Avet Avetisyan: Movies & Filmography

Avet Markosi Avetisyan, born Voskanyan, was a prominent Soviet Armenian film and theater actor whose career spanned nearly half a century. Born on November 24, 1897, in Tbilisi in the Russian Empire (now modern-day Georgia), he would become one of the most celebrated figures in Armenian theatrical and cinematic arts. In 1905, Avetisyan was accepted to the prestigious Nersisian School, where his passion for the performing arts was first ignited through participation in school plays. Before being called to military service in 1916, he worked as a student and clerk in a manufacturing shop, balancing his education with practical employment. After being discharged from the army in 1918, Avetisyan joined Hovhannes Abelyan's theater company in Baku, marking the official beginning of his professional acting career. His debut performance occurred that same year when he played the role of Voskan in Alexander Shirvanzade's Evil Spirit (Char Vogi). Avetisyan subsequently traveled to Tbilisi with Abelyan, performing in an Armenian drama group from 1919 to 1920. During 1920-1921, he performed with the Amo Kharazyan group in Karakilisa (modern-day Vanadzor). In 1922, he moved to Yerevan as part of a touring theatre before being accepted to the famous Sundukyan State Academic Theatre, where he would continue to work for the remainder of his life. Throughout his illustrious stage career, Avetisyan portrayed a wide range of memorable characters, including Pantalone in Carlo Goldoni's Maid of Two Households, Orgon in Molière's Tartuffe, and Pepo in Gabriel Sundukian's Pepo. He also took on the role of Kutuzov in Vladimir Solovyov's Field Marshal Kutuzov and many other significant theatrical productions. Avetisyan's film career began in 1925 with the movie Namus, and over the course of his career, he appeared in 28 Armenian films. His notable film roles included parts in David Bek (1943), Anahit (1947), Sayat-Nova (1960), and Morgan's Relative (1970). Among his many honors, Avetisyan received the prestigious title of People's Artist of the Armenian SSR in 1938, the Stalin Prize in 1941 for his role as the Commander in Zangezur, the Order of Lenin in 1956, and the title of People's Artist of the USSR in 1962. He was also posthumously awarded the USSR State Prize in 1971. Avetisyan passed away on March 29, 1971, in Yerevan, Armenian SSR, and was buried in the Komitas Pantheon, honoring his lasting contribution to Armenian culture and arts.