Armenian actor Mher Mkrtchyan remembered on 85th birth anniversary

Armenian artists and actors, as well as Yerevan municipality officials on Saturday visited the Komitas Pantheon to remember and honor Mher Mkrtchyan, a popular Armenian and USSR actor who would turn 85 today.

Mayor Taron Margaryan joined the other attendees to lay flowers and burn incense on the actor’s grave to eternalize his memory. He lauded the great actor’s talent and heritage, remembering interesting episodes from his life.

Aram Sukiasyan, a deputy mayor of Yerevan, also delivered a speech at the ceremony. “Many of those who are present here today are really happy people, as you had the honor to communicate with Mher Mkrtchyan the man  and the artist and enjoy his presence. The best tribute to an artist is, last but not least, applauds near his grave. Bravo, Maestro!” he said, inviting applauds in honor of the great artist.
 

Mher Mkrtchyan, better known by his stage name Frunzik, was a Soviet Armenian actor. He is widely considered one of the greatest and most popular Armenian actors of the Soviet period. Born in Leninakan (now Gyumri), he first studied in a local art college and theatre studio; later, Mkrtchyan also graduated from Yerevan Institute of Fine Arts and Theatre, specializing in cinema and theatre acting. Beginning 1953, he performed in the Sundukyan Drama Theatre of Yerevan. He also directed many successful productions, the best of which was Maxim Gorky's "The Lower Depths". His cinema career began in 1955.

Mkrtchyan famous roles in Rolan Bykov's Aybolit-66 (1966), Leonid Gaidai's Kidnapping, Caucasian Style (1966), and Georgi Daneliya's Mimino (1977) earned him a reputation as one of the Soviet Union's leading comedy actors. But that reputation sometimes overshadowed his real talent and emotional depth which he put into his roles in such classics of Armenian cinema as Yerankyuni ("Triangle") (1967), Menq enq, mer sarere ("We are Our Mountains") (1969), Hayrik ("Father") (1973), Nahapet (1977), Hin oreri yerge("The Song of the Old Days") (1982), Mer mankutyan tangon ("Tango of Our Childhood") (1985). Among his many awards was the USSR State Prize for 1978. He died in Yerevan in 1993.