Valentin Gaft shed light on information about a sharp deterioration in well-being. Gaft's wife Olga Ostroumova. Valentin Iosifovich Gaft: biography, personal life, creativity Works of recent years

Valentin Gaft - a bright and extraordinary actor, a talented poet, was born in Moscow on 09/02/1935.

Childhood

He was lucky to be born into a wealthy family. His father worked as a prosecutor, his mother was a housewife. She did not have a good education, but she was a fairly erudite woman, she read a lot, was very fond of the theater, and could keep up a conversation on almost any topic.

Housekeeping in the Gaft family was handled by a visiting housekeeper. The mother could concentrate all her attention on her son and husband. She considered herself a completely happy woman, because, having grown up in a large rural family, she had her own house, lived in comfort and prosperity.

But her mother was not ashamed of her roots. Moreover, he and little Valya often went to visit the village, where his grandfather worked as a cab driver. The boy liked it there. It was like a trip to another world, where the smell of mowed grass and hay, and the animals trustingly turned their backs and licked his hands.

In childhood

But then the war began, and a good fairy tale was replaced by a terrible one. Father and cousin, who was already 19 years old, went to the front from the very first days. And she and her mother remained in Moscow. For the rest of his life, Valentine remembered the damp smell of a bomb shelter and the all-consuming fear from night raids.

In 1944, his father, all wounded, again ended up in Moscow, to the great joy of his wife and son. He lay in the hospital for a long time, slowly recovering from his wounds. The war rolled back further and further. And finally, the voice of Levitan announced that everything was over, and peacetime had come again.

Life gradually improved. Valentin went to the cinema, listened to gramophone records with friends and played football in the yard in the summer. He was easily carried away, but cooled down just as quickly. As a teenager, he suddenly wanted to become a pianist. But while he and his mother were choosing the right tool, Roller managed to burn out with this idea.

He also had little interest in studies. And since the parents raised their only son without much strictness, in high school he picked up so many bad grades that one could not even dream of entering a prestigious university. It was then that Gaft had the first idea to become an artist.

Being a fan of cinema and very far from the theatrical world, he imagined the work of an actor to be the easiest that could be. He went on stage, said a few phrases - and that's it. But, having heard from his friends that theater competitions can reach up to 30 people per place, he decided to play it safe and enrolled in amateur school activities.

It should be noted that in those years boys and girls were taught separately. So the performances sometimes looked very funny, because the guys had to play the female roles too. For example, Gaft himself somehow got the role of the bride in the production of "Proposal" according to Chekhov.

Career

Sighing with great relief that the long-awaited certificate was finally in his hands, Gaft immediately took the documents to the Moscow Art Theater School. Without realizing how, he won the first round of the competition. But the fact that he would have to read a fable in their faces, Gaft thought simply with horror. He recalls how he plucked up courage and asked Sergei Stolyarov, who he met in the corridors of the school, for help. And he refused to help him. So Gaft still became a student.

From the very first days, he became friends with senior students Mikhail Kozakov and Igor Kvasha, who were great at helping with advice at first. But some internal complexes for a long time prevented him from fully opening up. He was terribly shy when he saw living idols next to him. And, when he first got on the set, he was so confused that he could not say the right words.

At first, Gaft's theatrical career was very difficult. Having been assigned to the theater of the Moscow City Council, he very quickly flew out of there, not liking the leadership. Then there was an attempt to debut on the stage of the Theater of Satire. But it also turned out to be a complete failure. He mixed up the actresses, ruined the scenery and was one big misunderstanding.

Having replaced three more troupes in a few years, Gaft, by the will of fate, ended up in the Lenin Komsomol Theater, where he was personally received by the great director Anatoly Efros. It was he who saw the huge potential of the young actor and helped him to fully reveal his talent and get rid of complexes.

And in 1969, he, already a brilliant and sought-after actor, was lured to Sovremennik by Oleg Efremov. Not the last role in this transition was played by the fact that his fellow students Igor Kvasha and who had become a director by that time had already worked there for a long time. She gave Gaft interesting and vivid roles, further revealing his talent.

A career in cinema, which began with a complete failure, was also quite difficult. Although, starting in 1965, he was regularly invited to appear, the roles he usually got were quite insignificant, so that the audience for a long time could not even remember him by sight.

The first bright appearance on the screen was the comedic role of the butler in the brilliant film "Hello, I'm your aunt!". In the same year, he made his debut in the main, playing Lopatin in the production-themed film "From Lopatin's Notes". After that, the directors began to treat the artist differently, and the genius of Soviet comedy Eldar Ryazanov even drew attention to him.

It was Ryazanov who appreciated the versatility and subtle sense of humor of Gaft. Their first collaboration was the film Garage, where Valentin played the chairman of a garage cooperative. A skillfully selected galaxy of star actors made the film with a rather mediocre script a classic of Soviet cinema. And Gaft was finally recognized and loved by the audience.

In 1980, Gaft received a new offer from Ryazanov, which he accepted with great pleasure. He gets the role of the commander of the hussar regiment in the musical comedy "Shut up a word about the poor hussar." Thus, the actor is gradually moving into the category of recognizable and in demand.

The success was consolidated by another musical film "Magicians", based on the novel by the Strugatsky brothers, where Gaft gets one of the main roles - deputy director Sataneev. In total, in the filmography of the artist today there are already about a hundred large and small works.

Personal life

The first love of the future artist, in which he did not admit then, was the neighbor's girl Dina. Even then, in his youth, he realized that the state of being in love inspires, inspires, gives rise to a desire to be the best and perform feats. Perhaps that is why it was difficult for him to stay with one woman for a long time.

But the first serious relationship was an affair with fashion model Alena Izorgina, who soon became his wife. Living conditions were just terrible. They lived with Alena's mother in a cramped, semi-dark apartment on the first floor. Alena was madly in love with animals and constantly dragged them into the house. Therefore, Gaft's flatmates were also cats, dogs, pigeons, and, of course, bedbugs and cockroaches.

At the same time, Alena regularly traveled abroad, and Gaft spent more and more time in the theater and on the set. Both of them periodically had hobbies on the side. The marriage lasted exactly until Alena met her new love - the famous film critic Dal Orlov. She asked for a divorce and Gaft did not interfere with her happiness.

The second wife of Gaft was a very beautiful and wealthy woman Inna Eliseeva, the daughter of a Stalinist laureate. She could afford to live quite luxuriously on her father's money, without working anywhere, and rolled around Moscow in her own Zhiguli. But the father-in-law from the very beginning took Valentine with hostility, and even when the couple had a daughter, his attitude did not change. He considered Gaft an idler who could not feed his family. One day he got tired of it, and he left forever.

Gaft continued to maintain a relationship with his daughter, but she committed suicide in 2002, while still very young. The death of the girl was preceded by an unsuccessful admission to the theater. She also dreamed of becoming an actress, but did not have enough talent for this. Even the fact that her father and his new wife worked with her did not help. The last straw was unhappy love and constant criticism from the mother.

Valentin Gaft found family happiness only in adulthood, when Olga Ostroumova became his third wife. For the first time, fate brought them together on the set of Ryazanov's comedy "Garage", but then the artist only noted for himself her sophisticated beauty and femininity. Olga was married, and Gaft himself is also not free.

