(Born on August 4, 1945)

People’s Artist of Russia

Victor Smirnov graduated from Gorky Theater College in 1972; he was admitted immediately afterwards to Penza Regional Drama Theater named after A. Lunacharsky. In the ten years, he played more than 40 roles on this stage. In 1983, Victor Smirnov was admitted to the troupe of the Alexandrinsky Theater. The role of Pugachev in the legendary performance of Rostislav Goryayev’s “The Captain’s Daughter” after A. Pushkin became his first role on the famous stage (1984). This role brought the actor doubtless success and had immediately put him into the group of the leading theater masters. There are no insignificant roles in the sequence of the following roles of the actor. In the1980s-1990s, he was involved in practically each major performance of the theater. He played the following roles: Zheleznov (“Vassa Zheleznova,” M. Gorky, 1985), Mitrich (“The Power of Darkness,” L. Tolstoy, 1986), Moskalev (“Uncle’s Dream,” F. Dostoyevsky, 1987), Writer (“A Suicide,” N. Erdman, 1988), Shalyapin (“The Bells,” Yu. Nagibin, 1989), Skotinin (“Ignoramus,” D. Fonvisin, 1990), Bolshov (“Scratch My Back and I’ll Scratch Yours!” A. Ostrovsky, 1990),  Hamlet and Claudius (“Hamlet,” W. Shakespeare, 1992 and 1997), Otello ( “Otello,” W. Shakespeare, 1993), Bugrov (“Platonov,” A. Chekhov, 1994), Chebutykin (“The Three Sisters,” A. Chekhov, 1996),   Famusov (“Woes of Wits,” A. Griboyedov, 1996),   He (“Sorry,” A. Galin, 1996), Peter I (“A Saga of the Tzar Peter and His Slain Son Alexey,” F. Gorenshtein, 1997), Yaichnitsa (“Marriage,” N. Gogol, 1998),   Shalyapin in the mono-performance “Farewell, Russia!” created after the auto biographical prose of F. Shalypin “The Masque and the Soul,” (1999), Patriarch (“Boris Godunov,” A. Pushkin, 1999), Don Luis (“Don Juan,” Moliere, 2000).

Powerful characters, unordinary human fates, broad scale of passions -- all this is in the command of Victor Smirnov, undoubtedly an unordinary and powerful actor. He can play heroic and caustic satire roles, as well as amorous repertoire. An actor of a clearly indicated individual theme, Victor Smirnov is also a master of impersonation. These qualities of his talent are highly demanded by directors of various generations and staging schools. In the recent time, the actor played in performances of Alexander Galibin (Peter I in “A Saga of the Tzar Peter and His Slain Son Alexey”), Alexander Belinsky (Yaichnitsa in N. Gogol’s “Marriage”); Vladimir Golub (Doll Maker in the”Vanity Fair” by W. Thakeray, 2002,  and in A. Ostrovsky’s “No Man Is Wise at All Times, 2002). Theater critic Lilia Shitenburg wrote about the role of Mamayev: “Victor Smirnov demonstrates to the public yet another variation of the theme of a charming man-eater (his Famusov is unforgettable). He kisses the hand of his spouse with great enthusiasm, energetically pats Glumov’s cheek and has a great taste of flavorful Ostrovsky’s remarks. This actor is nearly what only is left in the Alexandrinsky Theater from the imperial, broad scale and luxurious… He manages to be kind and grandiose at the same time.” (“Kommersant,” ? 51, March 26, 2002).  The most recent Victor Smirnov’s major work became the role of Judge Lyapkin-Tyapkin in Valery Fokin’s performance “Inspector General” (2002). The Actor created in this performance a bright, modern image of a smart and experienced official, an intriguer to the marrow of his bones; in fact, an impersonation of the entire bureaucratic Russia. In new version of W.Shakespeare's Hamlet (Director Valery Fokin, 2010) Viktor Smirnov plays the role of Polonius.

Victor Smirnov played in more than 40 films and soap operas.

In 2006, Victor Smirnov was honored with the Order of Friendship (Verdict of the President of Russia ? 392 as of April 17, 2006). 

 In the performance “The Taming of the Shrew” by W. Shakespeare (Director Oskaras Korshunovas, 2010) he is playing the First Eger and the troupe’s coryphaeus - the Lord, who is assuming the role of Baptista, a rich nobleman and the Father of the obstinate Katharine. In Andrey Moguchy and K. Filippov’s performance “The Fortune” he plays the role of a member of the Orchestra of Forgotten Things’ Souls (Director Andrey Moguchy, 2011).