Andrei Aleksandrovich Mironov (russian: link=no, Андре́й Алекса́ндрович Миро́нов; March 7, 1941 – August 16, 1987) was a Soviet and Russian stage and film actor who played lead roles in some of the most popular Soviet films, such as ''

The Diamond Arm ''The Diamond Arm'' (russian: Бриллиантовая рука ''Brilliantovaya ruka'') is a Soviet crime comedy film made by Mosfilm and first released in 1969. The film was directed by director Leonid Gaidai and starred several famous Soviet ...

'', ''

Beware of the Car ''Beware of the Car'' (russian: Береги́сь автомоби́ля, translit. ''Beregis Avtomobilya'', English titles ''Uncommon Thief'', or ''Watch out for the Automobile'') is a 1966 Soviet crime comedy drama film directed by Eldar R ...

'' and '' Twelve Chairs''. Mironov was also a popular singer.

Early life

Mironov was born in Moscow to Maria Mironova, a Russian, and Aleksandr Menaker, a

Russian Jew The history of the Jews in Russia and areas historically connected with it goes back at least 1,500 years. Jews in Russia have historically constituted a large religious and ethnic diaspora; the Russian Empire at one time hosted the largest pop ...

. Both his parents were also actors.

Career

Mironov studied in the

Vakhtangov Theatre Yevgeny Bagrationovich Vakhtangov (also spelled Evgeny or Eugene; russian: Евге́ний Багратио́нович Вахта́нгов; 13 February 1883 – 29 May 1922) was a Russian-Armenian actor and theatre director who founded the ...

School during the early 1950s. From 1958 to 1962, he studied acting at the Moscow Shchukin School. From June 18, 1962, to 1987, Mironov was a permanent member of the trope at the Moscow Theatre of Satire. In 1961, he acted in his first film ''What If This Is Love?'' On December 18, 1980, he was awarded the title of

People's Artist of the RSFSR People's Artist of the RSFSR (russian: Народный артист РСФСР, ''Narodnyj artist RSFSR'') was an honorary title granted to Soviet Union artists, including theatre and film directors, choreographers, music performers, and orchest ...

. He also received the

Medal "For Labour Valour" The Medal "For Labour Valour" (russian: Медаль «За трудовую доблесть») was a civilian labour award of the Soviet Union bestowed to especially deserving workers to recognise and honour dedicated and valorous labour or ...

Andrei Mironov is known and loved for his roles in films made by

Eldar Ryazanov Eldar Aleksandrovich Ryazanov (russian: Эльдар Александрович Рязанов; 18 November 1927 – 30 November 2015) was a Soviet and Russian film director, screenwriter, poet, actor and pedagogue whose popular comedies, satiriz ...

Leonid Gaidai Leonid Iovich Gaidai (russian: Леонид Иович Гайдай; 30 January 1923 – 19 November 1993) was a Soviet and Russian comedy film director, screenwriter and actor who enjoyed immense popularity and broad public recognition in the fo ...

Mark Zakharov Mark Anatolyevich Zakharov (russian: Марк Анатольевич Захаров; 13 October 1933 – 28 September 2019) was a Soviet and Russian stage and film director, screenwriter and pedagogue best known for his fantasy parable movies. He ...

, and other directors. He had a wide comedic range and played diverse roles (e.g. a Soviet

bureaucrat A bureaucrat is a member of a bureaucracy and can compose the administration of any organization of any size, although the term usually connotes someone within an institution of government. The term ''bureaucrat'' derives from "bureaucracy", ...

, Figaro, a romantic spy, a member of the

intelligentsia The intelligentsia is a status class composed of the university-educated people of a society who engage in the complex mental labours by which they critique, shape, and lead in the politics, policies, and culture of their society; as such, the in ...

, a

con man A confidence trick is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their trust. Confidence tricks exploit victims using their credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, confidence, irresponsibility, and greed. Researchers have def ...

, an American movie pioneer, a tale-teller, etc.). On one of his tours through

Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...

in 1987, he lost consciousness on stage while performing the lead role in ''

The Marriage of Figaro ''The Marriage of Figaro'' ( it, Le nozze di Figaro, links=no, ), K. 492, is a ''commedia per musica'' (opera buffa) in four acts composed in 1786 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with an Italian libretto written by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It premie ...

