Mikhail Bolduman

Mikhail Bolduman was a Russian actor of Moscow Art Theatre, known for his stage presence, powerful voice, and impeccable delivery, and regarded for high standard of his numerous stage and radio performances.

He was born Mikhail Panteleimonovich Bolduman on July 12, 1898, in Izrailovka, Mogilev Governorate, Russian Empire (now Mahilyow Voblast, Belarus). His parents belonged to Ukrainean and Moldavian nobility. Young Bolduman grew up in a trilingual environment. During the WWI and the Russian Civil War, he spent several years outside of Russia. In 1921 he returned to Ukraine, and made his acting debut with Zhmerinka Theatre Company, then worked with Kiev Theatre of Russian Drama. In 1930 Bolduman moved to Moscow, there he worked at Korsh Theatre and took part in productions under director Vsevolod Meyerhold.

From 1933 - 1983 Mikhail Bolduman was a permanent member of the troupe at Moscow Art Theatre (MKhAT). There his stage partners were such renown Russian actors as Ivan Moskvin, Nikolay Khmelyov, Alla Tarasova, Anatoli Ktorov, Olga Androvskaya, Angelina Stepanova, Anastasiya Georgievskaya, Mikhail Yanshin, Aleksey Gribov, Boris Livanov, Mikhail Kedrov, Viktor Stanitsyn, Vasili Toporkov, Mark Prudkin, Pavel Massalsky, and the next generation of MKhAT actors - Oleg Efremov, Innokentiy Smoktunovskiy, Oleg Tabakov, Kira Golovko, Nina Gulyaeva, Tatyana Lavrova, Iya Savvina, Olga Barnet, Irina Miroshnichenko, Anastasiya Voznesenskaya, Andrey Myagkov, Vladimir Kashpur, Vladlen Davydov, Viktor Sergachyov, Vyacheslav Nevinnyy, Stanislav Lyubshin, Sergey Sazontev, Avangard Leontev, Igor Vasilev, and others. Bolduman gave acclaimed performances as Vershinin in Chekhov's 'The Three Sisters', and as Boris Godunov opposite Ivan Moskvin, among his other roles. Bolduman's acting career spanned over 60 years, and he was a member of the board at Moscow Art Theatre (MKhAT).

Mikhail Bolduman received the State Stalin's Prize three times: in 1946 (twice), and in 1950, and was designated People's Actor of the USSR. He was married to actress Natalya Durova, the daughter of the famous circus tamer Yuri Durov, and the couple had one son. Mikhail Bolduman died of a heart failure, on December 28, 1983, in Moscow, and was laid to rest in Vvedenskoe Cemetery in Moscow, Russia.