Kikabidze, Vakhtang Konstantinovich

Vakhtang Konstantinovich Kikabidze was born on July 19, 1938 in Tbilisi , as a child, lived in the Vere district.

After leaving school in 1955-1957 he studied at the University of Tbilisi . In 1959 he joined the Tbilisi Philharmonic . In 1961-1963 he studied at the Tbilisi Institute of Foreign Languages.

In 1966 he made his film debut - “ Meeting in the Mountains ” (director N. Sanishvili ). Sang in the quartet "Dielo". In 1966, Vakhtang Kikabidze joined the Orera ensemble (percussion instruments, vocals), the name of which can be translated from Georgian approximately as the refrain “La-la-la”. In 1969, he first starred with G. Danelia in the film “ Do not Cry! "(Prize for best actor in the International Film Festival in Cartagena , 1970). The next iconic film was the picture “ Melodies of the Veria Quarter ” (director G. Shengelaya , 1973). In 1977, the film Danelia " Mimino " ( USSR State Prize of 1978) was released.

In 1981, Kikabidze, according to his script, shot a comedy in four short stories “ Be healthy, dear !” (Gabrovo-83 Grand Prix), and in 1985, the film “Men and Everyone Else”. In 1984, starred in the television series " TASS authorized to declare " (received the prize of the KGB of the USSR ).

People's Artist of the Georgian SSR (1980), laureate of many international song contests and film festivals. Honorary Citizen of Tbilisi (1998). In 1999, in Moscow, on the “Star Square”, his star was laid, and in 2006, his “Georgian Star” in the square in front of the Tbilisi Philharmonic. Cavalier of orders: International Order of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (for the increase of good on the earth, presented from Ukraine), International Order of Constantine the Great (presented from Russia) and Georgian - Order of Honor (1994) and the military order of Vakhtang Gorgasal III degree. On the occasion of his 70th birthday, he was awarded the Georgian Order of Victory named after St. George. He refused the Russian Order of Friendship in connection with the conflict in South Ossetia in August 2008. In addition, Kikabidze canceled his anniversary concerts in Moscow, declaring that he respects the Russian people, but in connection with the military operations of Russia against Georgia, he cannot accept awards and perform concerts. Since then, he has not visited the Russian Federation ^[1] .

The performer of a large number of popular songs ("Chito Gvrito", "My Years - My Wealth", etc.). He constantly tours. I traveled with concerts on five continents. In the cinema, he created a gallery of characters in films that have become loved by the people: “ Do not worry! "," Absolutely Missing "," Mimino "and" Fortune ", filmed by director George Danelia .

In October 2014, in an interview with the Ukrainian newspaper Today, Kikabidze said that “if I were young, I would also be in the ATO and resisted defending the honor of the country” ^[2] , and he called President Putin “a black power politician” and "Invader" ^[3] .

In the spring of 2015, Vakhtang Kikabidze gave a recital in Kiev as part of the All-Ukrainian tour. The artist devoted his two-hour performance to the memory of the Heavenly Hundred ^[4] .

Father - junior lieutenant Konstantin Nikolaevich Kikabidze (1906-1942), went missing in December 1942 near Kerch ^[5] , came from an Imereti noble family, worked as a journalist ^[6] .

The actor’s mother is Manana Konstantinovna Bagrationi, from the Georgian princely family Bagrationi-Davitishvili , a branch of the Georgian royal dynasty Bagrationi , was a famous singer ^[7] , maternal grandmother Olga was from the old princely family Amirejibi from Kartli ^[8] .

Wife - since 1965, Irina G. Kebadze, formerly a prima ballerina of the Tbilisi Academic Opera House.

Vakhtang Kikabidze has two children: adoptive daughter Marina Sagaradze - actress of the Tbilisi Academic Theater named after Shota Rustaveli, acts in films, teaches stage mastery at the theater university, son Konstantin Kikabidze - artist, graduated from the Academy of Arts, worked for three years on a contract in Moscow at the Georgian Embassy , currently lives in Toronto , Canada .

Grandchildren: the eldest grandson - George Areshidze (1978), the daughter of a daughter, graduated from college in Salzburg and in London ( 2007 ), and the sons of Konstantin: Vakhtang Kikabidze ( 1986 ), a student at in Blagoevgrad ( Bulgaria), and Ivan Kikabidze ( 1995 ), studied at an English school in Tbilisi.

• 1996 - “Ah, these difficult years”
• 2009 - Disappointed
• 2011 - “Georgian Song”

• Honored Artist of the Georgian SSR (1970)
• People's Artist of the Georgian SSR (1980)
• USSR State Prize ( 1978 )
• USSR KGB Prize ( 1984 , for his role in the film " TASS is authorized to declare ... ")
• Order of Honor (Georgia) (Georgia, 1994 )
• Order of Vakhtang Gorgasal III degree (Georgia)
• Order of Victory named after St. George ( 2008 , Georgia ) ^[9]
• The Order of Friendship ( July 19, 2008 , Russia ) - for its great contribution to the development of Russian culture and art, the strengthening of Russian-Georgian cultural ties ^[10] - refused in August 2008 ^[11] .
• Honored Artist of Ukraine ( November 30, 2013 ) - for his significant personal contribution to the socio-economic, scientific, technical, cultural and educational development of the Ukrainian state, significant labor achievements, many years of conscientious work ^[12]

• In the films of George Danelia, the name Kikabidze in the credits is written as "Buba Kikabidze." Buba is the nickname of Kikabidze among relatives and friends ^[13] .
• The name Kikabidze named Verkhotursky punk folk-rock band Waterfall .
• Kikabidze lives in his three-story mansion, which he built in the prestigious Tbilisi district of Vake ( Titsiana Tabidze Street ) ^{[1] [14]} .
• Kikabidze in an interview with German media said that he was glad the collapse of the Soviet Union and noted that "he hates the emblem of the Soviet Union - a sickle and a hammer."
• According to Kikabidze himself, he was never a member of the Komsomol . ^[15]

• Personal site archive .
• Vakhtang Konstantinovich Kikabidze
• Vakhtang Konstantinovich Kikabidze in the program “See who came” (inaccessible link)
• Genatsvale Mimino Kikabidze
• George Kobaladze . “If they beat you, you shouldn’t sing songs to him” // Radio Liberty , 05/30/2015