With wife Olga

But many years later, while watching one of the TV shows, he realized that Olga was left alone. Since then, he began to seek meetings with her and even organized one of them himself. But, being both disappointed by the previous relationship, they were wary of the new one. Therefore, they signed only a few years after the start of their romance.

They have no joint children, but Olga has a son and a daughter, to whom Valentin is very warm. Under the influence of Olga, he was baptized and even began to periodically go to church. Today, the artist says that he is perfectly happy. He took place in the profession, he has a beloved wife, wonderful children and grandchildren. In his spare time he writes poetry and epigrams.

Valentin Iosifovich Gaft(born September 2, 1935, Moscow) - Soviet and Russian theater and film actor. People's Artist of the RSFSR (1984).

Biography

Valentin Gaft was born in Moscow, in a Jewish family from the Poltava region (Priluki). His father, Iosif Ruvimovich Gaft (1907-1969), a military lawyer of the 3rd rank, a participant in the Great Patriotic War (from 1941 to March 1944 he fought on the Western Front, was awarded the medal "For Military Merit"), after the war he worked as a lawyer in a legal consultation on the Leningrad highway; mother, Gita Davydovna Gaft (1908-1993), was a housewife.

Even at school, Valentin began to participate in amateur performances, played in school plays. I decided to enter the theater school secretly and applied immediately to the Shchukin school and the Moscow Art Theater School. By chance, two days before the exams, Gaft met the famous actor Sergei Stolyarov on the street and asked to "listen" to him. Stolyarov was surprised, but did not refuse and even helped with advice. In the Shchukin School, Valentin Gaft passed the first round, but did not pass the second. However, he entered the Moscow Art Theater School on the first attempt, passing the exam with excellent marks.

In 1957 he graduated from the Moscow Art Theater School (workshop of V. O. Toporkov), made his debut on the stage of the Mossovet Theater (with recommendations from D. N. Zhuravlev). After some time, he moved to the Moscow Drama Theater (now the Theater on Malaya Bronnaya). Real works began to be obtained only from A. V. Efros at the Lenin Komsomol Theater (now Lenkom). Since 1969 - actor of the Sovremennik Theater.

He made his film debut in 1956 in the film "Murder on Dante Street" (in the role of one of the episodic characters - the killer). He was very popular in the roles of "film villains", having a pronounced negative charisma. He was remembered by many for his bright roles in Eldar Ryazanov's sharply social films "Garage" and "Say a word about the poor hussar ..."

Wife - actress Olga Ostroumova (since 1996), under whose influence he was baptized into Orthodoxy.

views

Valentin Gaft has repeatedly advocated for the protection of animals: for the adoption of a law against cruelty, the introduction of the post of Commissioner for Animal Rights, and an end to the persecution of veterinarians for the use of anesthesia. In 2000, he was among cultural figures who condemned the return to the Soviet anthem to the music of Alexandrov.

In 2015, the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine included Gaft in the so-called "white list" of artists who "support the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country." The actor associated this fact with the publication on the network on his behalf of poems critical of the Russian authorities, the authorship of which he denied. Later, in an interview, Valentin Gaft called himself a "Putinist." He stated that he trusts Russian television and the state, considers the transfer of Crimea to Ukraine unfair and lays responsibility for the war in Donbass on Kyiv. After that, the artist was included in the list of persons posing a threat to the national security of Ukraine. According to Gaft, this was done because of his love for his country and his president, since he does not consider Ukrainians to be enemies.

Awards

Order of Merit for the Fatherland, II degree (September 2, 2010) - for his great contribution to the development of domestic theatrical art and many years of creative activity
Order of Merit for the Fatherland, III degree (September 2, 2005) - for his great contribution to the development of theatrical art and many years of creative activity
Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" IV degree (February 15, 2016) - for a great contribution to the development of national culture and many years of fruitful activity
Order of Friendship (August 11, 1995) - for services to the state and successes achieved in work, a great contribution to strengthening friendship and cooperation between peoples

Honored Artist of the RSFSR (February 2, 1978)
People's Artist of the RSFSR (June 22, 1984)
1995 - Laureate of the Tsarskoye Selo Art Prize
1995 - Laureate of the theater award named after I. M. Smoktunovsky (first prize winner)
2007 - Laureate of the international theater award named after K. S. Stanislavsky in the nomination "for contribution to the development of the acting art of Russia"
2009 - Laureate of the Theater Star Award in the Best Solo nomination
2011 - Laureate of the Russian National Actor Award named after Andrei Mironov "Figaro".
2012 - Laureate of the "Golden Eagle" award in the nomination "For contribution to the national cinema"
2012 - Laureate of the "Crystal Turandot" award in the nomination "For long-term and valiant service to the theater"
2015 - Sergey Mikhalkov Commemorative Gold Medal (Russian Cultural Foundation)

Valentin Iosifovich Gaft. Born September 2, 1935 in Moscow. Soviet and Russian theater and film actor. People's Artist of the RSFSR (1984).

Valentin Gaft was born on September 2, 1935 in Moscow, into a Jewish family of immigrants from the Poltava province (Priluki).

Father - Iosif Ruvimovich Gaft (1907-1969), a participant in the Great Patriotic War, worked as a lawyer in the Legal Advice on Leningradsky Prospekt.

Mother - Gita Davydovna Gaft (1908-1993), was a housewife.

In the Shchukin School, Valentin Gaft passed the first round, but did not pass the second. However, he entered the Moscow Art Theater School on the first attempt, passing the exam with excellent marks.

In 1957 he graduated from the Moscow Art Theater School, workshop of V. O. Toporkov. He made his debut on the stage of the Mossovet Theatre, having received recommendations from D.N. Zhuravlev, among his works: The Second Detective (introduction) - “Lizzy McKay” based on the play by J.-P. Sartre "The Virtuous Whore"; "King Lear" by William Shakespeare; Son - "Cornelia" based on the play by M. Chorcholini; Bunny - "Favorable Groom" based on the play by the Tur brothers.

In 1958 he played on the stage of the Theater of Satire: Scientist - "Shadow" based on the play of the same name by E. Schwartz.

Then he served in the Moscow Drama Theater, played in performances: "Love's Labour's Lost"; "Third Head" based on the play by Marcel Aimé; Tom - "Barba" based on the play by Y. Masevich; Goga - "Argonauts" based on the play by Y. Edlis; “A man is alive” by V. E. Maksimov; "Visit of a Lady" by F. Dürrenmatt.

In 1965-1966 - actor of the Theater. Lenin Komsomol: Evdokimov (input) - “104 pages about love” based on the play by E. Radzinsky; Marquis d'Orsigny - "Molière" based on the play by M. Bulgakov.

After some time, he moved to the Theater on Malaya Bronnaya, among his works: Salty Vasily Vasilyevich, staff captain - “Three Sisters” based on the play by A.P. Chekhov; Kolobashkin - "The Seducer Kolobashkin" based on the play by E. Radzinsky.

Since 1969 - actor of the Sovremennik Theater.

