Igor Yakovlevich Zolotovitskiy (Russian: Игорь Яковлевич Золотовицкий; 18 June 1961 – 14 January 2026) was a Soviet and Russian actor, theatre teacher, television director and presenter. He was director of the Moscow Art Theatre School from 2013 until his death. Zolotovitskiy was an Honored Artist of the Russian Federation in 2002. Honored Artist of the Russian Federation (2020). Laureate of the Figaro Prize (2020).
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Early life and career
Igor Zolotovitskiy was born on 18 June 1961 in Tashkent, to Yakov and Sofia Zolotovitskaya. He graduated from the Moscow Art Theatre School (course of Viktor Monyukov) in 1983, and began teaching as a professor there in 1989. Between 1995 and 2001 he was one of the directors of the NTV dog show Me and My Dog In 1996, he hosted the NTV educational program Live News.
In 2013, Zolotovitskiy was made rector of the school Moscow Art Theatre School. Between November 2016 and December 2018 he served as Deputy Artistic Director of the Moscow Chekhov Art Theatre.
Personal life and death
Zolotovitskiy was married to actress and director Vera Kharybina, with whom he had two sons, both of whom are graduates of the Russian Institute of Theatre Arts.
Zolotovitskiy died from cancer in Moscow, on 14 January 2026, at the age of 64.
Work
Theatre roles
Moscow Chekhov Art Theatre
2001 – No. 13 Ray Cooney. Director: Vladimir Mashkov – Ronnie
2003 – The Last Victim by Alexander Ostrovsky. Director: Yuri Yeryomin – Salai Saltanovich
2003 – The Siege by Yevgeni Grishkovetz. Director: Yevgeni Grishkovetz – The First Warrior
2004 – Playing the Victim by The Presnyakov Brothers. Director: Kirill Serebrennikov – Zakirov
2011 – The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov. Director: Janos Szasz – Berlioz
2011 – The House by Yevgeni Grishkovetz. Director: Sergey Puskepalis – Igor
2014 – Drunken by Ivan Vyrypaev. Director: Viktor Ryzhakov – Karl
2014 – Illusions by Ivan Vyrypaev. Director: Viktor Ryzhakov
2021 – The Seagull by A.P. Chekhov. Director: O. Korshunovas – Evgeny Sergeevich Dorn (introduction)
2022 – Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand. Director: Yegor Mikhailovich Peregudov – Count de Gish
Other theatre
1997 – The Dark Lady of Sonnets. Director: Roman Kozak. Et cetera Theater – The Sentinel
2000 – Shylock (The Merchant of Venice). Director: Robert Sturua. Et Cetera Theater.
2005 – Faster Than Rabbits. Quartet I Theater.
2019 – Blessed Island. Director: Mikhail Bychkov. Et Cetera Theater – Savvatiy Savelyevich Guska
Selected filmography
Egorka (1984) as Rybakov, hydroacoustician
This Fantastic World: Sign of the Salamander (1984) as fireman
Amateurs (1985) as Bun
This Fantastic World: No Messing with Robots (1987) as robot juror
The Story of One Billiard Room teams (1988) as lieutenant
How Dark the Nights Are on the Black Sea (1989)
Taxi Blues (1990) as Petyunchik, Seliverstov's friend
Sunset (1990) as Levka
Broken Light (1990) as Oleg, actor of "Lenkocert"
The Day Before to... (1991) as Dima
Luna Park (1992) as restaurant owner
Prorva (1992) as taxi driver
Russian Project (1995) as passerby (video "Remember Your Loved Ones")
Chekhov and Co (1998) as German salesman (episode 1, short story "Forgot")
Composition for Victory Day (1998) as psychologist
Mother (1999) as mental hospital administrator
Moscow (2000) as Tall
The Fifth Corner (2001) as Viktor Chagin
Summer Rain (2002) as Dima