''. Thinking he was having a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

, the other actors hastily administered oral nitroglycerin, a drug commonly given to heart attack patients, but which can cause life threatening complications when mistakenly given to those suffering from

cerebrovascular disease Cerebrovascular disease includes a variety of medical conditions that affect the blood vessels of the brain and the cerebral circulation. Arteries supplying oxygen and nutrients to the brain are often damaged or deformed in these disorders. Th ...

. He was driven to a hospital where two days later he was pronounced dead. His death occurred only eleven days after the passing of his close friend and frequent co-star

Anatoli Papanov Anatoli Dmitrievich Papanov (russian: Анатолий Дмитриевич Папанов, links=https://ru.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Папанов,_Анатолий_Дмитриевич, translit=Anatoliy Dmitriyevich Papanov, label=; 31 October 1 ...

. The cause of his death was excessive internal brain bleeding due to a congenital cerebral

aneurysm An aneurysm is an outward bulging, likened to a bubble or balloon, caused by a localized, abnormal, weak spot on a blood vessel wall. Aneurysms may be a result of a hereditary condition or an acquired disease. Aneurysms can also be a nidus (s ...

following many years of heavy smoking.

Personal life

Mironov's parents, Aleksandr Menaker and Maria Vladimirovna Mironova, were known nationwide as a comedic duo. He was married twice. First to

Yekaterina Gradova Yekaterina Georgievna Gradova (russian: Екатери́на Гео́ргиевна Гра́дова; 6 October 1946 – 22 February 2021) was a Russian film actress who appeared in two Soviet blockbuster films '' Seventeen Moments of Spring'' ...

, with whom he had one daughter, Maria Mironova, and second to

Larisa Golubkina Larisa Ivanovna Golubkina (Russian: ''Лари́са Ива́новна Голу́бкина''; born 9 March 1940, in Moscow, Soviet Union) is a Russian actress. She entered the Moscow Musical School in 1955, graduating after four years, and the ...

, a singer and actress best known for her role of the hussar maiden in ''

Hussar Ballad ''The Hussar Ballad'' (russian: Гусарская баллада, Gusarskaya ballada) is a 1962 Soviet musical film by Eldar Ryazanov, filmed on Mosfilm. In effect, it is one of the best loved musical comedies in Russia. With most of its dialogu ...

''. Maria Mironova and his adopted daughter Maria Golubkina (from his marriage with Larisa) had successful careers in Russian cinema. He had survived a stroke in 1981 and a bout of

meningitis Meningitis is acute or chronic inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, collectively called the meninges. The most common symptoms are fever, headache, and neck stiffness. Other symptoms include confusion or ...

that left him in pain and with blisters on his abdomen for the rest of his life, but fought through it and continued acting until his death.

Legacy

minor planet According to the International Astronomical Union (IAU), a minor planet is an astronomical object in direct orbit around the Sun that is exclusively classified as neither a planet nor a comet. Before 2006, the IAU officially used the term ''minor ...

3624 Mironov, discovered by Soviet astronomers

Lyudmila Karachkina Lyudmila Georgievna Karachkina (russian: Людмила Георгиевна Карачкина, born 3 September 1948, Rostov-on-Don) is an astronomer and discoverer of minor planets. In 1978 she began as a staff astronomer of the Institute for ...

and Lyudmila Zhuravleva in 1982 is named after him.

Partial filmography

*''What If This Is Love?'' (1962) as Pyotr *''My Younger Brother'' (1962) as Yura Popov *''

Three Plus Two ''Three Plus Two'', or ''3 + 2'' (russian: Три плюс два, Try plyus dva) is a 1963 Soviet romantic comedy film directed by Genrikh Oganisyan based on a play by Sergei Mikhalkov, and co-produced by Moscow-based Gorky Film Studio ...

