Alexey Granovskiy Theatre director Date of Birth: 09.11.1890

1. Early Life and Education
2. Early Career and Theatrical Influences
3. Founding and Leadership of GOSET
4. Exile and Illness
5. Family and Legacy

Early Life and Education

Born in Moscow on August 4, 1888, Alexei Granovsky spent his childhood in Riga. His father, Moisei Ber-Itzkovich Azarkh, was a wealthy merchant, while his mother, Miriam-Bas Leiberovna Gottlieb, came from an artistic background.

In 1911, Granovsky graduated from the School of Scenic Arts in St. Petersburg, where he studied under the renowned Alexander Sanin. He then continued his studies at the Munich Theatre Academy, where he encountered the influential German director Max Reinhardt.

Early Career and Theatrical Influences

Granovsky made his directorial debut at the Riga New Theatre in 1914. In the years that followed, he staged productions throughout Russia. After serving on the front lines during World War I, he traveled to Sweden to study filmmaking.

Upon his return to Russia in 1918, Granovsky joined the newly established Theater of Tragedy in Petrograd. After the theater's closure, he founded the Jewish Theater Studio in 1919. This studio eventually evolved into the State Jewish Chamber Theatre (GOSET), which premiered in Moscow in 1921 with Granovsky's production of "Oedipus Rex."

Founding and Leadership of GOSET

GOSET quickly gained acclaim under Granovsky's artistic direction. It showcased the talents of rising stars Solomon Mikhoels and Veniamin Zuskin, and featured set designs by the legendary artist Marc Chagall. In 1925, the theater dropped the word "chamber" from its name, becoming the State Jewish Theatre (GOSET).

Granovsky remained GOSET's artistic director until 1928, overseeing all major productions. The theater toured extensively both domestically and internationally.

Exile and Illness

In 1928, while on tour with GOSET, Granovsky opted not to return to the Soviet Union. He settled in Paris, where he continued to work as a director. In 1936, he was diagnosed with a terminal illness.

Granovsky died in Paris on March 11, 1937, deeply saddened by the fact that his legacy had been erased in his homeland. Some publications even falsely attributed GOSET's founding to Solomon Mikhoels.

Family and Legacy

Granovsky's family included several notable figures in the arts. His brothers, Leonid Azarkh and Boris Ingster, became renowned film professionals in France and the United States, respectively. His wife, Alexandra Azarkh-Granovskaya, was an actress and director who taught at the Moscow Art Theatre Studio.

Granovsky's work left an enduring mark on Russian and Jewish theater. He is remembered as a visionary director who bridged cultures and inspired generations of artists.