Works by Valentin Gaft at the Sovremennik Theater:

1970 - Aduev Sr. (introduction to the role of M. Kozakov) - “An Ordinary Story”, staged by V. Rozov based on the novel by I. A. Goncharov, director Galina Volchek;
1970 - Steklov-Nakhamkes (introduction to the role of M. Kozakov) - "Bolsheviks", based on the play by M. Shatrov, directors Oleg Efremov, Galina Volchek;
1971 - Martin - "Own Island", based on the play by R. Kaugver, director Galina Volchek;
1971 - Gusev - "Valentin and Valentina", based on the play by M. Roshchin, director Valery Fokin;
1973 - Glumov - "Balalaikin and Co.", a play by S. V. Mikhalkov based on the novel by M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin "Modern Idyll", director Georgy Tovstonogov;
1973 - Zhgenti - "Weather for tomorrow", based on the play by M. Shatrov, directors Galina Volchek, I. Reichelgauz, Valery Fokin;
1974 - Lopatin - "From Lopatin's Notes", based on the play by K. Simonov, director I. Reichelgauz (there is a TV version of the play);
1976 - Firs - "The Cherry Orchard", based on the play of the same name by A.P. Chekhov, director Galina Volchek;
1977 - Kukharenko - "Feedback", based on the play by A. Gelman, directors Galina Volchek, M. Ali-Hussein;
1978 - Henry IV - "Henry IV", based on the play by L. Pirandello, director Lilia Tolmacheva;
1980 - Gorelov - "Hurry to do good", based on the play by M. Roshchin, director Galina Volchek;
1981 - Louis XIV - "The Cabal of the Saints", based on the play by M. Bulgakov, director Igor Kvasha;
1982 - Vershinin - "Three Sisters", based on the play by A.P. Chekhov, director Galina Volchek;
1983 - Governor - "The Government Inspector", based on the play by N. V. Gogol, director Valery Fokin;
1984 - George - "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?", Based on the play by E. Albee, director Valery Fokin (there is a TV version of the 1992 play);
1986 - "Amateurs" - author's evening of theater artists;
1988 - Boston - "The Block", based on the novel by Ch. Aitmatov, director Galina Volchek;
1989 - Rakhlin - "A domestic cat of medium fluffiness", based on the play by V. Voinovich and G. Gorin, director Igor Kvasha;
1992 - Leyser - "Difficult people", based on the play by J. Bar-Yosef, director Galina Volchek;
1992 - Miranda - "Death and the Maiden", based on the play by A. Dorfman, director Galina Volchek;
1994 - Higgins - "Pygmalion", based on the play by B. Shaw, director Galina Volchek;
1998 - Kukin - "Accompanist", based on the play by A. Galin, director Alexander Galin;
2000 - Valentin - "Go away, go away", based on the play by N. Kolyada, director Nikolai Kolyada;
2001 - Glumov - "Balalaikin and Co.", a play by S. V. Mikhalkov based on the novel by M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin "Modern Idyll" (2nd edition), directors V. Gaft, Igor Kvasha, Alexander Nazarov;
2007 - He - "Hare love story", based on the play by N. Kolyada, director Galina Volchek;
2009 - Stalin - "Gaft's Dream, retold by Viktyuk", based on the play by V. Gaft, director Roman Viktyuk;
2013 - Weller Martin - "The Gin Game", based on the play by Donald L. Coburn, director Galina Volchek.

In 2001, Gaft made his directorial debut on the stage of Sovremennik. Together with I. Kvasha and A. Nazarov, he resumed the play "Balalaykin and Co", based on the novel by M. Saltykov-Shchedrin, where again, like a quarter of a century ago, he acted as Glumov.

He made his film debut in 1956 in the film Murder on Dante Street (as one of the episodic killers).

Success came to Valentin Gaft through collaboration with the director. The actor was called one of Ryazanov's favorite artists. In 1979, the comedy "Garage" was released, in which Gaft played the chairman of the garage-building cooperative Sidorkin, and the phrases of his hero went to the people.

Valentin Gaft in the film "Garage"

In 1980, the Ryazan vaudeville “Say a Word About the Poor Hussar” was released, where Valentin Iosifovich played Colonel Pokrovsky.

Valentin Gaft in the film "Say a Word About the Poor Hussar"

In 1987, the wonderful melodrama-comedy "Forgotten Melody for the Flute" appeared, where Gaft brilliantly portrayed the official Odinkov. In the early 1990s, viewers saw Valentin Iosifovich as the president of homeless intellectuals in the film-parable "Promised Heaven". In the late 1990s, the actor played a general in Ryazanov's tragicomedy The Old Horses.

Valentin Gaft in the film "Promised Heaven"

Among other notable works are Brasset's rolelake in Titov's comedy "Hello, I'm your aunt!", Apollon Mitrofanovich Sataneev in the comedy "Magicians", in the New Year's fairy tale "Orphan of Kazan" by Vladimir Mashkov, in Pyotr Todorovsky's film "Anchor, more anchor!", where he played Colonel Vinogradov.

Valentin Gaft in the film "Anchor, more anchor!"

Valentin Gaft is a master of the epigram.

Gaft's auto epigram:

Gaft blew a lot of people
And in epigrams he ate it alive.
He filled his hand in this matter,
And we'll take the rest.

Epigrams about Valentin Gaft:

Gaft has no mind a single gram,
He's all gone to the epigrams. ( Mikhail Roshchin)

Gaft is not a device and not a figure,
Not a town in the remote taiga.
Gaft is an abbreviation for:
In short, something that is on Ge ... ( Mikhail Roshchin)

On Gaft? epigram?
Well, I do not!
After all, you can’t hide from him anywhere.
And Gaft, even though he is an actor, not a poet,
It will seal so much that you won’t wash off ... ( Alexander Ivanov)

Socio-political position of Valentin Gaft

In January 2010, Valentin Gaft joined a group of well-known Russian cultural figures, among whom were also Elena Kamburova, Sergey Yursky, Inna Churikova and Andrei Makarevich, who turned to the authorities with a proposal to introduce the post of Commissioner for Animal Rights.

“It’s just insulting and disgusting, because this is not the way to fight. Ukraine needs to be smarter, not to ban paintings, no matter who makes them. They found something there that they are ashamed of, some truth about themselves, ”Gaft said in response.

Valentin Gaft in the program "Temporarily available"

Height of Valentin Gaft: 187 centimeters.

Personal life of Valentin Gaft:

Was married three times.

The first wife is a fashion model and artist Elena Izorgina. The marriage quickly broke up - Izorgina fell in love with film critic Dal Orlov.

The second wife is the ballerina Inna Eliseeva. According to the artist, married to him, Inna was a housewife, her parents belonged to the party elite. Gaft divorced Eliseeva in the early 1980s. They had his only daughter Olga - she committed suicide in 2002, which was a huge shock for the actor.

The third wife is an actress. We met on the set of the Ryazan comedy "Garage", but the relationship began much later. Married since 1996. Valentin Gaft from the age of 10 raised the son of an actress from a previous marriage, Mikhail. Under the influence of his wife, he was baptized into Orthodoxy.

Valentin Gaft and Olga Ostroumova

The actor has an illegitimate son, Vadim. He first saw him on a talk show on Channel One in October 2014. He was born by the Moscow artist Elena Nikitina. They met when he was not yet a superstar at one of the theater evenings. They liked each other and started dating. But when Elena became pregnant, Gaft left and disappeared from her life. And three years later they met by chance on the street. Elena said that she gave birth to a son, whom she named Vadim. Valentin Iosifovich asked for a photo of the boy, hid it in the inner pocket of his jacket ... And a year later, Elena with her little son and mother flew to Brazil, where her sister settled, who married a foreigner.

