1940 at the theater

• In Leningrad, in the Comedy Theater , the premiere of the first production of the shadow by Yevgeny Schwartz ’s play, took place. Director Nikolai Akimov .

Born

• January 2 - Stalin Azamatova , Soviet ballerina, Honored Artist of the Tajik SSR.
• February 18 - Guram Nikolaevich Pirtskhalava , Soviet and Georgian film and theater actor.
• March 3 - Georgy Martynyuk , Soviet and Russian film and theater actor.
• March 30 - Valery Efremovich Nikitenko , Soviet and Russian film and theater actor, Honored Artist of the RSFSR .
• April 18 - Vladimir Vasiliev , ballet dancer, choreographer, choreographer, theater director and actor, teacher; People's Artist of the USSR.
• April 25 - Mikhail Kononov , Soviet and Russian film and theater actor, Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1989), People's Artist of Russia (2000).
• April 26 - Gleb Borisovich Drozdov , Soviet and Russian theater director, People's Artist of the RSFSR (1982).
• May 11 - Zhanna Prokhorenko , Soviet and Russian theater and film actress, People's Artist of the RSFSR (1988).
• June 20 - Lyudmila Vasilievna Marchenko , Soviet and Russian theater and film actress.
• June 27 - Boris Alekseevich Khmelnitsky , Soviet and Russian film and theater actor, People's Artist of Russia .
• July 13 - Patrick Stewart , British theater, film and television actor, one of the main actors of the Royal Shakespeare Company.
• August 10 --- Veniamin Borisovich Smekhov , Soviet and Russian film and theater actor, director, screenwriter, writer.
• August 18 - Galina Mikhailovna Sokolova , Soviet, Russian actress and poetess, Honored Artist of Russia.
• September 6 - Juozas Budraitis , Soviet and Lithuanian film and theater actor.
• September 26 - Lyudmila Maksakova , Soviet and Russian theater and film actress, People's Artist of the RSFSR .
• October 6 - Victor Pavlov , Soviet and Russian film and theater actor.
• October 9 - Valery Nosik , Soviet film and theater actor.
• October 23 - Alexander Yanvarev , Soviet film and theater actor.
• November 21 - Natalia Romanovna Makarova , ballerina, choreographer, actress and producer, Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1969).

Died

• February 2 - Vsevolod Emilievich Meyerhold , Russian and Soviet director and actor, People's Artist of the Republic (1923), representative of Symbolism.
• January 27 - Isaac Emanuelovich Babel , Soviet writer and playwright.

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