Zhiltsov, Aleksei
Zhil’tsov, Aleksei Vasil’evich
Born Feb. 9 (21), 1895, in Gavrilov Posad, in what is now Ivanovo Oblast; died Feb. 29, 1972, in Moscow. Russian Soviet actor, People’s Artist of the USSR (1968).
In 1924, Zhil’tsov graduated from The Third Studio of the Moscow Art Academic Theater and joined its company. His best roles were Kleshch, Gubin, Teterev Kvach, Baker Suchkov, and Pavlin in The Lower Depths, Dostigaev and the Others, Smug Citizens, The Enemies, In the World, andEgor Bulychev and the Others by Gorky; Narkis in Fiery Heart by Ostrovskii; the Commandant in Deep Reconnaissance by Kron; the Second Peasant in The Fruits of Enlightenment by L. N. Tolstoy; and Roslavlev in Battle on the Way, after G. Nikolaeva. In 1927 he founded a theatrical studio for popular and heroic drama, and until 1937 was its director. He produced the plays Egor Bulychov and the Others and The Lower Depths by Gorky, in which he also acted. He produced a number of radio and television plays. Zhil’tsov was awarded the State Prize of the USSR in 1952. He received the Order of the Badge of Honor and a medal.