Armen Dzhigarkhanyan

Armen Borisovich Dzhigarkhanyan (October 3, 1935 – November 14, 2020) was an Armenian and Soviet actor and theater director. Considered one of the greatest and most prolific actors in Armenian and Soviet cinema, he performed in more than 250 films and television productions throughout a career spanning over six decades. He received numerous accolades, including the titles of People's Artist of the Armenian SSR and People's Artist of the USSR, two Armenian SSR State Prizes, and the Golden Mask Award for Outstanding Contribution to Theatre. Dzhigarkhanyan studied acting at the Yerevan Institute of Fine Arts and Theatre under director Armen Gulakian, graduating in 1958. He began his theatrical career in 1955 at the Stanislavsky Russian Drama Theatre in Yerevan, where he performed for over a decade. In 1967, he moved to Moscow and joined the Lenkom Theatre before becoming a leading actor at the Mayakovsky Academic Theatre in 1969. His film debut came in 1960 with Landslide, and he first gained widespread recognition for his performance as physicist Artyom Manvelyan in Hello, That's Me! (1966). His portrayal of blacksmith Usta Mukuch in Triangle (1967) further established his reputation as a dramatic actor, earning him the Armenian SSR State Prize in 1975. He gained wider popularity for playing Captain Ovechkin in The New Adventures of the Elusive Avengers (1968) and its sequel The Crown of the Russian Empire, or Once Again the Elusive Avengers (1971). Other notable performances include The Men (1973), Hello, I'm Your Aunt! (1975), The Dog in the Manger (1977), and the crime television series The Meeting Place Cannot Be Changed (1979), in which he portrayed the notorious criminal leader Karp, nicknamed Gorbaty. Dzhigarkhanyan continued to appear in prominent Soviet and Russian productions, including Teheran 43 (1981), City Zero (1988), The Assassin of the Tsar (1991), and Shirli-Myrli (1995). He also became well known for his voice acting, most notably portraying Captain Flint in the animated Treasure Island (1988). His distinctive voice and versatility allowed him to perform a remarkable range of characters across drama, comedy, adventure, and animation. In addition to his film career, Dzhigarkhanyan maintained an extensive theatrical career and worked as an acting professor at the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography from 1989 to 1997. In 1996, he founded the Moscow Drama Theatre under the direction of Armen Dzhigarkhanyan, serving as its artistic director. He was named People's Artist of the Armenian SSR in 1977 and People's Artist of the USSR in 1985. His other honors included the Order of Merit to the Fatherland, the Order of Honor of Armenia, and the Stanislavsky International Award.