Vadim, who followed in the footsteps of Gaft and works as an actor in the Brazilian theater. Then Vadim said that Gaft has a grandson Valentin, who was born with him on the same day.

Valentin Gaft now

Filmography of Valentin Gaft:

1956 - Murder on Dante Street - Rouge
1958 - Oleko Dundich - Serbian soldier
1960 - Russian souvenir - Claude Gerard, French composer
1960 - Normandie-Niemen - Millais
1961 - Submarine - Jim Temple
1965 - We, the Russian people - Boer
1966 - Two years over the abyss - an officer in a restaurant
1967 - First courier - gendarmerie officer
1968 - Intervention - Long, French soldier
1968 - New - Konstantin Fedorovich, national team coach
1968 - Caliph-stork - Kashnur, magician
1969 - Wait for me, Anna is a clown
1969 - Family happiness (film almanac, short story "Avenger") - clerk in a weapons store
1970 - Amazing Boy - Dr. Capa
1970 - Road to Ryubetsal - Apanasenko
1970 - About love - Nikolai Nikolaevich, husband of Vera
1971 - Night on the 14th parallel - Dmitry Stepanov
1971 - Let's take off! - Azancheev
1971 - The Man from the Other Side - Andrey Izvolsky
1971 - Conspiracy - Casey
1973 - Seventeen Moments of Spring - Gevernitz, employee of Dulles
1973 - Cement - Dmitry Ivagin
1974 - Tanya - German Nikolayevich Balashov
1974 - Lot - Innokenty Zhiltsov
1974 - Ivan da Marya - treasurer
1974 - Moscow, my love - choreographer
1974 - Miracle with pigtails - interlocutor
1975 - Olga Sergeevna - Troyankin
1975 - Hello, I'm your aunt! - Brasset, butler
1975 - For the rest of his life - Kramin, paralyzed second lieutenant
1975 - From the notes of Lopatin - Lopatin
1976 - Crazy Gold - Horace Logan
1976 - Day train - Igor
1976 - The Tale of an Unknown Actor - Roman Semyonovich Znamensky, director
1977 - Girl, do you want to act in films? - Pavel, director
1977 - Almost a funny story - fellow traveler on the train, supply
1977 - Fight in a snowstorm - recidivist robber Stranger
1978 - Centaurs - Andres, conspirator
1978 - Kings and Cabbage - Frank Goodwin, "Kid"
1978 - Players - Stepan Ivanovich Comforting
1979 - Garage - Valentin Mikhailovich Sidorin, chairman of the board of the garage cooperative, veterinarian
1979 - Men and women - George
1979 - Today and tomorrow - Rassolov
1979 - Morning round - Alik
1979 - Circus - Georges
1980 - Say a word about the poor hussar - Colonel Ivan Antonovich Pokrovsky, commander of the cavalry regiment
1980 - Black chicken, or Underground inhabitants - Deforge, French teacher / King
1980 - Three years - Yartsev
1982 - If the enemy does not surrender ... - Stemmermann, German general
1982 - The Adventures of Count Nevzorov - text from the author behind the scenes
1982 - Saturday and Sunday (c / m) - psychologist
1982 - Customs - Vladimir Nikolaevich Nikitin, head of the inspection group
1982 - - Apollon Mitrofanovich Sataneev, Deputy Director of the NUINU Institute
1983 - Vertical racing - Lyokha Dedushkin, recidivist thief named "Baton"
1984 - Eight days of hope - Igor Artemyevich Belokon, director of the mine
1985 - Contract of the Century - Smith, CIA agent
1985 - About a cat ... - Cannibal
1986 - Year of the calf - Valerian Sergeevich
1986 - My dearly beloved detective - Lester, inspector
1986 - Along the main street with an orchestra - Konstantin Mikhailovich Vinogradov, musical arranger
1986 - Fuete - Poet
1987 - Forgotten melody for flute - Odinokov
1987 - The Journey of Monsieur Perrichon - Major Mathieu
1987 - Visit to the Minotaur - Pavel Petrovich Ikonnikov, employee of the Serpentarium
1987 - Time to fly - Victor
1987 - The life of Klim Samgin - Valery Nikolaevich Trifonov, drunkard officer
1988 - Thieves in law - "authority" Arthur
1988 - Aelita, don't pester men - Vasily Ivanovich Skameikin
1988 - Expensive pleasure - William Ter-Ivanov
1989 - Belshazzar's Feasts, or Night with Stalin - Lavrenty Pavlovich Beria
1989 - The Lady's Visit - Alfred Ill, a bankrupt shopkeeper
1990 - Suicide - entertainer
1990 - Football player - Norov
1991 - Promised Heaven - Dmitry Loginov, leader of the poor homeless, nicknamed "President"
1991 - Lost in Siberia - Lavrenty Pavlovich Beria
1991 - Night fun - Mikhail Fedorovich Ezepov, Anna's lover, Silin's boss
1991 - Terrorist - Victor
1992 - Anchor, more anchor! - Fedor Vasilyevich Vinogradov, Colonel
1993 - I want to go to America - Epstein
1994 - Master and Margarita - Woland
1994 - I'm free, I'm nobody's - Chesnokov
1996 - Arturo Ui's career. New Version - Actor
1997 - Kazan Orphan - Pavel Ottovich Brumel, magician
1999 - Sky in Diamonds - Deputy Minister
2000 - Old nags - Dubovitsky, general
2000 - House for the rich - Roman Petrovich
2000 - Tender Age - Saledon Sr.
2001 - Clock without hands
2002 - On the other side of the wolves - Igor Alekseevich Goloshchekov, doctor
2003 - Angel Days - Viktor Zuev
2003 - Everyone will ascend Calvary - Uncle Sasha
2004 - Snow love, or a Dream on a winter night - Oleg Konstantinovich, vice-grandfather
2004 - Everything starts with love
2005 - Nine unknowns - Viktor Sevidov, billionaire
2005 - Swan Paradise - Grishin
2005 - Master and Margarita - high priest of Kaif; man in jacket
2006 - Carnival Night 2, or 50 years later - Boris Glebovich Perlovsky, political strategist
2007 - 12th - 4th juror
2007 - Leningrad - theater director
2009 - Autumn Flowers - Alfred
2009 - Attraction - Alexander Nikolaevich
2009 - Book of Masters - magic mirror
2010 - Burnt by the Sun 2: Anticipation - Jew, prisoner Pimen
2010 - Family house - Vasily Petrovich Shvets, neighbor of the Sokolovs
2011 - Marines - Lazar Semyonovich Goldman, gynecologist
2011 - The Life and Adventures of Mishka Yaponchik - Mendel Gersh
2013 - Studio 17 - Andrey Ivanovich Dorokhov Soviet director
2013 - Yolki 3 - Nikolai Petrovich, a lonely pensioner
2013 - The path of the leader. Fire river. Iron Mountain - Arkady Iosifovich Preobrazhensky
2014 - The story of an old woman - Gavriil Moiseevich Fishman
2014 - Breaking the vicious circle - Arkady Iosifovich Preobrazhensky, Professor of Karaganda University
2015 - Milky Way

Sounding of cartoons by Valentin Gaft:

1973 - Like a cat with a dog
1977 - Feast of Disobedience
1978 - Postman's Tale
1981 - Dog in boots - Noble
1982 - Birth of Hercules
1987 - Magic Bells - King
1987 - Egret
2008 - New adventures of Grandma Yozhka - Raven
2012 - From the screw - Experienced - Il-2 attack aircraft

Literary creativity of Valentin Gaft:

Verse and epigram (1989)
Valentin Gaft (1996, together with artist N. Safronov)
I gradually learn (1997)
Life is a theater (1998, co-authored with Leonid Filatov)
Garden of Forgotten Memories (1999)
Poems, memories, epigrams (2000)
Shadows on the Water (2001)
Poems. Epigrams (2003)
Red Lanterns (2008)

A song was written to the lyrical verses "Me and You" (music by Brandon Stone), performed by Sati Kazanova

Valentin Iosifovich Gaft (b. September 2, 1935, Moscow) is a Soviet and Russian theater and film actor. People's Artist of the RSFSR (1984).

