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Evgeniy Alekseevich Lebedev (Yevgeni Lebedev) was born on January 15, 1917, in Balakovo, Saratov province, Russia. His father, Aleksei Lebedev, a Russian Orthodox Church priest, was humiliated and beaten by a hostile communist mob in 1937 during Joseph Stalin's dictatorship. At 16, Lebedev joined the league of young communists and worked at the Worker's Theatre in Samara. He pursued acting studies at the State Institute of Theatrical Art (GITIS) in Moscow, followed by training at the Moscow Chamber Theatre School under Aleksandr Tairov and Vladimir Gotovtsev, graduating as an actor in 1940.
From 1940 to 1949, he performed at the Russian Theatre for Young Audience in Tbilisi, where he met director Georgi Tovstonogov, forging a lifelong friendship. Both also taught at the Georgian Theatrical Institute. In 1949, Tovstonogov invited Lebedev to Leningrad, where they collaborated at the Lenkom Theatre for six years. Between 1956 and 1997, Lebedev was an actor at the Bolshoi Drama Theatre (BDT) in Leningrad under Tovstonogov’s direction. There, he worked alongside a distinguished ensemble, including notable film stars such as Oleg Basilashvili, Tatyana Doronina, Alisa Freyndlikh, Lyudmila Makarova, Valentina Kovel, Svetlana Kryuchkova, Zinaida Sharko, Kirill Lavrov, Innokentiy Smoktunovskiy, Sergey Yurskiy, Vladislav Strzhelchik, Oleg Borisov, Yefim Kopelyan, Vsevolod Kuznetsov, Nikolay Trofimov, Pavel Luspekayev, and many other prominent Russian actors.
Lebedev’s acting was distinguished by profound depth and intensity. He possessed a compelling presence and a rare captivating magnetism. His stage performances became legendary, particularly his portrayal of a horse in the leading role of Kholstomer, an adaptation of Lev Tolstoy’s story. In 1990, Lebedev suffered a severe stroke resulting in loss of speech and mobility. After a year of determined effort, he nearly fully recovered. Following his recovery, he made a remarkable comeback, impressing audiences and fans with brilliant performances, including a reprise of his iconic role in Kholstomer. His acting career spanned over six decades, encompassing more than 60 film and television roles and over 100 stage roles. He received the "Golden Nymphe" award at the Monte-Carlo International Film Festival for a supporting role in the film 'Blokada' (1977).
Lebedev was twice awarded the State Prize of the USSR (1950 and 1968) and received the State Lenin Prize in 1986. He earned numerous honors and awards for his contributions to film and theatre and was named People's Artist of the USSR in 1968. He passed away on June 9, 1997, in St. Petersburg, Russia, and was buried in the Necropolis of the Masters of Arts at the St. Aleksandr Nevsky Convent in St. Petersburg.
