Gelovani Mikheil

Mikheil Gelovani [25 December 1892 (6 January 1893), village Spatagori, Lechkhumi district, nowadays Tsageri municipality – 21 December 1956, Sokhumi] was an actor, director, People's Artist of Georgia (1946) and the USSR (1950).

He first appeared on stage in 1912 at the Baku Georgian Drama Theatre. From 1913–14 and 1916, he was an actor at the Batumi Theatre, and from 1914 to1915, at the Kutaisi Theatre. From 1918 to 1920, he studied in Tbilisi at G. Jabadari’s studio. He was an actor at the Rustaveli National Theatre from 1921–22 and 1936–39, and at the Moscow Art Theatre between 1942–48. He performed over 100 roles on stage, including Vaska Pepeli (Maxim Gorky’s "At the Bottom"), Gegechkori, Nobleman Kotsia (Sh. Dadiani’s "Gegechkori," "Yesterday's People"), Giorgi Baratashvili (N. Shiukashvili’s "The Fool"), Beso (A. Sumbatashvili’s "Betrayal"), etc.

From 1924, he performed roles in Georgian cinema: Bakhva Pulava ("Three Lives," directed by T. Perestiani, 1924), Turiko ("Two Hunters," directed by A. Tsutsunava, 1926), Rostomi ("The Last Masquerade," directed by G. Chiaureli, 1934), Kirile ("Orange Field," directed by N. Shengelaia, 1937), and others.

As a director, he worked on films such as "The Youth Prevails" (1928), "The True Caucasian" (1931), and others.

Gelovani played the role of Stalin in various films produced by different studios, including "The Great Dawn" (1938), "Defense of Tsaritsin" (1942), "Oath" (1946), and "The Fall of Berlin" (1950).

Gelovani received numerous state awards.

A. Gventsadze