Oleg Tabakov

Oleg Pavlovich Tabakov (1935 –2018) was a Soviet and Russian actor and the Artistic Director of the Moscow Chekhov Art Theatre, a People's Artist of the USSR (1988).

Tabakov studied at the Moscow Art Theatre School. Upon graduating, he became one of the founding fathers of the Sovremennik Theatre.

In 1992-2008, Tabakov was a member of the commission on state awards under the President of the Russian Federation. In March 2014, Tabakov signed a letter to President Putin in support of the annexation of Crimea.