Valentin Gaft

Valentin Iosifovich Gaft (; 2 September 1935 – 12 December 2020) was a Soviet and Russian actor. He was a People's Artist of the RSFSR.

Biography Early life and education Gaft was born in Moscow to Jewish parents, Iosif Ruvimovich Gaft (1907–1969), a lawyer, and Gita Davydovna Gaft (1908–1993). He had a sister, Rima Iosifovna Gaft-Shtrom (1930–2021). The family moved to Moscow from Poltava, Ukraine or Pryluky, Ukraine. During World War II, Iosif Gaft served in the Red Army finishing with the rank of Major.

Gaft took a great interest in theater while in school and took part in the school theater amateur performance.

Film Gaft started his work for the cinema in 1956, in Mikhail Romm's film Murder on Dante Street.

Later he starred in the movies The First Courier (1968), Mad Gold (1977), Centaurs (1979), Black Hen, or Underground Villagers (1981), Fuete (1986). Prominent roles were played by Gaft in the musical comedy The Sorceress (1982), the tragicomedy Through Main Street with an Orchestra (1986), the action film Thieves in Law (1988), The Visit of the Lady (1989), Night Fun (1991), Encore, Once More Encore! (1992). He was the author of sharp and popular epigrams against many theatrical and movie figures. In the 2013 film Yolki 3, he read some of his own poetry.

Gaft converted to Orthodox Christianity in 1990; his wife persuaded him to get baptized.

In 2015, to the Ukrainian internet publishing "Gordon", Valentin Gaft proudly announced that he was a Putinist.

In 2016, Gaft was banned from entering Ukraine, for "statements contradicted the interests of our national security".

Gaft died on 12 December 2020, in Moscow, at the age of 85.

Selected filmography

Murder on Dante Street (1956) as Marsel Ruzhe Russian Souvenir (1960) as Claude Gerard, French composer Intervention (1968) as Dlinnyy Family Happiness (1970) as Salesman That Sweet Word: Liberty! (1973) as Miguel Carrera (voice) Moscow, My Love (1974) as choreographer Ivan and Marya (1975) as Paymaster For the Rest of His Life (1975, TV Mini-Series) as Lt. Kramin Hello, I'm Your Aunt! (1975, TV Movie) as Brasset Story of an Unknown Actor (1977) as Znamensky Centaurs (1978) as Andres The Garage (1980) as Sidorin Dog in Boots (1981) as Lofty (voice) Say a Word for the Poor Hussar (1981, TV Movie) as colonel Ivan Pokrovsky Vertical Race (1982, TV Movie) as Lyokha Dedushkin Fuete (1987) as рoet Forgotten Melody for a Flute (1987) as Odinokov Through Main Street with an Orchestra (1987) as Konstantin Vinogradov Visit to Minotaur (1987, TV Mini-Series) as Pavel Ikonnikov The Life of Klim Samgin (1988, TV Series) as Valery Trifonov The Feasts of Belshazzar, or a Night with Stalin (1989) as Lavrentiy Beria The Suicide (1990) as entertainer Lost in Siberia (1991) as Beria Promised Heaven (1991) as Dmitry Loginov, “President“ Encore, Once More Encore! (1992) as Fedor Vasilyevich Vinogradov The Master and Margarita (Мастер и Маргарита, 1994) as Woland Sympathy Seeker (1997) as Magician Old Hags (2000) as general Dubovitsky Tender Age (2000) as Saledon Sr. House for the Rich (2000) as Roman Rumyanov The Master and Margarita (2005) as Joseph Kaifa / NKVD general 12 (2007) as 4th juror The Book of Masters (2009) as magic mirror Attack on Leningrad (2009) as film director Burnt by the Sun 2 (2010) as Pimen The Life and Adventures of Mishka Yaponchik (2011, TV Series) as Mendel Gersh Wings (2012) as Byvaly (voice) Yolki 3 (2013) as Nikolai Petrovich

Honors and awards

Order "For Merit to the Fatherland": 4th class (15 February 2016) – for outstanding contribution to the development of culture and many years of creative activity 2nd class (2 September 2010) – for outstanding contribution to the development of domestic theatrical art and many years of creative activity 3rd class (2 September 2005) – for outstanding contribution to the development of theatrical art, and many years of creative activity Order of Friendship (11 August 1995) – for services to the state and achievements in work and significant contribution to strengthening friendship and cooperation between nations Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1978) People's Artist of the RSFSR (1984)