Kozakov, Mikhail Mikhailovich

Mikhail Mikhailovich Kozakov (born October, 14, 1934, in Leningrad - April, 22, 2011, Ramat Gan) was a Soviet, Russian and Israeli director, the actor of theater and cinema. He was a national actor of RSFSR (1980), winner of the State award of the USSR (1967).
He was born in a family of the writer Mikhail Emmanuilovich Kozakov (1897-1954) and the editor 'Publishing house of writers in Leningrad' Zoya Aleksandrovna Nikitina, of Serbian-Greek origin.

During war together with other Leningrad children he was evacuated to Molotovsky area (now - the Perm region). From 1941 to 1944 he lived in the village Chernaya of Krasnokamsk district. Since 1945 he studied in the Leningrad choreographic school.
In 1952 Mikhail Kozakov matriculated MHAT school-studio. He debuted in cinema, having acted Charles Tibo's role in M.I.Romm's political drama 'Murder in the street Dante' (1956).

Upon termination of studio he began to work in Mayakovsky Theatre, then - in Sovremennik (1959-1970), in МHАТ (1971-1972), at Theatre on Small Bronnaya (1972-1981) and in Lenkome (with 1986).

In August, 1991 M.M.Kozakov was offered top-paying job in Israel so he moved there together with his family. During for four years he acted in Hebrew in Tel-Aviv chamber theater; besides, created Russian troupe (enterprise) with four performances.
In 1996 the actor returned to Russia and organized his own troupe, named 'Mikhail Kozakov's Russian enterprise'.

Untill 2010 Mikhail Kozakov acted with solo performances and in the role of a reader (in particular, he wrote down a compact disc) and with I.A.Brodsky and A.A.Ahmatovoj's poetic products.

In 2010 the actor was diagnosed with lungs cancer in the inoperable form. Treatment was conducted in Israel in clinic Tel hа-Shomer. On April, 22nd, 2011 Mikhail Kozakov died after difficult battle with the illness.

Wifes:

1. Greta Taar (born. 1934; marriage 1955-1965), costume designer;
- children - Katerina Kozakova (born 1957), philologist and Kiril Kozakov (born 1962), film actor.
2. Medea Berelashvili (marriage 1968-1971), the artist-restorer;
- daughter Manana Kozakov (born 1969), graduate of Shchukinsky school, actress of Tbilisi academic theater;
3. Regina Solomonovna Kozakova (born 1940; in 1971-1988), the translator of poetry and prose from English into Russian and from Russian into English, writer, since 1988 lives in New York;
4. Anna Isaevna Jampolskaya (born 1959, Kishinev; marriage 1988-2003), graduate of GITIS, actress and theatrical producer;
- children - Michael (born 1989), Zoe (a sort. 1995), live in Israel.
5. Nadezhda Sedova (born 1979, Nizhny Novgorod; in 2006-2010), historian.