Valentin Iosifovich Gaft
Date of birth: September 2, 1935
Place of birth: Moscow, USSR
Citizenship: CCC Russia
Profession: actor
Career: 1956 - present time

Valentin Gaft was born in Moscow, in a Jewish family from the Poltava province (Priluki). His father - Iosif Ruvimovich Gaft (1907-1969), a participant in the Great Patriotic War, worked as a lawyer in the Legal Advice on Leningradsky Prospekt; mother, Gita Davydovna Gaft (1908-1993), was a housewife.

Even at school, Valentin began to participate in amateur performances, played in school plays. I decided to enter the theater school secretly and applied immediately to the Shchukin school and the Moscow Art Theater School. By chance, two days before the exams, Gaft met the famous actor Sergei Stolyarov on the street and asked to "listen" to him. Stolyarov, although surprised, did not refuse and even helped with advice. In the Shchukin School, Valentin Gaft passed the first round, but did not pass the second. However, he entered the Moscow Art Theater School on the first attempt, passing the exam with excellent marks.

In 1957 he graduated from the Moscow Art Theater School (workshop of V. O. Toporkov), made his debut on the stage of the Mossovet Theater (with recommendations from D. N. Zhuravlev). After some time, he moved to the Theater on Malaya Bronnaya, then - with A. A. Goncharov in a small theater on Spartakovskaya Street. Real work began to be obtained only from A. V. Efros in Lenkom. Since 1969 - actor of the Sovremennik Theater.

He made his film debut in 1956 in the film "Murder on Dante Street" (as one of the episodic killers). He was very popular in the roles of "film villains", having a pronounced negative charisma. He was remembered by many for his bright roles in Eldar Ryazanov's sharply social films "Garage" and "Say a word about the poor hussar ..."

Wife - actress Olga Ostroumova (since 1996), under whose influence he was baptized into Orthodoxy.
January 2010 Valentin Gaft joined a group of well-known Russian cultural figures, among whom were also Elena Kamburova, Sergey Yursky, Inna Churikova and Andrei Makarevich, who turned to the authorities with a proposal to introduce the post of Commissioner for Animal Rights.

Awards
Order of Merit for the Fatherland, 2nd class (September 2, 2010) - for his great contribution to the development of domestic theatrical art and many years of creative activity
Order of Merit for the Fatherland, 3rd class (September 2, 2005) - for his great contribution to the development of theatrical art and many years of creative activity
Order of Friendship (August 11, 1995) - for services to the state and successes achieved in work, a great contribution to strengthening friendship and cooperation between peoples

Gaft at the Crystal Turandot award ceremony
1984 - People's Artist of the RSFSR.
1995 - Laureate of the Tsarskoye Selo Art Prize
1995 - Laureate of the theater award named after I. M. Smoktunovsky (first prize winner)
2007 - Laureate of the international theater award named after K. S. Stanislavsky in the nomination "for contribution to the development of the acting art of Russia"
2009 - Laureate of the Theater Star Award in the Best Solo nomination
2011 - Laureate of the Russian National Actor Award named after Andrei Mironov "Figaro".
2012 - Laureate of the "Golden Eagle" award in the nomination "For contribution to the national cinema"
2012 - Laureate of the "Crystal Turandot" award in the nomination "For long-term and valiant service to the theater"

Creativity[edit | edit wiki text]
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Roles in the theater[edit | edit wiki text]
(Incomplete list)

Mossovet Theater (1957-1958)[edit | edit wiki text]
1957 - Second Detective (introduction) - "Lizzy McKay", based on the play by J.-P. Sartre "The Virtuous Whore", director I. Anisimova-Wulf
1958 - Son - "Cornelia", based on the play by M. Chorcholini, directors Yuri Zavadsky and Boris Dokutovich
1958 - Bunny - "The Profitable Groom", based on the play by the Tur brothers, director A. Shaps

1958 - Scientist - "Shadow", based on the play by E. Schwartz, director H. Lokshin
Theater on Spartakovskaya[edit | edit wiki text]
1961 - "The Third Head", based on the play by M. Aime, director A. Goncharov

