“He saved the theater”: Yuri Solomin was seen off on his last journey to a standing ovation

Moscow said goodbye to the actor and director, People's Artist of the USSR Yuri Solomin, who died on January 11 at the age of 89. The funeral ceremony took place at the State Academic Maly Theater, which he directed for 35 years.

 

Many famous people came to see off the actor on his last journey, including artists Stanislav Lyubshin, Sergei Garmash, Dmitry Pevtsov, Valery Afanasyev, Vasily Bochkarev, film director Dmitry Barshchevsky, director Andrei Zhitinkin, rector of the Shchepkinsky Theater School Boris Lyubimov, head of the Investigative Committee Alexander Bystrykin, assistant President Vladimir Medinsky, leader of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation Gennady Zyuganov.

“Fate brought us together a long time ago. Yuri Methodievich was born into a family of music teachers. And when he saw a film about the Maly Theater and its masters, he forever wished to come to this sanctuary of our culture. He was quickly accepted and proved himself to be a talented actor. He was capable of any role,” Zyuganov noted.

Bastrykin added that the director was the keeper of the traditions of Russian classical theater.

“I would like to say a huge thank you to Yuri Methodievich for the fact that our cooperation, sealed by a formal agreement, was not formal at all. It was very human, very honest and open,” he emphasized.

Medinsky pointed out that Solomin was one of those people whose talent was evident in everything. The former Minister of Culture called the actor a kind of rock against which new-fangled theatrical trends crashed.

“All this is due to his amazing character. I have seen very few people like Yuri Methodievich. Fantastic, deep knowledge, intelligence, nobility,” Medinsky said.

People's Artist Andrei Zhitinkin noted that Solomin saved the theater when the Soviet Union was collapsing.

“He saved the theater when the Soviet Union was collapsing. When the bacchanalia and permissiveness began, he was always, like a staunch soldier, guarding the theater,” Zhitinkin emphasized.

Let us remind you that in November 2023, People's Artist of the USSR Yuri Solomin suffered a stroke, the actor was paralyzed on the left side of his body. On January 9 he was discharged from the hospital. The director of the Maly Theater Tamara Mikhailova then said that Yuri Methodievich was feeling well. But on January 11, tragic news came: the artist died at the age of 89 . Solomin is known for the films “His Excellency’s Adjutant” , “Walking in Torment”, “Dersu Uzala”, “School Waltz” , “An Ordinary Miracle” , “TASS is Authorized to Declare” and others.