Mikhail Derzhavin

Biography

Mikhail Derzhavin was born in the family of the People's Artist of the RSFSR, who was the leading actor of Vakhtangov’s Theatre, Mikhail Derzhavin and Iraida Derzhavina.

Mikhail grew up in a house on the Vakhtangov street, where actors, artists and musicians lived, the next entrance was the entrance to the Shchukin’s Theater School. All children's games were centered on improvised theatrical stage: children staged tales, wrote scripts, assigned roles and were both actors and audience. The famous “Vakhtangovs”, such as Ruben Simonov and Viktor Koltsov, visited Derazhavin’s apartment frequently.

After the start of the Great Patriotic War, the Vakhtangov’s Theater was evacuated to Omsk. During the evacuation Mikhail Derzhavin attended all performances of his father, but he especially liked "Marshal Kutuzov". At the age of five, Mikhail learned by heart Kutuzov’s monologue, and he read it in front of injured in the hospital.

In 1954 he entered the Shchukin’s Theater School, after he worked at the Lenkom Theatre in 1959. In 1965 he moved to the Theater on Malaya Bronnaya, and since 1968 till now he has been working in the Moscow Theater of Satire. He is a friend and constant partner of Alexander Shirvindt’s cabaret since 1957. In the mid-1980s, they hosted the program "Morning Post” together, and since 2013 they have hosted "I want to know".

Family

Mother - Iraida Ivanovna Derzhavina, actor of Vakhtangov’s Theatre.

Father - Mihail Stepanovich Derzhavin, actor of Vakhtangov’s Theatre.

First wife - Ekaterina Arkad'evna Rajkina, daughter of actor Arkady Raikin

Second wife - Nina Semjonovna Budjonnaja, daughter of Marshal of the Soviet Union Semyon Budyonny

Third wife - singer Roksana Rubenovna Babajan

Awards