Actor Dmitry Podnozov. Biography

Dmitry Podnozov, a Russian theater and film actor known to the audience for his roles in the TV series "Secrets of the Investigation", "Killing Force", "Foundry" and the film "The Heart of the World", has died at the age of 65. The cause of death was lung cancer with brain metastases. About his creative path, theatrical legacy and the fight against the disease — in the material of Izvestia.

Early years and education

Dmitry Vladimirovich Podnozov was born on December 17, 1961 in Leningrad. My father worked in the criminal investigation department, my mother worked as a medical professional. At the age of seven, twin brothers appeared in the family, whose care partially fell on Dmitry. The family often moved because of his father's work, his parents spent a lot of time at work, so the upbringing of the younger brothers largely rested on the shoulders of the future actor.

Podnozov decided to become an actor after watching the feature film "The Adventures of Pinocchio". After school, he applied to all theater schools in Moscow and Leningrad. He was admitted to the Leningrad Institute of Theater, Music and Cinematography (LGITMiK), where he studied in the workshop of People's Artist of the USSR Ruben Agamirzyan. He graduated from the university in 1984.

The beginning of his career and the creation of the Mansion Theater

After graduation, Podnozov was sent to the city of Sovetsk in the Kaliningrad region, but the theater there burned down and work stopped. After that, he moved to Pskov and worked for several years at the local city theater. Even then, he was obsessed with the idea of creating his own theater.

In 1989, his dream came true: together with Tamara Krekhno and Igor Larin, Podnozov founded the St. Petersburg Drama Theater "Mansion". For many years, the actor remained the artistic director of the theater and invested all the money he earned in his brainchild. In the 1990s, the Mansion became recognizable and began touring, including to European countries and the United States. Podnozov created his most vivid and memorable images on the stage of the Mansion.

His repertoire includes performances based on the works of Fyodor Dostoevsky, Friedrich Nietzsche and Carl Gustav Jung, as well as productions of the works of Mikhail Ugarov. In 1997, the play "The Fighter" brought the main actors Podnozov and N. Eskhi the award of the Christmas Parade festival. In 2015, the play "Barrier" directed by Yana Tumina, where Podnozov played the main role, was awarded the Highest Theater Award of St. Petersburg "Golden Spotlight-2015" in two nominations. In 2019, the premiere of the one-man show "LED" took place in the Mansion, where the actor embodied several artistic images at once.

Film career

Podnozov received his first film role in 1987, in the film adaptation of Sergei Vysotsky's novel Habitat, where Peter Velyaminov and Nikolai Karachentsov became his partners on the set. However, the actor's active career in cinema began only in the early 2000s, when he began to appear in television series in many and varied ways, usually in episodic and small roles.

Podnozov's filmography includes more than 100 works. Viewers remember him for his roles in the TV series "Secrets of the Investigation" (in several seasons he played criminologist Mitya), "Killer Force", "Streets of Broken Lanterns", "Foundry", "Cop Wars", "Offline", "Major". Podnozov's first major film role took place in 2005 — in the film "Skazka O Chastye" he played Major Klyuchevsky.

Among the significant films of recent years are the thriller "Summer will End" (2025), the biopic "The Prophet. The Story of Alexander Pushkin", where Podnozov played the role of Derzhavin, as well as "The Empress", "Icebreaker", "Spiritless 2". Natalia Meshchaninova's film "The Heart of the World" with his participation won the Grand Prix of the Kinotavr Festival in 2018.

Illness and death

At the end of 2025, Podnozov was diagnosed with lung cancer with brain metastases. Colleagues noted the rapid development of the disease. Actor Sergey Zhigunov, with whom Podnozov worked on the TV series "Breed", announced a fundraiser for treatment.

In early June 2026, the actor's condition deteriorated to critical, and he was placed in intensive care. The family needed funds to pay for a paid intensive care unit. By mid-June, doctors managed to bring Podnozov out of the crisis and transfer him to a regular ward, after which he temporarily stayed at home. However, the disease turned out to be stronger. Dmitry Podnozov died on July 20, 2026 at the age of 64.