Rachya Kaplanyan Soviet actor, theater director Date of Birth: 14.11.1923 Country: Armenia

Biography of Rachia Kaplanian

Rachia Kaplanian was a Soviet actor and theater director. He was born on November 14, 1923, in the village of Gyargyar, Armenian SSR, near Gyumri, into a working-class family. His parents were instrumental in establishing the Leninakan Textile Factory.

At the age of 12, Kaplanian was noticed for his talent in school performances and began receiving invitations to act in children's roles at the Young Spectator Theater. In 1940, he graduated from the Yerevan Theater School. From 1937 to 1950, with a break during the Great Patriotic War, he worked as an actor before dedicating himself to directing. He also participated in the Great Patriotic War.

In 1952, Kaplanian spent two years in Moscow, interning at the Moscow Art Theater. During this time, he worked as an assistant director to M.N. Kedrov on productions such as "Dachniks" by M. Gorky and "The Aurora Salute" by M.V. Bolshintsov and M.E. Chiaureli. From 1953 to 1956 and from 1959 to 1962, he served as the chief director of the Yerevan Young Spectator Theater. From 1956 to 1959, he worked as a director at the Sundukyan Theater in Yerevan, and from 1962 to 1965, he was the chief director of the Spendiaryan Armenian National Opera and Ballet Theater. He also directed productions in theaters in Moscow.

In 1966, Kaplanian became the chairman of the Armenian Theater Society. He was the founder of the Friendship Theater and a professor at the Yerevan Theater Institute.

Rachia Kaplanian was buried in the Pantheon named after Komitas. His stepfather was Nikita Kaplanian, his biological father was Georgy Engibarov (father of Leonid Engibarov), who worked as a chef at the "Metropol" restaurant in Moscow. His stepbrother was Leonid Engibarov, and his daughter Tatia Kaplanian (1952-2010) was an actress who lived in Los Angeles and was buried in Yerevan. Kaplanian was honored as a Merited Artist of the Armenian SSR in 1954, a Merited Artist of the Armenian SSR in 1961, a People's Artist of the Armenian SSR in 1966, and a People's Artist of the USSR in 1971. He also received the State Prize of the USSR in 1981.