Aleksandr Zbruev

Aleksandr Zbruyev is a popular Russian actor. He was born Aleksandr Viktorovich Zbruyev on March 31, 1938, in Moscow, Russia. His father, Viktor Alekseevich Zbruyev, was a high-ranking official, the Vice-Minister for Communications in the Soviet government. His mother, Tatiana Aleksandrovna Fedorova, a descendant of Russian landed Gentry, worked for a Moscow film company. Before Zbruyev was born, his father was arrested after a business trip to America in 1937, and was accused of being the "enemy of the Soviet people" during the "Great Terror" under Joseph Stalin. After a 15-minute court procedure Zbruyev's father was executed by gunshot to the head. At that time his mother was pregnant. Aleksandr Zbruyev never saw his father. He was a newborn child when his mother, a young film actress, was exiled with the baby from their home in Moscow. After spending five years in exile, young Aleksandr Zbruyev with his mother returned to their home in Moscow, and they found their home robbed and vandalized by the KGB. Zbruyev experienced hatred at his Moscow school for being the son of an executed "enemy of the people." In the times when he and his mother were struggling to survive, he suffered much emotional pain because of ruthless behavior of his peers and neighbors brainwashed by soviet propaganda. However, Zbruyev followed his dream of becoming a sport-star and an actor, and achieved good results in boxing and gymnastics. In 1958, he was admitted to the Shchukin Theatre School, to the class of Vladimir Etush, from which he graduated in 1961 as actor. Since 1961 Zbruyev has been permanent member of the troupe at Moscow Lenkom Theatre. There he played leading and supporting roles in many stage productions. Aleksandr Zbruyev shot to fame in 1962, after his stellar performance in the leading role in My Younger Brother (1962) (My Younger Brother 1962) by Aleksandr Zarkhi, an adaptation of the popular novel 'Zvyozdny bilet' by Vasiliy Aksyonov. He became an instant celebrity in the USSR together with his film partners Andrey Mironov, Oleg Dal, and Oleg Efremov. After that, he played many leading roles in Soviet and Russian films. Aleksandr Zbruyev was designated People's Actor of Russia in 1989, and also received numerous awards and decorations for his works in film and on stage. He remains the leading star of the Moscow Lenkom Theatre under the Artistic Director Mark Zakharov. Since 1995, Zbruyev is also the owner of the popular restaurant named TRAM (Theatre Restaurant of Moscow Actors) located at the Lenkom Theatre. He is living in Moscow, Russia.