Vasadze Akaki

Vasadze, Akaki (25 July/6 August 1899, Kutaisi – 23 March 1978, Tbilisi) was an actor, director, one of the founders of the New Georgian Theatre, and a public figure. He was named People’s Artist of Georgia (1934) and of the USSR (1936), and was awarded the Shota Rustaveli Prize (1975), the Stalin Prizes (1942, 1946, 1951), and the Georgian State Prize (1975).

He began his career in 1917 in the Kutaisi Theatre as a painter-decorator, where he also made his first stage appearance. In 1918–20 he studied in Tbilisi at A. Jabadari’s drama studio. From 1920 to 1958 he was a leading actor of the Tbilisi Shota Rustaveli State Theatre, serving as its artistic director in 1935–55, and from 1958 to 1968 he was the artistic director of the Kutaisi L. Meskhishvili State Drama Theatre. From 1969 onward he worked at the Rustavi State Drama Theatre, and from 1975 at the Tbilisi K. Marjanishvili State Theatre.

Vasadze possessed a remarkably broad artistic range, excelling in both tragic and comic roles. Renowned for his brilliant acting technique and creative versatility, he was distinguished by a unique performance style and exceptional transformative ability. He enriched the history of Georgian theatre with many memorable roles.

Vasadze was one of the initiators behind the founding of the corporation “Duruji.” From 1926 he taught at the Rustaveli Theatre’s drama studio, and from 1939 at the Institute of Shota Rustaveli State Theatre, becoming a professor in 1947. He is buried at the Didube Pantheon. His house-museum is located in Tbilisi.

Literary works: მოგონებები. ფიქრები, თბ., 1977; შეხვედრა სტალინთან., თბ., 2012.

Literature: ბ უ ხ ნ ი კ ა შ ვ ი ლ ი  გ., აკაკი ვასაძე, თბ., 1960; კიკნაძე ვ., აკაკი ვასაძე, თბ., 1971; ჯ ა ნ ე ლ ი ძ ე  დ., სახიობა, [წგ.] 1, თბ., 1958; Гугушвили Э., Театральные портреты, Тб., 1968; Марков П., А. Васадзе, წგ.: Народные артисты СССР, М.–Л., 1937.