Actor, director and writer Valentin Gaft. Biography

Valentin Gaft was born on September 2, 1935 in Moscow into a Jewish family that lived in the Ukrainian city of Priluki near Poltava before moving to the capital. Father Joseph Gaft was a military lawyer, he went through the entire war, was wounded and received a medal for Military Merit, and in peacetime provided legal services. Mom Gita Gaft (nee Volovich) looked after the household. His parents were not related to art, but it was in the house that Gaft first felt a craving for the word and the stage.

Since childhood, the future artist showed interest in art, loved cinema and theatrical productions, participated in school plays and amateur performances. After classes, I went to the cinema with my friends and listened to records. His parents supported his son's desire for creativity, although strict morals reigned in the family.

After graduation, Valentin entered the Moscow Art Theater Studio School. There he studied acting under the guidance of Vasily Toporkov, an outstanding theater teacher. Among Toporkov's students at various times were other future stars of the stage — Oleg Efremov, Lev Durov, Oleg Tabakov. Already in his student years, Gaft began playing on stage and attracted the attention of teachers with his vivid manner of performance.

In 1957, the actor made his debut on the stage of the Mossovet Theater. Later, he served at the Moscow Drama Theater, Sovremennik, the Satire Theater and the Mayakovsky Theater. In these groups, the artist created many images that made him famous in the professional environment.

In the late 1950s, his film career began. Gaft's first film role was as the episodic character Marcel Rouget in Mikhail Romm's film Murder on Dante Street, released in 1956. The plot is based on the investigation of the assassination attempt on the famous actress Madeleine Thibault, which took place in a small French town shortly after the end of World War II.

The young actor vividly conveyed the negative type of his hero, thanks to which he found the popularity of the "movie villain". However, his real fame came after memorable roles in the films "Garage", "Hello, I'm your aunt!", "Put in a word about the poor Hussar", "Wizards" and in the film "Pokrovsky Gate". The artist looked equally organically in both satirical and dramatic images, quickly winning the love of the audience.

In addition to acting, Gaft proved himself to be a gifted writer. He wrote prose, as well as ironic poems and epigrams, in which he humorously responded to events in society and the lives of colleagues. His epigrams were popular and cemented his reputation as one of the wittiest authors of his time.

In 2001, Gaft made his directorial debut at the Sovremennik Theater. Together with actors Igor Kvasha and Alexander Nazarov, he staged the play "Balalaikin and Co." based on the work of Saltykov-Shchedrin. Later, the premiere of the play "Who is Ezra Pound" in his production took place at the theater. These works confirmed the breadth of his creative interests and the ability to think not only as an actor, but also as a director.

During his long career, Valentin Gaft has received many awards and honorary prizes. The actor is a winner of the Golden Eagle (2008, 2012) and Golden Mask (2018) awards. In 1984, he was awarded the title of People's Artist of the RSFSR.

The actor's personal life was as intense as his creative one. His first wife was Elena Izergina, the daughter of the famous doctor Peter Izergin, but eight years later the marriage broke up. The artist married ballerina Inna Eliseeva for the second time, and a daughter, Olga, was born in this marriage. The tragic death of his daughter in 2009 became a tragedy for the actor. He also has an illegitimate son, Vadim, from a relationship with the artist Elena Nikitina.

Gaft found true family happiness with actress Olga Ostroumova, whom he married in 1996. Under her influence, he converted to Orthodoxy. The couple lived together for many years, supporting each other in difficult moments.

In the last years of his life, the artist suffered from Parkinson's disease, which developed after a myocardial infarction. His condition was complicated by problems with speech and mobility, and he used a wheelchair, but continued to appear on stage and television. In August 2019, Gaft suffered a stroke, after which he spent a long time recovering in a rehabilitation center. It was not possible to fully regain health.

Valentin Gaft died on December 12, 2020 at his home in the village of Zhavoronki, Moscow region, at the age of 86. The farewell ceremony took place on December 15 on the stage of the Sovremennik Theater. The actor is buried on the Alley of Actors of the Troekurovsky cemetery in Moscow.

On September 2, 2025, the People's Artist would have turned 90 years old. On this day, an evening in memory of the actor will be held on the stage of Sovremennik, and an exhibition dedicated to him will open on Chistoprudny Boulevard. It will feature rare photographs of Valentin Iosifovich, memoirs of his friends, colleagues, and, of course, his poems about life, art, and what is always important.