March 09, 2019

Vladimir Etush: On Stage for Seven Decades


Vladimir Etush: On Stage for Seven Decades

Vladimir Etush, whose career spanned from 1944 and ended only this year, passed away in Moscow on March 9. At 96, he was probably Russia's oldest working actor before the Vakhtangov Theater cancelled Benefis, the show where he played a central role (which included dressing up as a woman), due to the actor's health problems.

A decorated WWII veteran, Etush recalled how he was labelled the son of an "enemy of the people," following the arrest of his father when he was a teenager. Thankfully, his father was released after a year and a half in prison. Etush began working in the Vakhtangov Theatre in 1945, where he became known for his knack for tragicomedy and the grotesque.

The actor became nationally famous after the film Kidnapping, Caucasus-Style (Кавказская пленница), where he played Comrade Saakhov, a local communist functionary who wants to marry Nina, a young tourist in the Caucasus.

[INVALID]
Famous scene where Etush, in the role of Saakhov, argues over dowry for Nina with Nina's uncle Dzhabrail played by Frunzik Mkrtchyan.

His role in the film Ivan Vassilyevich: Back to the Future (Иван Васильевич меняет профессию) also inspired dozens of one-liners in Soviet society. He played Anton Shpak, a dentist living next to a flat that has accidentally teleported Ivan the Terrible from the 16th century to the present day.

[INVALID]
Etush in the role of Anton Shpak, who for the entire movie tries to seek justice after burglars clear out his apartment.

Etush played over 30 movie roles, also teaching at the Shchukin Theater Institute in Moscow. His achievement on the stage was honored in 2017 when he received a prestigious Golden Mask award for his lifelong input into the art. He also was given the highest state honors both in the Soviet Union and Russia.

Vladimir Etush in his last role in Benefis, in which a retired fireman suddenly finds himself on stage in the role of an elderly family matriarch. The theater decided to stage it in order to give Etush the opportunity to continue working.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals
[INVALID]
[INVALID]

Some of our Books

Steppe
July 15, 2022

Steppe

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.

Fish
February 01, 2010

Fish

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

Moscow and Muscovites
November 26, 2013

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 

Murder at the Dacha
July 01, 2013

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.

A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

White Magic
June 01, 2021

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955