Boris Zakhava

Boris Evgenyevich Zakhava (1896–1976; Russian: Борис Евгеньевич Захава) was a Soviet theatre director, actor and acting coach.

He was awarded the USSR State Prize (1952) and honored with the title of People's Artist of the USSR (1967). His notable roles include portrayal of Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov in War and Peace (1968). Zakhava was an acting coach. He taught several generations of Russian actors, including Mikhail Ulyanov, Yuri Yakovlev, Vasily Lanovoy, Lyudmila Maksakova, Nikolai Gritsenko, Nikolai Timofeyev, Rolan Bykov, Andrei Mironov, Alexander Kalyagin, Leonid Filatov, Vyacheslav Shalevich, Leonid Kanevsky, Mikhail Derzhavin, Aleksandr Shirvindt and Aleksandr Zbruyev.^[1]

Biography

Boris Zakhava was born in May 1896 in Pavlohrad, Russian Empire. It is unknown whether his birth date is 12 May^[1] or 24 May.^[2] Evgeni Zakhava, his father, was a graduate of Moscow Imperial Cadet School and was an officer at the Russian Imperial Army. Boris, like his father, graduated the 3rd Moscow Imperial Cadet School (1913). While being a cadet, he was acting in amateur performances. In the meantime he was involved in the centennial celebration of the victory over Napoleon in 1912, in Moscow.^[1]

Zakhava studied in the acting class of Vsevolod Meyerhold (1913–1916) and acting at the Moscow Vakhtangov studio under Yevgeny Vakhtangov. Since he was being hired by Vakhtangov as an actor, Zakhava worked at his theatre (Vakhtangov Theatre) for his entire life. In 1922 he performed as a Timur in Carlo Gozzi's Turandot. Zakhava was a teaching director at the acting studio (1925) and a leading director of Vakhtangov Theatre Company. He produced and directed Maxim Gorky's dramas, Yegor Bulychev and Others (1932, 1951) and Dostegayev and Others (1933, 1934).^[3] Since 1939 he became a director of the Shchukin Theatrical School (f. Vakhtangov acting studio). In 1958 Zakhava directed William Shakespeare's Hamlet starring Mikhail Astangov in the main role.^[1] In 1968 he portrayed Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov in Sergei Bondarchuk's War and Peace (original: Vojna i mir), an Academy Award winner film.

He died on 25 November 1976 in Moscow and was buried at Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow.^[1]

Filmography

Works

• Zakhava, Boris (1930). "Vakhtangov i ego studiia".

Notes

External links

• Boris Zakhava at IMDb

References

• "Zachawa Boris J.". Internetowa encyklopedia PWN (in Polish). Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved May 12, 2007.
• "Zachawa Boris Jewgienjewicz". WIEM Encyclopedia (in Polish). Retrieved May 12, 2007.
• Shelokhonov, Steve. "Boris Zakhava". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved May 12, 2007.