Frunzik Mkrtchyan | |
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2005 Armenian stamp dedicated to Mkrtchyan
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Born |
Leninakan, Soviet Armenia |
4 July 1930
Died | 29 December 1993 Yerevan, Armenia |
(aged 63)
Resting place | Komitas Pantheon |
Nationality | Armenian |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1945–1993 |
Signature | |
Mher Mkrtchyan (Armenian: Մհեր Մկրտչյան), better known by his stage name Frunzik (Armenian: Ֆրունզիկ; Russian: Фрунзик; 4 July 1930 – 29 December 1993), was a Soviet Armenian actor. He is widely considered as one of the greatest Armenian actors of the Soviet period.
He was born in Leninakan (now Gyumri) Armenian SSR. He studied in Leninakan Art College and Theatre Studio, then graduated from the Acting Department of Yerevan Institute of Fine Arts and Theatre. Beginning from 1953, he performed in the Sundukyan Drama Theatre of Yerevan. He also directed many successful productions, the best of which was Maxim Gorky's "The Lower Depths". His cinema career began in 1955.
His famous roles in Rolan Bykov's Aybolit-66 (1966), Leonid Gaidai's Kidnapping, Caucasian Style (1966), and Georgi Daneliya's Mimino (1977) earned him a reputation as one of the Soviet Union's leading comedy actors. But that reputation sometimes overshadowed his real talent and emotional depth which he put into his roles in such classics of Armenian cinema as Yerankyuni ("Triangle") (1967), Menq enq, mer sarere ("We are Our Mountains") (1969), Hayrik ("Father") (1973), Nahapet (1977), Hin oreri yerge ("The Song of the Old Days") (1982), Mer mankutyan tangon ("Tango of Our Childhood") (1985). Among his many awards was the USSR State Prize for 1978. He died in Yerevan, Armenia, in 1993.