1961 - Volume - “Barba”, based on the play by Y. Masevich, director A. Goncharov (there is a radio recording of the play)
1962 - Goga - "The Argonauts", based on the play by Y. Edlis, director A. Goncharov (there is a radio recording of the play)
Theatre. Leninist Komsomol[edit | edit wiki text]
1965 - Evdokimov (introduction) - “104 pages about love”, based on the play by E. Radzinsky, director Anatoly Efros
1966 - Marquis d'Orsigny - "Moliere", based on the play by M. Bulgakov, director Anatoly Efros
Theater on Malaya Bronnaya[edit | edit wiki text]
1967 - Salty - "Three Sisters", based on the play by A.P. Chekhov, director Anatoly Efros (banned)
1968 - Kolobashkin - "The Seducer Kolobashkin", based on the play by E. Radzinsky, director Anatoly Efros (banned)
Theater of Satire[edit | edit wiki text]
1969 - Count Almaviva - "Crazy Day, or The Marriage of Figaro", based on the play by Beaumarchais, director Valentin Pluchek
Moscow theater "Sovremennik"[edit | edit wiki text]
1970 - Aduev Sr. [introduction to the role of M. Kozakov] - “An Ordinary Story”, staged by V. Rozov based on the novel by I. A. Goncharov, director Galina Volchek
1970 - Steklov-Nakhamkes [introduction to the role of M. Kozakov] - "Bolsheviks", based on the play by M. Shatrov, directors Oleg Efremov, Galina Volchek
1971 - Martin - "Own Island", based on the play by R. Kaugver, director Galina Volchek
1971 - Gusev - "Valentin and Valentina", based on the play by M. Roshchin, director Valery Fokin
1973 - Glumov - "Balalaikin and Co.", a play by S. V. Mikhalkov based on the novel by M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin "Modern Idyll", director Georgy Tovstonogov
1973 - Zhgenti - “Weather for tomorrow”, based on the play by M. Shatrov, directors Galina Volchek, I. Reichelgauz, Valery Fokin
1974 - Lopatin - "From Lopatin's Notes", based on the play by K. Simonov, director I. Reichelgauz (there is a TV version of the play)
1976 - Firs - "The Cherry Orchard", based on the play by A.P. Chekhov, director Galina Volchek
1977 - Kukharenko - "Feedback", based on the play by A. Gelman, directors Galina Volchek, M. Ali-Hussein
1978 - Henry IV - "Henry IV", based on the play by L. Pirandello, director Lilia Tolmacheva
1980 - Gorelov - "Hurry to do good", based on the play by M. Roshchin, director Galina Volchek
1981 - Louis XIV - "The Cabal of the Holy", based on the play by M. Bulgakov, director Igor Kvasha
1982 - Vershinin - "Three Sisters", based on the play by A.P. Chekhov, director Galina Volchek
1983 - Governor - "The Government Inspector", based on the play by N. V. Gogol, director Valery Fokin
1984 - George - “Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” Based on the play by E. Albee, director Valery Fokin (there is a TV version of the 1992 play)
1986 - "Amateurs" - author's evening of theater artists
1988 - Boston - "The Scaffold", based on the novel by Ch. Aitmatov, director Galina Volchek
1989 - Rakhlin - "Domestic cat of medium fluffiness", based on the play by V. Voinovich and G. Gorin, director Igor Kvasha
1992 - Leiser - "Difficult People", based on the play by J. Bar-Yosef, director Galina Volchek
1992 - Miranda - "Death and the Maiden", based on the play by A. Dorfman, director Galina Volchek
1994 - Higgins - "Pygmalion", based on the play by B. Shaw, director Galina Volchek
1998 - Kukin - "Accompanist", based on the play by A. Galin, director Alexander Galin
2000 - Valentin - "Go away, go away", based on the play by N. Kolyada, director Nikolai Kolyada
2001 - Glumov - "Balalaikin and Co.", a play by S. V. Mikhalkov based on the novel by M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin "Modern Idyll" (2nd edition), directors V. Gaft, Igor Kvasha, Alexander Nazarov
2007 - He - "Hare love story", based on the play by N. Kolyada, director Galina Volchek
2009 - Stalin - "Gaft's Dream, retold by Viktyuk", based on the play by V. Gaft, director Roman Viktyuk
Theater on Malaya Bronnaya[edit | edit wiki text]
1978 - Othello [introduction to the role of N. Volkov] - "Othello", based on the play by W. Shakespeare, director Anatoly Efros
Mossovet Theater[edit | edit wiki text]
2002 - Trusotsky - "Husband, wife and lover", based on the works of F. M. Dostoevsky, director Yuri Eremin
Entreprise[edit | edit wiki text]
1998 - Igor - "The Old Maid", based on the play by N. Ptushkina, director Boris Milgram
2000 - James - "The Pinter Collection", based on the play by G. Pinter, director Vladimir Mirzoev
Director[edit | edit wiki text]
In 2001, Gaft made his directorial debut on the stage of Sovremennik: together with I. Kvasha and A. Nazarov, he resumed the play Balalaykin and Co, based on the novel by M. Saltykov-Shchedrin, where again, like a quarter of a century ago, he performed in the role of Glumov.
Filmography[edit | edit wiki text]
1956 - Murder on Dante Street - Rouge
1958 - Oleko Dundich - Serbian soldier
1960 - Russian souvenir - Claude Gerard, French composer
1960 - Normandie-Niemen - Millais
1961 - Submarine - Jim Temple
1965 - We, the Russian people - Boer
1966 - Two years over the abyss - an officer in a restaurant
1967 - First courier - gendarmerie officer
1968 - Intervention - Long, French soldier
1968 - New - Konstantin Fedorovich, national team coach
1968 - Caliph-stork - Kashnur, magician
1969 - Wait for me, Anna is a clown
1969 - Family happiness (film almanac, short story "Avenger") - clerk in a weapons store
1970 - Amazing Boy - Dr. Capa
1970 - Road to Ryubetsal - Apanasenko
1970 - About love - Nikolai Nikolaevich, husband of Vera
1971 - Night on the 14th parallel - Dmitry Stepanov
1971 - Let's take off! - Azancheev
1971 - The Man from the Other Side - Andrey Izvolsky
1971 - Conspiracy - Casey
1973 - Seventeen Moments of Spring - Gevernitz, employee of Dulles
1973 - Cement - Dmitry Ivagin
1974 - Tanya - German Nikolayevich Balashov
1974 - Lot - Innokenty Zhiltsov
1974 - Ivan da Marya - treasurer
1974 - Moscow, my love - choreographer
1974 - Miracle with pigtails - interlocutor
1975 - Olga Sergeevna - Troyankin
1975 - Hello, I'm your aunt! - Brasset, butler
1975 - For the rest of his life - Kramin, paralyzed second lieutenant
1975 - From the notes of Lopatin - Lopatin
1976 - Crazy Gold - Horace Logan
1976 - Day train - Igor
1976 - The Tale of an Unknown Actor - Roman Semyonovich Znamensky, director
1977 - Girl, do you want to act in films? - Pavel, director
1977 - Almost a funny story - fellow traveler on the train, supply
1977 - Fight in a snowstorm - recidivist robber Stranger
1978 - Centaurs - Andres, conspirator
1978 - Kings and Cabbage - Frank Goodwin, "Kid"
1978 - Players - Stepan Ivanovich Comforting
1979 - Garage - Valentin Mikhailovich Sidorin, chairman of the board of the garage cooperative, veterinarian
1979 - Men and women - George
1979 - Today and tomorrow - Rassolov
1979 - Morning round - Alik
1979 - Circus - Georges
1980 - Say a word about the poor hussar - Colonel Ivan Antonovich Pokrovsky, commander of the cavalry regiment
1980 - Black chicken, or Underground inhabitants - Deforge, French teacher / King
1980 - Three years - Yartsev
1982 - If the enemy does not surrender ... - Stemmermann, German general
1982 - The Adventures of Count Nevzorov - text from the author behind the scenes
1982 - Saturday and Sunday (c / m) - psychologist
1982 - Customs - Vladimir Nikolaevich Nikitin, head of the inspection group
1982 - Wizards - Apollon Mitrofanovich Sataneev, Deputy Director of the NUINU Institute
1983 - Vertical racing - Lyokha Dedushkin, recidivist thief named "Baton"
1984 - Eight days of hope - Igor Artemyevich Belokon, director of the mine
1985 - Contract of the Century - Smith, CIA agent
1985 - About a cat ... - Cannibal
1986 - Year of the calf - Valerian Sergeevich
1986 - My dearly beloved detective - Lester, inspector
1986 - Along the main street with an orchestra - Konstantin Mikhailovich Vinogradov, musical arranger
1986 - Fuete - Poet
1987 - Forgotten melody for flute - Odinokov
1987 - The Journey of Monsieur Perrichon - Major Mathieu
1987 - Visit to the Minotaur - Pavel Petrovich Ikonnikov, employee of the Serpentarium
1987 - Time to fly - Victor
1987 - The life of Klim Samgin - Valery Nikolaevich Trifonov, drunkard officer
1988 - Thieves in law - "authority" Arthur
1988 - Aelita, don't pester men - Vasily Ivanovich Skameikin
1988 - Expensive pleasure - William Ter-Ivanov
1989 - Belshazzar's Feasts, or Night with Stalin - Lavrenty Pavlovich Beria
1989 - The Lady's Visit - Alfred Ill, a bankrupt shopkeeper
1990 - Suicide - entertainer
1990 - Football player - Norov
1991 - Promised Heaven - Dmitry Loginov, leader of the poor homeless, nicknamed "President"
1991 - Lost in Siberia - Lavrenty Pavlovich Beria
1991 - Night fun - Mikhail Fedorovich Ezepov, Anna's lover, Silin's boss
1991 - Terrorist - Victor
1992 - Anchor, more anchor! - Fedor Vasilyevich Vinogradov, Colonel
1993 - I want to go to America - Epstein
1994 - Master and Margarita - Woland
1994 - I'm free, I'm nobody's - Chesnokov
1996 - Arturo Ui's career. New Version - Actor
1997 - Kazan Orphan - Pavel Ottovich Brumel, magician
1999 - Sky in Diamonds - Deputy Minister
2000 - Old nags - Dubovitsky, general
2000 - House for the rich - Roman Petrovich
2000 - Tender Age - Saledon Sr.
2001 - Clock without hands
2002 - On the other side of the wolves - Igor Alekseevich Goloshchekov, doctor
2003 - Angel Days - Viktor Zuev
2003 - Everyone will ascend Calvary - Uncle Sasha
2004 - Snow love, or a Dream on a winter night - Oleg Konstantinovich, vice-grandfather
2004 - Everything starts with love
2005 - Nine unknowns - Viktor Sevidov, billionaire
2005 - Swan Paradise - Grishin
2005 - Master and Margarita - high priest of Kaif; man in jacket
2006 - Carnival Night 2, or 50 years later - Boris Glebovich Perlovsky, political strategist
2007 - 12th - 4th juror
2007 - Leningrad - theater director
2009 - Autumn Flowers - Alfred
2009 - Attraction - Alexander Nikolaevich
2009 - Book of Masters - magic mirror
2010 - Burnt by the Sun 2: Anticipation - Jew, prisoner Pimen
2010 - Family house - Vasily Petrovich Shvets, neighbor of the Sokolovs
2011 - Marines - Lazar Semyonovich Goldman, gynecologist
2011 - The Life and Adventures of Mishka Yaponchik - Mendel Gersh
2013 - Studio 17 - Andrey Ivanovich Dorokhov Soviet director
2013 - Yolki 3 - Nikolai Petrovich, a lonely pensioner
2013 - The path of the leader. Fire river. Iron Mountain - Arkady Iosifovich Preobrazhensky
2014 - The story of an old woman - Gavriil Moiseevich Fishman
2014 - Breaking the vicious circle - Arkady Iosifovich Preobrazhensky, Professor of Karaganda University
2015 - Milky Way
TV shows[edit | edit wiki text]
1967 - Mitya (film-play) - Mitya, Dmitry Ivanovich Martynov, civil engineer
1973 - Just a few words in honor of Mr. de Moliere - Marquis d'Orsigny
1980 - The Secret of Edwin Drood - John Jasper, Edwin's uncle and guardian
1981 - Aesop - Agnostos
1982 - Hurry to do good - Viktor Gorelov
1983 - Monsieur Lenoir, who ... - Prince Borescu
1989 - The village of Stepanchikovo and its inhabitants - Korovkin
Dubbing[edit | edit wiki text]
1972 - This sweet word is freedom! - Miguel Carrera, Bronius Babkauskas
2008 - The Adventures of Despero - Botticelli, Ciaran Hinds
2012 - From the screw 3D - Experienced
Radio shows[edit | edit wiki text]
"Barba" of the Moscow Drama Theater on Malaya Bronnaya (1961, based on the play by Y. Masevich, directed by A. Goncharov, V. Gaft as Tom)
The Argonauts of the Moscow Drama Theater on Malaya Bronnaya (Yu. Edlis, dir. A. Goncharov, V. Gaft as Goga)
"Shot" (based on the novel by A. S. Pushkin, dir. Anatoly Efros)
"Operation" Trust "" (L. Nikulin, staged by L. Pchelkin)
"The Eternal Wanderer" (B. Frank, staged by V. Ivanov (about the fate of Cervantes)
"Gulliver in the Land of the Lilliputians" (D. Swift, in the role of Gulliver - V. Gaft)
"The Wizard of the Emerald City" (A. Volkov, in the role of the Woodcutter - V. Gaft)
"Hurry to do good" of the Moscow theater "Sovremennik" (M. Roshchin, dir. Galina Volchek)
"Oriental Tales": "Jackal and Crocodile"; “Like a groom was looking for a mouse”; "The most terrible beast"; "Mirror Slave"; "Peasant and rogue"; "Like a toad in the sky"
“Love on short waves” (I. Pomerantsev, Radio Liberty)
Cartoon voice acting[edit | edit wiki text]
1973 - Like a cat with a dog
1977 - Feast of Disobedience
1978 - Postman's Tale
1981 - Dog in boots - Noble
1982 - Birth of Hercules
1987 - Magic Bells - King
1987 - Egret
2008 - New adventures of Grandma Yozhka - Raven
2012 - From the screw - Experienced - Il-2 attack aircraft
Voice acting[edit | edit wiki text]
The wave nature of love...: Author's collection / People's Artist of the Russian Federation Valentin Gaft reads the works of Boris Krieger from the collection "Sandbox". - C.D. Club, 2008.
Literary creativity[edit | edit wiki text]
Verse and epigram (1989)
Valentin Gaft (1996, together with artist N. Safronov)
I gradually learn (1997)
Life is a theater (1998, co-authored with Leonid Filatov)
Garden of Forgotten Memories (1999) ISBN 5-89517-065-3, ISBN 5-89535-016-1
Poems, memories, epigrams (2000)
Shadows on the Water (2001) ISBN 5-224-02275-4
Poems. Epigrams (2003) EKSMO. ISBN 5-699-02875-7
Red Lights (2008) AST. ISBN 978-5-17-048559-8, ISBN 978-5-94663-524-0, ISBN 978-985-16-3741-2
Internet creativity. He served as the reason for creating the Internet meme “So Gaft Spoke”, when quotes are given to Gaft, it’s not a fact that they belong to them, but they have common sense.
On the lyrical verses "I and you" a song of muses was written. Brandon Stone, Spanish Sati Casanova
Epigrams[edit | edit wiki text]
Valentin Gaft is a master of the epigram.