'' (Три плюс два, 1962) as Roman *''Two Sundays'' (1963) as Journalist (uncredited) *''A year like a life'' (1966) as

Friedrich Engels Friedrich Engels ( ,"Engels"
'' Beware of the Car ''Beware of the Car'' (russian: Береги́сь автомоби́ля, translit. ''Beregis Avtomobilya'', English titles ''Uncommon Thief'', or ''Watch out for the Automobile'') is a 1966 Soviet crime comedy drama film directed by Eldar R ...

'' (Берегись автомобиля, 1966) as Dima Semitsvetov *''

The Mysterious Wall ''The Mysterious Wall'' (russian: Таинственная стена, Tainstvennaya stena) is a 1967 Soviet science fiction film directed by Irina Povolotskaya and Mikhail Sadkovich. Plot In the taiga a very strange phenomenon forms — a wall in ...

'' (1967) as Valya *'' The Literature Lesson'' (1968) *''To Love'' (1968, TV Movie) as Anton *''

'' (Бриллиантовая рука, 1968) as Gennadiy Kozodoyev *''Lyubit...'' (1969) *''Family Happiness'' (1970) as Fyodor Sigaev *''Umeyete li vy zhit?'' (1970) as Attendant (uncredited) *''Dve ulybki'' (1970) *''Derzhis za oblaka'' (1971) as Tukman tábornok *''The Shadow'' (1971) as Caesar Borgia, journalist, man eater *''The Kid and Carlson, who lives on the roof'' (1971, TV Movie) as Rulle *''

Property of the Republic ''Property of the Republic'' (russian: Достоя́ние респу́блики, Dostoyanie respubliki) is a 1971 Soviet two-part adventure film directed by Vladimir Bychkov. Detective story takes place during the Civil War in Russia. The pict ...

'' (Достояние республики, 1972) as Shilovsky aka Marquis *''

Grandads-Robbers ''Old Robbers'' (russian: Старики́–разбо́йники, Stariki-razboyniki, lit. "elderly bandits") is a 1972 Soviet comedy-drama by Eldar Ryazanov, filmed on Mosfilm. The movie title resembles the name of a Russian children's tradit ...

'' (Старики-разбойники, 1972) as Yury Proskudin *'' Unbelievable Adventures of Italians in Russia'' (Невероятные приключения итальянцев в России, 1974) as Andrei Vasiliev *''Starye steny'' (1974) as Arkadiy Nikolayevich *''Mad Day or the Marriage of Figaro'' (1974, TV Movie) as Figaro *''

The Straw Hat ''The Straw Hat'' (russian: Соломенная шляпка, translit. ''Solomennaya shlyapka'') is a 1974 Soviet musical comedy television film directed by Leonid Kvinikhidze based on a play by Eugène Marin Labiche and Marc-Michel. Th ...

'' (Соломенная шляпка, 1974, TV Mini-Series) as Leonidas Fadinar *''Small comedies of the big house'' (1974, TV Movie) as Husband (segment 2) *''Lev Gurych Sinichkin'' (1974, TV Movie) *''Repeated Wedding'' (1975, TV Movie) as Boris Andreyevich Vyazovnin *''Pages of the Pechorin's diary'' (1975, TV Movie) *''

Step forward Step Forward was a Swedish hardcore punk band founded in 1989 in Umeå, Sweden by Dennis Lyxzén and his friends, Toft Stade, Jens Nordén and Henrik Jansson. Step Forward was one of the first hardcore punk bands in Sweden that held on to the ...

'' (1976) as Markel *''Povtornaya svadba'' (1976) as Ilya Fyodorovich *'' Blue Puppy'' (Голубой щенок, 1976, Short) as Black Cat (voice) *''

Heavenly Swallows ''Heavenly Swallows'' (russian: Небесные ласточки, Nebesnye lastochki) is a 1976 Soviet two-part musical-comedy television film directed by Leonid Kvinikhidze, based on the vaudeville-opérette Mam'zelle Nitouche. First part. " ...

'' (1976) as Célestin / Floridor *''

The Twelve Chairs ''The Twelve Chairs'' ( rus, Двенадцать стульев, Dvenadtsat stulyev) is a classic satirical novel by the Odesan Soviet authors Ilf and Petrov, published in 1928. Its plot follows characters attempting to obtain jewelry hidden ...

