Mikhail Tumanishvili

Mikhail Tumanishvili was a Russian director and actor known for such films as The Detached Mission (1986) and Avariya - doch menta (1990). He was born Mikhail Iosifovich Tumanishvili on 19 June 1935, in Moscow, Russia, Soviet Union. His father, Iosif Tumanishvili, was a stage director at Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow and later directed the ceremonies of opening and closing of the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow. Young Tumanishvili grew up in a privileged intellectual atmosphere of his family. From 1952 to 1957 he studied acting at the Shchukin Theatrical College, graduating in 1957 as actor. He had temporary gigs as a stage actor with various companies in Moscow. From 1959 to 1963 he studied directing at the Soviet State Theatrical Institute in Moscow, graduating in 1963 as director. From 1963 to 1966, Mikhail Tumanishvili was staff director at the Kremlin Palace of Congresses, the central meeting place for the Soviet Communist Party in the Moscow Kremlin. During the late 60s, Mikhail Tumanishvili broke into film as second unit director for Tchaikovsky (1970) by director Igor Talankin. However, it took him another ten years until he made his directorial debut with Otvetnyy khod (1981). During the 80s, he was staff director at the Mosfilm Studios in Moscow. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Tumanishvili went on to direct several mini-series for Russian television. He also directed a stage play with visiting actors from Georgia at the Barbican Theatre in London, in 1994, albeit he could not achieve as much success as he did in Russia. Mikhail Tumanishvili was designated Honored Artist of Russia. He was living in Moscow, Russia. He died of a heart failure on 23 December, 2010, and was laid to rest in Vagankovskoe cemetery in Moscow, Russia.