Rose Is an Emblem of Sorrow, a Red Rose an Emblem of Love (1990), which won awards and drew praise from critics. He received a Nika Award nomination for his supporting part in Sukiny deti (1991), and later appeared in Aleksandr Buravskiy's epic Leningrad (2009) alongside Gabriel Byrne and Mira Sorvino. Abdulov was named a People's Artist of Russia and remained a permanent member of the Lenkom troupe, and he also directed films and stage productions. He died in 2008.