Vladimir Zeldin

Zeldin was born in the town of Kozlov (now Michurinsk). In 1935, he graduated from the theatre college at the Mossovet Theatre and became its actor. For over 60 years he has been working in the Russian Army Theatre, Moscow.

Zeldin became an all-Union celebrity in 1941 starring in the comedy Svinarka i pastukh. His other most famous works as a film actor include Skazanie o zemle sibirskoy (1947), Uchitel’ tantsev (1952), Karnavalnaya noch (1956), Dyadya Vanya (1970) and Desyat negrityat (1987).

In February 2005 Zeldin celebrated his 90th birthday with the premiere of the musical Man of La Mancha (translated into Russian) where he still stars both as Don Quixote and Miguel de Cervantes.

He was, as of 2014, the oldest living People's Artist of the USSR. He turned 101 in 2016. He died on 31 October of that year. He is buried in Moscow’s prestigious Novodevichy cemetery

Vladimir Zeldin´s only son (from his first civil wife Lyudmila Martynova) died of a gastric infection at the age of 18 months in 1941. Zeldin took care of his grave until his death.

• Order of Merit for the Fatherland;
  • 1st class (20 January 2015)
  • 2nd class (10 February 2010) - for outstanding contribution to the development of theatrical art, and many years of creative activity
  • 3rd class (10 February 2005) - for outstanding contribution to the development of theatrical art, and many years of creative activity
  • 4th class (10 February 2000) - for outstanding contribution to the development of domestic theatrical art
• Order of Friendship (21 June 1995) - for services to the state, achievements in work and significant contribution to strengthening friendship and cooperation between peoples
• Order of the Red Banner of Labour, three times (1968, 1980, ?)
• People's Artist of the USSR (1975)
• People's Artist of the RSFSR (1959)
• Honoured Artist of the RSFSR
• Gratitude "for outstanding creative achievement in musical theatre" National Festival "Musical Heart of Theatre" (2006)
• Prize of the Russian Federation in the field of culture (2008) - for the play "Man of La Mancha"
• Stalin Prize, 2nd class (1951)
• Prize "for the honour and dignity" of the National Theatre Award Golden Mask (2010)
• Medal "In Commemoration of the 850th Anniversary of Moscow"
• Medal "For Valiant Labour in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945"
• Medal "Veteran of Labour"

• They Met in Moscow (Свинарка и пастух, 1941) as Musaib Gatyev
• Ballad of Siberia (Сказание о земле Сибирской, 1947) as Andrey
• Carnival Night (Карнавальная ночь, 1956) as Nikolayev, Tip Clown
• Chronicle of Flaming Years (Повесть пламенных лет, 1961) as Gribovsky
• Uncle Vanya (Дядя Ваня, 1970) as Professor Aleksandr V. Serebryakov
• 31 June (31 июня, 1978) as Meliot, king of Peradore / Mr. Dimmock, chief advertising agency
• Rafferty (Рафферти, 1980) as US Senator Fellows
• Victory (Победа, 1984) as James F. Byrnes
• Ten Little Niggers (Десять негритят, 1987) as Judge Lawrence Wargrave
• Iskushenye B (Искушение Б, 1990) as the Duke
• Dandelion Wine (Вино из одуванчиков, 1997) as Mr. Spaulding