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Mikhail Ivanovich Zharov, born on October 27, 1899, in Moscow, Russian Empire, was a celebrated Russian actor known for his work in silent films and a distinguished career that was interrupted during Joseph Stalin's dictatorship.
His father worked at a printing press, and from a young age, Zharov developed a passion for theater. In 1915, at just 16 years old, he was discovered backstage imitating the renowned Russian opera singer Feodor Chaliapin Sr. Rather than punishing him, Chaliapin was impressed by Zharov’s talent and encouraged him with a signed photograph. Zharov was a permanent member of Vsevolod Meyerhold’s Theatre from 1921 to 1925 and toured Russia with various troupes during the 1920s. Between 1931 and 1938, he was part of the Moscow Chamber Theatre led by Aleksandr Tairov.
Zharov made his film debut in the silent movie Ivan the Terrible (1915) and appeared in several silent films throughout the 1920s. His breakthrough role came in 1931 as the gangster Zhigan in Road to Life. His fame increased through collaborations with directors Grigoriy Kozintsev and Leonid Trauberg in the Maksim trilogy. In 1941, he received the Stalin Prize for his supporting role as Menshikov in Conquests of Peter the Great, Parts One and Two. He earned a second Stalin Prize for portraying Maluta Skuratov in Ivan the Terrible, Part I (1944), alongside Nikolay Cherkasov.
From 1938 until his death in 1981, Zharov was a key member of the Maly Academic Theatre in Moscow, performing alongside prominent actors such as Yelena Gogoleva, A. Yablochkina, Varvara Massalitinova, and Igor Ilyinsky. His stage work was highly regarded by leading figures like Vsevolod Meyerhold, Konstantin Stanislavsky, Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko, and Aleksandr Tairov.
In 1952, Zharov's career suffered when his father-in-law was falsely accused of plotting to assassinate Stalin in the so-called "Doctors' Affair," a campaign orchestrated by Stalin to intimidate Russia's intellectual elite. As a result, Zharov was blacklisted, losing film roles and stage opportunities amid the climate of suspicion and political repression. However, 15 years after Stalin's death, Zharov made a triumphant return, starring in and directing the popular Aniskin film trilogy.
Honored as a People's Artist of the USSR and Russia, Mikhail Zharov appeared in over 20 films and portrayed more than 100 roles on stage. He passed away on December 15, 1981, and was buried at Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow.
