Actor Valentin Gaft Passes Away

Russian actor Valentin Gaft has passed away at the age of 86. The news was confirmed to "RIA Novosti" by the actor's wife, Olga Ostroumova. The cause of death was complications from a stroke that he suffered in the summer of 2019.

Following his passing, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences. "The President considers Gaft's death a great loss for his fans and for the entire Russian culture," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Valentin Gaft was born in 1935 in Moscow. Since 1969, he had been performing at the "Sovremennik" theater. He received titles of Honored Artist and People's Artist of the RSFSR, along with several state awards and medals. Gaft is best known for his roles in the films "The Garage", "The Master and Margarita", and "Hello, I’m Your Aunt".