Mikhail Zhvanetsky

Mikhail Mikhailovich Zhvanetskyis a famous Soviet satirical writer and popular performer of his works.

Brief biography

Mikhail Zhvanetsky was born on March 6, 1934 in Odessa in a family of doctors. In 1956 he graduated from the Odessa Institute of Marine Engineers with a specialty "Engineer-mechanic of lifting and transporting equipment of ports".

Zhvanetsky in his student years participated in amateur performances, where he began to write miniatures and monologues, which often performed himself. In 1963, during a tour of the Leningrad Theater of Miniatures in Odessa, he met Arkady Raikin, who took his works in the repertoire of the theater, and in 1964 he invited him to his theater to the post of director.

Together with Zhvanetsky Raikin put in 1969 the program "Traffic Light", in which for the first time sounded the legendary miniatures "Avas", "Deficit", "The Age of Technology".

Mikhail Mikhailovich, while working at the Raikin Theater, creatively collaborated with Roman Kartsev and Viktor Ilchenko, for whom he wrote more than 300 miniatures and monologues. Having found his individual style, he left Raikin's theater and began to work independently. Working in the Odessa Philharmonic, and then in the Moscow theater "Hermitage", he gained all-union fame.

In 1988 Zhvanetsky created the Moscow Theater of Miniatures, the permanent artistic director of which he has been until now. In the theater based on his works were created performances "Bird Flight" (1987), "Selected" (1988), "Political Cabaret" (1989), "My Odessa" (1994), "Senile tomboy" (1999).

Zhvanetsky's books

"Meetings in the Streets" (1982), "A Year for Two" (1987), "My Odessa" (1993), "Collected Works" in 4 volumes (2001).

Awards and titles

• Artistic Director of the Moscow Theater of Miniatures (since 1988)

• President of the World Club of Odessians

• Zhvanetsky was awarded the Order of Friendship of Peoples (1994) and is a laureate of the independent award "Triumph" (1994).

• Member of the USSR Union of Writers (1978-1991),

• Member of the Union of Writers (1992).

• Honorary Citizen of Odessa-Ukraine (1994)

• People's Artist of Ukraine (1999)

• Honored Art Worker of the Russian Federation (2001).

Zhvanetsky's death

In the fall of 2020, Zhvanetsky announced that he was giving up public events after a serious illness. On November 6, 2020, Zhvanetsky's death became known.

Source: jvanetsky