Tovstonogov Georgy

Tovstonogov Georgy (1915–1989), Russian stage director. People’s Artist of the USSR (1957), Doctor of Art History (1969), People’s Artist of Georgia (1974). Born in Tbilisi, to the family of a civil engineer. In 1931 he began his stage activities in Tbilisi as an actor and associate director at the Russian Theater for Young Spectators. At that theater he staged his first production - V. Gogol’s The Inspector General (1934). Then he entered the Faculty of Stage Direction of the Moscow Institute of Cinema and Theater named after A. Lunacharski. After graduating from the said Institute in 1938, G. Tovstonogov returned to Tbilisi and till 1946 he served as a stage director of the Russian Drama Theater named after A. Griboedov. There he produced Vanyushin’s Children by S. Naidionov (1939), The Chimes of Kremlin by N. Pogodin (1946) , etc. In 1939 – 46 he delivered lectures at the Tbilisi State Theatrical Institute named after Shota Rustaveli.

In 1946 he left Georgia. In 1946 – 49 he worked at the Moscow Central Theater for Children; in 1950 – 56 he used to fill the position of a Chief Producer of Leningrad Drama Theater named after the Lenin Komsomol. As of 1956 he held the post of a Chief Producer of the Leningrad Big Academic Drama Theater named after M. Gorki. G. Tovstonogov’s following stage productions deserve special attention: Idiot by F. Dostoevski (1957, 1966), M. Gorki’s Vandals (1959) and Common People (1966) [In 1968 he staged Common People at the Rustaveli Theater in Tbilisi as well], Wit Works Woe by A. Griboedov (1962), Three Sisters by A. Chekhov (1965), Khanuma by A. Tsagareli (1973), etc.

G. Tovstonogov died in Leningrad. He was buried at the Necropolis of Art Workers (Tikhvin cemetery, St. Alexander Nevski Lavra).