'' (12 стульев, 1976, TV Mini-Series) as

Ostap Bender Ostap Bender (russian: Остап Бендер; in ''The Twelve Chairs'' he called himself Ostap-Suleyman-Berta-Maria-Bender- Bey, in ''The Little Golden Calf'' he called himself Bender-Zadunaysky, in later novels he was also called Ostap Ibragim ...

*'' An Ordinary Miracle'' (Обыкновенное чудо, 1978, TV Movie) as Minister Administrator *''

Three Men in a Boat ''Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog)'',The Penguin edition punctuates the title differently: ''Three Men in a Boat: To Say Nothing of the Dog!'' published in 1889, is a humorous account by English writer Jerome K. Jerome of a tw ...

'' (1979, TV Movie) as Jerome K. Jerome *''

Rikki-Tikki-Tavi "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" is a short story in the 1894 anthology ''The Jungle Book'' by Rudyard Kipling about adventures of a valiant young Indian grey mongoose. It has often been anthologized and has been published several times as a short book. Book 5 ...

'' (1979) (voice) *''Appointment'' (1980, TV Series) *''

Say a Word for the Poor Hussar ''Say a Word for the Poor Hussar'' (russian: О бедном гусаре замолвите слово, italic=yes), translit. . Literary “Put a good word for a poor hussar”) is a 1981 Soviet film directed by Eldar Ryazanov, shot in the ...

'' (О бедном гусаре замолвите слово…, 1980) as Narrator (voice) *''Krakh operatsii Terror'' (1981) *''

Be my husband ''Be My Husband'' or (russian: Будьте моим мужем, Budte moim muzhem) is a 1981 Soviet romantic comedy directed by Alla Surikova. Plot Victor the pediatrician arrives on the Black Sea coast. He is finally on the vacation which he ha ...

'' (Будьте моим мужем, 1982) as Victor *''Faratyev's Fantasies'' (1982, TV Movie) as Faryatyev *''Revisor (Inspector)'' (1982, TV Movie) as Khlestakov *''

The Story of Voyages The Story of Voyages, also translated as A Fairy Tale of Wanderings (Russian: Сказка странствий) is a 1983 Soviet Russian fantasy film directed by Alexander Mitta and starring Andrei Mironov. The film is notably darker and more ...

'' (Сказка странствий, 1982) as Orlando *''Somewhere in Provincial Garden'' (1983, TV Movie) *'' The Blonde Around the Corner'' (Блондинка за углом, 1984) as Nikolay Gavrilovich Poryvaev *''Victory'' (1984) *''

My Friend Ivan Lapshin ''My Friend Ivan Lapshin'' (russian: Мой друг Иван Лапшин, translit=''Moy drug Ivan Lapshin'') is a 1985 Soviet crime drama directed by Aleksei German and produced by Lenfilm, based on a novel by Yuri German adapted by Eduard Vo ...

'' (Мой друг Иван Лапшин, 1984) as Khanin *''Pobeda'' (1985) as Charles Bright *''

A Man from the Boulevard des Capucines ''A Man from the Boulevard des Capucines'' (russian: Человек с бульвара Капуцинов, Chelovek s bulvara Kaputsinov) is a Red Western comedy film of 1987 (Mosfilm production), with nods to silent film and the transforming pow ...

'' (Человек с бульвара Капуцинов, 1987) as Johnny First *''The Pathfinder'' (1987) as Sanglis

References

External links

The Official web site of Andrei Mironov

*
Andrei Mironov on YouTube
*Peter Rollberg
Historical Dictionary of Russian and Soviet Cinema.
2008, ; pp. 456–457 {{DEFAULTSORT:Mironov, Andrei 1941 births 1987 deaths 20th-century Russian male singers 20th-century Russian male actors 20th-century Russian singers Male actors from Moscow Singers from Moscow Honored Artists of the RSFSR People's Artists of the RSFSR Jewish Russian actors Russian people of Jewish descent Russian male film actors Russian male stage actors Russian male voice actors Russian television presenters Soviet male film actors Soviet male singers Soviet male stage actors Soviet male voice actors Soviet television presenters Neurological disease deaths in the Soviet Union Deaths from intracranial aneurysm Burials at Vagankovo Cemetery