Vladimir Etush is a popular actor and director of the Shchukin
Theatrical School of the Vakhtangov Theatre in Moscow.
He was born Vladimir Abramovich Etush on May 6, 1922, in Moscow,
Russia. His father, Abram Etush, was a small business owner in Moscow
and was arrested by the Soviet communists. Young Etush was raised by
his single mother, Raisa Etush. As a schoolboy, he was fond of acting
and reading, and took part in school productions of Chekhov's plays. In
1941 he entered, but his studies were interrupted by war. During the
Second World War he served in the Red Army; he was severely wounded in
a battle against the Nazis, and was decorated with the Red Star for his
courage. In 1945 he graduated from the Shchukin Theatrical School as an
actor.
Since 1945 Vladimir Etush has been member of the troupe at There his
stage partners were such actors as
Mikhail Ulyanov,
Ruben Simonov,
Boris Zakhava,
Mikhail Astangov,
Varvara Popova,
Irina Kupchenko,
Natalya Tenyakova,
Yuliya Borisova,
Lyudmila Maksakova,
Lyudmila Tselikovskaya,
Marianna Vertinskaya,
Nina Ruslanova,
Nikolai Plotnikov,
Vasiliy Lanovoy,
Yuriy Yakovlev,
Vyacheslav Shalevich,
Andrei Abrikosov,
Grigori Abrikosov,
Boris Babochkin,
Nikolai Gritsenko,
Nikolai Timofeyev,
Aleksandr Grave,
Evgeniy Karelskikh,
Sergey Makovetskiy, and
Ruben Simonov, among others. His
most memorable stage performances were roles in Shakespeare's
'Two gentlemen from Verona'
(1948), as intellectual Dorogomilov in 'No Ordinary Summer' (1955) by Konstantin Fedin,
and as Merikur in 'Budte zdorovy' (aka.. Stay well) (1965). Since
taking the role as Brigella in 1963, Etush has been delivering
acclaimed performances in the legendary Vakhtangov's production of
Carlo Gozzi's comedy 'Princess Turandot'.
Vladimir Etush is best known for his role as Comrade Saakhov, a
hilarious groom in a popular Soviet comedy
Entführung im Kaukasus (1967)
by director Leonid Gaidai. Vladimir Etush
was designated People's Actor of the USSR (1984). He has been rector of
Shchukin Thgeatrical Schooll of Vakhtangov Theatre in Moscow. He is
living in Moscow, Russia.
