Stars, record holders and politicians: who we lost in 2021

In 2021, the favorites of many - actors, composers, record holders and world famous personalities - passed away. And even though they are no longer with us, they left an indelible mark on the lives of many and definitely entered world history.

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The creator of "Yeralash" Boris Grachevsky

Boris Grachevsky, artistic director of the Yeralash children's magazine, died at the age of 71 in January. The coronavirus took his life.

Grachevsky was born on March 18, 1949 in Moscow. He graduated from the Kaliningrad Mechanical Technical School at the S.P. Korolev, later - All-Union State Institute of Cinematography (VGIK), specializing in organizing film production. He worked as an administrator on the films of directors Alexander Rowe, Mark Donskoy and Vasily Shukshin.

Grachevsky founded Yeralash in 1974 and became the director of everyone's beloved children's newsreel, wrote scripts for it, staged stories as a stage director. In some issues, he acted as an actor, dubbed the text from the author.

“I jump up in the morning in order to do something faster, I live at a tremendous pace. It feels like I'm a marathon runner, - said Grachevsky in an interview, a quote from which is published on the site "Yeralash"... - Now they say you have made a movie, look, do not give up "Yeralash". Well, how can I leave a child who, despite the 35-year-old (at that time. - Ed.) age, you have to learn to walk all the time, hold the handle all the time! "

Soviet actor Andrei Myagkov

In February, at the age of 83, the famous Soviet actor Andrei Myagkov died. He became famous for his work in cinema, primarily the role of Zhenya Lukashin in The Irony of Fate and Anatoly Novoseltsev in The Office Romance, which was shot by Eldar Ryazanov, as well as his participation in Nikita Mikhalkov's film Cruel Romance.

Myagkov was awarded the Orders of Honor, "For Services to the Fatherland" III and IV degrees and Friendship. He is a laureate of the State Prize of the USSR in the field of literature, art and architecture for the role of Lukashin and the State Prize of the RSFSR im. brothers Vasiliev for the role of Novoseltsev.

Spouse of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip

Photo: Shutterstock

The husband of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, Prince Philip, died on April 9. He was 99 years old.

Prince Philip married Elizabeth in 1947 - five years before she ascended the throne. He was the oldest member of the royal couple in the world.

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In 2016, the British magazine GQ included the then 94-year-old Prince Philip in the Top 50 most elegantly dressed men of the year.

Prince Philip was a very frugal man. So, in 2008, he asked a tailor to hem the trousers that he first wore 52 years ago.

On December 15, 2016, Prince Philip broke the record of longevity among men - descendants of Queen Victoria. Before him, this record belonged to the uncle of King of Sweden Carl XVI Gustav Carl Johan Arthur Bernadotte, Count of Wiesborg, who died on May 5, 2012 at the age of 95 years, 6 months and 5 days.

The last of the Soviet soldiers who liberated Auschwitz

David Dushman, the last surviving soldier who participated in the liberation of the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz, died at 98 years old.

Dushman, a Jewish Red Army veteran who later became an Olympic fencer, died in Germany on Saturday 5 June.

At the age of 21, on January 27, 1945, a Red Army soldier demolished the camp's electric fence with his tank to help free the prisoners.

Dushman said that he was not aware of the existence of Auschwitz during the war and learned about the terrible things that happened there only after its end.

He became one of the best fencers in the Soviet Union, the USSR champion in epee fencing, and then one of the most famous world fencing trainers. From 1952 to 1988 he coached the women's fencing team of the Soviet Union.

Director Vladimir Menshov

The famous Oscar-winning Russian film director Vladimir Menshov died from the effects of COVID-19.

Vladimir Menshov - People's Artist of the RSFSR (1989), laureate of the State Prize of the USSR (1981), the State Prize of the RSFSR named after N.K. Krupskaya (1978) and the Academy Award "Oscar", member of the Union of Cinematographers of the Russian Federation.

