Vladimir Zeldin

Vladimir Mikhailovich Zeldin (; 10 February 1915 – 31 October 2016) was a Soviet and Russian stage and film actor. A centenarian, he was among the longest-serving stage performers and continued acting up until his death.

Early life Zeldin was born in the town of Kozlov (now Michurinsk, Tambov Oblast of Russia), the youngest of five children. With the start of the Russian Civil War the family moved to their relatives in Tver. His mother Anna Nikolayevna Zeldina (née Popova, 1884–1931) was a native Russian teacher turned a housewife. His father Mikhail Yevgenyevich Zeldin (1876–1928) was a musician of Jewish origin who converted to Russian Orthodoxy to enter the Moscow Conservatory; he served as a kapellmeister in the Imperial Russian Army concert band and as the head of the Kozlov and Tver music schools after the October Revolution. Vladimir himself was raised in the Russian Orthodox traditions and associated himself with Russian culture.

In 1924 the family moved to Moscow. Zeldin continued studying at the secondary school. He also learned to play trumpet, piano and violin, and at the age of 12 tried to enter The Bolshoi Theatre Ballet School. According to Zeldin, his father wished him a better career and was highly against this decision, so he did everything to prevent his son from entering the school.

In February 2005 Zeldin celebrated his 90th birthday by performing in the new musical Man of La Mancha (which premiered in December 2004) where he starred both as Don Quixote and Miguel de Cervantes. The role of Don Quixote quickly became his signature role and he closely associated himself with the character.

He celebrated his 101st birthday on stage by performing the leading role in the play Dance with the Master (loosely based on The Dancing Master) and written specially for him. According to the director Yuli Gusman, a total of 200 performances of Man of La Mancha and Dance with the Master were staged during Zeldin's lifetime. Man of La Mancha was last shown just a month prior to the actor's death. Due to a recent hip fracture, he had to perform with a walking stick.

Later years

Zeldin was, as of 2014, the oldest living People's Artist of the USSR. He turned 101 in 2016.

In June 2005, his signature appeared under the open letter by "members of culture, science and public representatives" published in Izvestia where they supposedly expressed support to the court decision concerning the former Yukos management. A number of signatories, including Zeldin, denied their involvement.

In October 2013, at the age of 98 he took part in the 2014 Winter Olympics torch relay, becoming the oldest torchbearer in history for that time.

Vladimir Zeldin died on 31 October 2016 and was buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow. He was survived by his third wife Ivetta Evgenievna Kapralova-Zeldina (1933–2017) who died just two months after her husband and was buried near him. They lived together for 52 years.

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.

Honours and awards

Order "For Merit to 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) Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1954) 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"

Partial filmography

1938: The Oppenheim Family (Семья Оппенгейм) (TV Series) – (uncredited) 1941: They Met in Moscow (Свинарка и пастух) – Musaib Gatyev 1944: Ivan the Terrible (Иван Грозный) – assistant to the Livonian ambassador 1948: Ballad of Siberia (Сказание о земле Сибирской) – Boris Olenich 1952: Dance Teacher (Учитель танцев) – Aldemaro 1956: V kvadrate 45 – Boris Shmelyov diversant 1956: Carnival Night (Карнавальная ночь) – Nikolayev / Tip Clown 1961: Chronicle of Flaming Years (Повесть пламенных лет) – Yevgeniy Gribovskiy 1965: The Tsar's Bride – Bomely 1965: The Salvos of the Aurora Cruiser – poruchik Andronnikov 1967: Bereg nadezhdy – Vandenberg 1968: Neoknchennaya simfoniya – Kherbek 1970: Uncle Vanya (Дядя Ваня) – Professor Aleksandr V. Serebryakov 1971: Mission in Kabul – Major Stein 1974: With You and Without You – Yevstigney – Fyodor's Father 1974: Blokada: Luzhskiy rubezh, Pulkovskiy meredian – von Leeb 1975: Na kray sveta – otets Volodi 1976: We Didn't Learn This – kapitan I ranga 1976: Strakh vysoty – professor Vladimir Dyagilyev 1977: Polkovnik v otstavke – Ivan Mikhaylovich 1977: Tsentrovoy iz podnebesya 1977: Printsessa na goroshine 1977: Blokada: Leningradskiy metronom, Operatsiya Iskra – von Leeb 1978: 31 June (31 июня) (TV Movie) – Meliot, king of Peradore / Mr. Dimmock, chief advertising agency 1979: Dobryaki 1980: Rafferty (Рафферти) (TV Movie) – US Senator Fellows 1981: Zhenshchina v belom – Frederic Fairlie 1983: A Mistery of Blackbirds – police commissioner 1984: Victory (Победа) – James F. Byrnes 1985: Pobeda – Birns 1987: And Then There Were None (Десять негритят) – Judge Lawrence Wargrave 1988: Zapretnaya zona 1989: Kanuvshee vremya 1991: Iskushenye B (Искушение Б) – the Duke 1997: Dandelion Wine (Вино из одуванчиков) – Mr. Spaulding 1998: Cops and Robbers (Полицейские и воры) – grandfather 1998: Classic – Vasya Rezanyj 2000: Zhenshchin obizhat ne rekomenduetsya – Idkind 2006: Park Sovetskogo perioda 2006: Andersen. Life Without Love (Андерсен. Жизнь без любви) – night watchman 2007: Karnavalnaya noch 2, ili 50 let spustya – Old clown 2007: Chertovo koleso 2007: Happy Together (Счастливы вместе) (TV Series) – collector 2010–2011: Svaty (Сваты) (TV Series) – Nikolai Nikolaevich 2015: Ubezhat, dognat, vluybitsya – (final film role)