People's Artist of the RSFSR (1984)
Laureate of the Tsarskoye Selo Prize (1993)

Childhood

Before the war, the Gaft family lived in Moscow, in a five-story building on Matrosskaya Tishina Street. The Gafts lived more than modestly, in a communal apartment, like everyone else. They had one room and everyone was happy. Valentin's parents had nothing to do with the theater. Father, Joseph Romanovich (1907-1969), was a lawyer by profession. He was surprisingly modest, but a strong and proud man. From his mother, Gita Davydovna (1908-1993), Valentin learned organization, she instilled in him a love of order.

Very well, a day that could become fatal in the fate of the family crashed into Valya's childhood memory. On June 21, 1941, they had to go to Ukraine, to the city of Priluki. However, for some reason, the parents changed the tickets for Sunday the 22nd. The next day, Molotov spoke on the radio with a message about the beginning of the war ... I remember the farewell to the front of my father, then my cousin. My father went through the entire war, ending it as a major.

The very first impression of the theater came to him in the fourth grade while watching Sergei Mikhalkov's play "Special Task" in the children's theater. He believed everything that happened on stage. But by his own admission, there was no desire to become an actor then. It appeared a little later, and he began to participate in school amateur performances, where Valentin had to play exclusively female roles, because only boys studied at the school then.

