Mark Anatolyevich Zakharov (Russian: Марк Анатольевич Захаров; 13 October 1933 – 28 September 2019) was a Soviet and Russian theater and film director and playwright, best known for his Soviet-era fantasy parable films and for his productions of plays at Moscow's Lenkom Theatre. He was also a professor of the Moscow Theatre Institute (GITIS).

Biography

Mark Zakharov was born on 13 October 1933 in Moscow, Soviet Union. His father was a Red Army soldier during the Russian Civil War of 1918–1920, and his mother was an actress. His paternal grandfather belonged to the Russian nobility, and was killed during World War I. That grandfather was married to a Jewish woman. Mark Zakharov himself wrote that whilst being 1/4 Jewish, he «has always considered myself Russian, even though my father admitted that we also had Tatar blood.».

Zakharov was raised in Moscow, where he was encouraged by his mother in his persistent efforts to become an actor. He was admitted after several attempts, and graduated from the acting school of the State Theatre Institute in 1955.

Mark Zakharov was the Artistic Director of Moscow's Lenkom Theatre since 1973, where he helped to define the landscape of Moscow's theatrical culture. Zakharov helped create an ensemble of actors who worked with him at Lenkom, including: Yevgeny Leonov, Inna Churikova, Leonid Bronevoy, Oleg Yankovsky, Aleksandr Abdulov, Nikolai Karachentsov, Tatyana Pelttser, Aleksandr Zbruyev, Aleksandra Zakharova, Tatyana Kravchenko, Aleksandr Lazarev, and Dmitry Pevtsov.

His name appeared on a petition opposing Russian annexation of Crimea, however, he himself denied ever signing it. He stated in an interview that he opposed Russian soldiers being deployed to Ukraine as it reminded him the start of the Afghanistan conflict, however, he also couldn't imagine Russia without Crimea. He also stated that had he been offered to sign a letter supporting the annexation, he would've signed it.

Honours and awards

• Order of Friendship of Peoples
• Order of Merit for the Fatherland;
  • 1st class (13 October 2008) – for outstanding contribution to the development of domestic theatrical art and many years of creative activity
  • 2nd class (11 October 2003) – for outstanding contribution to the development of theatrical arts
  • 3rd class (26 April 1997) – for services to the state and the great personal contribution to the development of theatrical art
  • 4th class (13 September 2013)
• Honoured Artist of the RSFSR (1977)
• People's Artist of the USSR (1991)
• USSR State Prize (1987) – for the production of plays in the Lenkom Theatre
• Russian Federation State Prize (1992, 1997, 2002)
• National Award "Musical Heart of Theatre" (2007) – Winner of the Grand Award for outstanding creative achievement in the field of musical theatre
• Honorary Member of the Russian Academy of Arts
• International Stanislavsky Theatre Award (2010) – "for his contribution to the development of Russian theatre"
• The minor planet 5359 Markzakharov was named in his honour
• Hero of Labour of the Russian Federation (2018)

Filmography

• Train Stop — Two Minutes (1972)
• Wake Up and Sing (TV, 1974)
• The Captivating Star of Happiness (1975) (screenplay)
• The Twelve Chairs (1976)
• An Ordinary Miracle (1978)
• The Very Same Munchhausen (1979)
• The House That Swift Built (1983)
• Formula of Love (1984)
• To Kill a Dragon (1988)
• Balakirev the Buffoon (2002)

Musical productions

• Juno and Avos, a rock opera

See also

• Grigori Gorin, the playwright of many Zakharov's plays and films