The celebrated Soviet and Russian actor, our brilliant colleague Vasily Lanovoy passed away on the 28th of January aged 87.

Russian President Vladimir Putin described Lanovoy in his message as a legend of Russian cinema and of the Vakhtangov Theatre. “He will always remain in our memory as a true patriot and civil activist who valued Russia, its destiny, history and future above all,” the president stressed.

Rimas Tuminas, the Artistic director of the Vakhtangov theatre, said:

Late at night I learnt that Vasiliy Lanovoy died and felt the Earth was shaken. I heard our Theatre crying in it’s soul. Then I started remembering. I remembered all our conversations with this  marvellous actor and great Russian patriot. I was thinking of him when I saw the light through the sorrow. Such people do not vanish forever. They are still with us. Vasiliy Lanovoy is still in the heart of the Vakhtangov Theatre, we just cannot see him. But he is watching us. He is with his teachers now, with Eugene Vakhtangov. And we should become better than we were, we should become more honest than we were. And we should carry on knowing, that he is watching.