Moscow Art Theater

But even playing in school performances, Valentin was embarrassed to admit to someone that he wants to become an artist. Therefore, he decided to act in secret from everyone. Valentin decided to try his luck at once both at the Shchukin School and at the Moscow Art Theater School. Two days before the exams, Gaft accidentally met the idol of all moviegoers, Sergei Stolyarov, on the street and asked to "listen" to him. Stolyarov was surprised, but did not refuse. The lessons of the famous actor were not in vain. True, he passed only the first round at the school. But Valentin entered the Moscow Art Theater on the first attempt, passing the exam with excellent marks. When they accepted him, he was shocked, he could not believe what was happening.

Like all students of the Moscow Art Theater, Valentin Gaft dreamed of immediately getting into the cinema. Once (this was in 1956) he was invited to join the film crew of the film "Murder on Dante Street", where Mikhail Kozakov was approved for one of the main roles, and they gave an almost wordless role. So the debut of Valentin Gaft in the cinema took place. In the same year, he appeared in a cameo role in the romantic drama The Poet.

Parents reacted in a peculiar way to the artistic activity of their son. When he studied at the Moscow Art Theater School, his father told him: "Valya, what kind of artist are you? Look at Misha Kozakov - he has a suit and a bow tie, and what are you? That's what an artist should be." Mother, seeing him in the play "The Marriage of Figaro", said: "Valya, how thin you are!"

Theatre

After graduating from the Moscow Art Theater School in 1957, Gaft could not get a job for a long time, he was not taken to any theater. The famous reader, Dmitry Zhuravlev, helped. With his light hand, Gaft ended up in the Moscow City Council Theater. However, a year later he left the theater during the tour - he did not like the roles that were offered to play.

After some time, Erast Garin offered him a job at the Satire Theater. The debut failed, he was kicked out, but a few years later, on the same stage, Valentin Gaft played one of his best roles - Count Almaviva in Crazy Day, or The Marriage of Figaro, who was subsequently played by Alexander Shirvindt for many years.

For some time, Gaft worked in the theater on Malaya Bronnaya. Then a new transition - to A.A. Goncharov, who then headed a small theater on Spartakovskaya Street.

In 1964, after working at the Goncharov Theater, Gaft came to Anatoly Vasilyevich Efros at the Lenin Komsomol Theater. This is a special page, because it has become perhaps the most important in his artistic biography. The best performances of the Efros Theater have forever remained theatrical classics. Gaft worked for Efros for a relatively short time and did not play so many roles. But it was this experience that formed the foundation of his skill.

He came to Sovremennik at the invitation of Oleg Efremov in 1969. Many of his roles in this theater are associated with the name of the chief director of the theater Galina Volchek. Gaft's whole life is now connected with this theater, and he considers it his home.

Among his best roles: Glumov ("Balalaykin and K"), Lopatin ("From Lopatin's Notes"), Gorelov ("Hurry to do good"), George ("Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"), Rakhlin ("Home Cat Medium Fluffy ").

Difficult road to the cinema

In the cinema for many years, Gaft played only episodes or inexpressive roles. And although by the end of the 60s he increasingly appeared on the silver screen, there were practically no bright, memorable roles.

Valentin Gaft himself explains it this way: “The cinema did not spoil me. Not only was my type not the same. Non-Russian, strange appearance. In those days, the hero had to be different. This is natural. was not suitable for any role, with rare exceptions. Most often it was like this - they did screen tests, and it seemed that they were about to take on the role, but then someone came, and they didn’t shoot me in the picture. "

Only in the 70s did the first notable roles begin to appear, such as Stewart in the political drama "Night at the 14th Parallel" (1971), Lopatin in the television production of the play "From Lopakhin's Notes" (1975), Brasset in the comedy "Hello, I your aunt!"

Even then, Gaft's creative manner manifested itself, distinguished by intellectualism, subtle psychological study of the image, freedom and sharpness of the plastic drawing, and subtle humor. In each character, he revealed the depth of feelings and inner experiences, this even applied to small or ironic film roles: Kramin ("For the rest of my life" - 1975), Znamensky ("The Tale of an Unknown Actor" - 1976), fellow traveler ("Almost a funny story" - 1977), Georges ("Circus Boy" - 1979).

Cooperation with Ryazanov

However, real popularity came to Gaft only after collaborating with Eldar Ryazanov. The roles played by Gaft in the films of this outstanding film director became the best in the actor's biography.

In 1979, he played the chairman of the garage-building cooperative Sidorkin in the comedy Garage. The character is rather grotesque, farcical and ironic, thanks to Gaft's artistic flair, he was played in such a way that he made it possible to translate the entire film into the realistic direction the director needed.

In 1980, Gaft starred in Eldar Ryazanov's tragicomedy "Say a word about the poor hussar ...". Father-commander, selfless brave man, noble colonel, who conquered many cities and women, run wild from barracks life, but with a heightened sense of honor, lonely, without a family and home, a warrior who bows neither to bullets nor superiors, dashing cavalryman, hussar , devoted to the homeland - this is how the hero of Gaft Pokrovsky appeared to the audience.

Odinokov turned out to be completely different - the hero of Gaft from Eldar Ryazanov's painting "Forgotten Melody for Flute" (1987). The actor surprisingly juicy created the image of a bureaucrat and campaigner from the Ministry of Free Time. With a great sense of humor, he performed the song of a bureaucrat laid off from work.

Finally, in Ryazyanov's tragicomedy "Promised Heaven" (1991), Gaft managed to create an integral pure character of the leader of the homeless, nicknamed "President", for whom it is clear what is mean in life and what is noble. His hero is a truly intelligent and educated person, tender to friends and intolerant of bureaucrats.

Popularity

Many interesting roles were played in the 80s by other directors. So in the detective film by Alexander Muratov "Vertical Racing" (1982), he appeared as a recidivist thief Alexei Dedushkin, nicknamed Baton. The psychological duel of the investigator (A. Myagkov) and the charming thief keeps you in suspense throughout the film.

No less interesting role went to Gaft in another detective series "Visit to the Minotaur" (1987). Another psychological duel, this time between an investigator played by Sergei Shakurov and Ikonnikov, who is suspected of stealing. Gaft's character, a musician in the past, who never became the first violin, not resigned to the second role, switched to breeding snakes.

Notable roles were also played by Gaft in the musical comedy "Magicians" (1982), the tragicomedy "On the Main Street with an Orchestra" (1986), the action movie "Thieves in Law" (1988), "Visit of the Lady" (1989), "Night Fun" (1991), "Anchor, more Anchor!" (1992).

In 1994, Valentin Gaft played Woland in the film The Master and Margarita, which was never released.

An actor of a wide creative range, Valentin Gaft is distinguished by freedom and naturalness of stage and screen behavior, inner nervousness. With a recognizable voice and expressively sharp facial features, he is fluent in a variety of genres in the profession. As stated in the theatrical encyclopedia, "Gaft is characterized by a sharp and accurate embodiment of the image of a modern intellectual, a combination of analyticity and temperament, the depth of revealing a dramatic conflict, and an attraction to major problems and characters."

Epigram Master

In parallel with the acting takeoff, another fame came to Gaft. He became famous as the author of sharp, sometimes poisonous epigrams. At the suggestion of Oleg Efremov, Gaft suddenly, quite unexpectedly, both for himself and for others, began to compose epigrams. It was irony over himself, over others. He did not want to offend, rebuke or quarrel anyone. I just wanted to tell my own truth in this way.