Vasiliy Livanov

Career overview

Vasiliy Livanov was born on 19 July 1935 in Moscow, then part of the Russian SFSR within the USSR. He came from a multigenerational acting family: his grandfather, Nikolai Livanov, performed under the stage name Izvolsky in provincial and later metropolitan theatres, and his father, Boris Nikolaevich Livanov (1904‑1972), was a distinguished actor who appeared in roughly forty productions at the Art Theater and thirty films. The Livanov household was a cultural hub frequented by notable figures such as Kachalov, Pasternak, Dovzhenko, Cherkasov, Tarkhanov and Konchalovsky.

Livanov’s early education included attendance at men’s school number 170, followed by studies at the Moscow Secondary Art School from 1950 to 1954. After completing his secondary training, he entered the B.V. Schukin Theater School, where he further developed his craft. His professional career in acting has been extensive; the database records 142 credited performances across film and television. In recognition of his contributions to the performing arts, he was awarded the title of Honored Artist of the RSFSR on 27 November 1981 and later received the higher distinction of People’s Artist of the RSFSR on 18 April 1988. Throughout his life he has remained closely associated with the Russian theatrical tradition, building on the legacy of his family while establishing his own reputation as a prolific actor.