He gained worldwide fame in 1981 when his film "Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears" won an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. In the same year he became a laureate of the USSR State Prize, in 1989 - People's Artist of the RSFSR.

Another Menshov's film, Love and Doves (1984), enjoys immense popularity in Russia. In addition to directing as an actor, he starred in many Soviet and Russian films, including "Night Watch" and "Day Watch" by Timur Bekmambetov.

Director Richard Donner

The director of such famous films as Superman, Lethal Weapon and The Omen, Richard Donner died at 92. Donner directed his first feature film, the war drama X-15, starring Charles Bronson, in 1961, but was unsuccessful.

In 1968, he began work on the crime comedy Salt and Pepper, and then directed the film Lola (Twinkies), starring Charles Bronson.

In 1976, a new film by Richard Donner, the horror film The Omen, was released. It tells about the coming to Earth of the son of the devil - the antichrist. The film won an Oscar for Best Film Score.

Two years after the release of The Omen, Donner directed the hugely successful film Superman with Christopher Reeve.

The film's budget was $ 55 million, the film's worldwide box office was $ 300 million, and the film won a special Oscar for visual effects.

1985 saw the release of Goofs, an adventure comedy film directed by Richard Donner and based on a story by Steven Spielberg. The film tells the story of a group of children from Oregon who go in search of the treasure of the pirate One-Eyed Willie.

In the late 1980s, Donner directed the first Lethal Weapon film with Mel Gibson. In 2003, his new motion picture was released - the fantastic film "Trapped in Time" based on the novel by Michael Crichton.

Russian actor and musician Pyotr Mamonov

In July, Russian actor and musician Pyotr Mamonov died in Moscow. He was 70 years old. The cause of death was complications after COVID-19.

He appeared in films in 1988 as the Doctor in the cult film "Needle" by Rashid Nugmanov, and the role of saxophonist Lehi in the film "Taxi Blues" brought him popularity. Among his most famous film works are the roles in the films of Pavel Lungin "Tsar" and "The Island". His work in the latter has brought him many awards, including the Russian Nika and Golden Eagle awards.

For almost four decades of his creative life, Pyotr Nikolaevich Mamonov left the brightest trace. In an incomprehensible way, he combined the basest and the most sublime. It is impossible to imagine the Russian culture of the late XX - early XXI centuries without this most talented person.

Tallest man in the USA

The tallest man in the United States, Igor Vovkovinsky, also known as Igor Ladan, died on August 20. The 38-year-old actor of Ukrainian descent has died of heart disease.

He was known for his height - 234,5 centimeters, thanks to which he got into the Guinness Book of Records as the tallest resident of the States.

Igor Vovkovinsky was born in 1982 in the Vinnitsa region. Later, his family moved to Kiev, where Igor went to first grade. When he was seven, his parents moved to Rochester, Minnesota to treat Igor's gigantism. By that time, his height was 182 centimeters, and his weight was more than 90 kg. The child was diagnosed with a tumor pressing on his pituitary gland, which caused abnormal growth hormone levels.

Igor took part in several TV shows and starred in films. His most famous role is in the 2011 film Celibate Week. In addition, the man took part in the election campaign of President Barack Obama in 2008 as his "world's biggest supporter." Vovkovinsky also took part in the production of Zlata Ognevich, who represented Ukraine at Eurovision-2013.

Colin Powell

Photo: Shutterstock

Colin Powell, the first black U.S. Secretary of State, died in October at the age of 84 from COVID-19 amid battling cancer.

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He has held senior positions under four presidents, first as National Security Advisor to President Ronald Reagan, and then as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President George H.W. Bush and President Bill Clinton. He was the first African American to hold this position. Then President George W. Bush named Powell as Secretary of State.

The oldest man in the world

In the Philippines, a woman who was considered the oldest person in the world died. Francisca Susano, affectionately called Lola Isca, was 124 years old. The woman died on the evening of November 22.

The secret to Lola's long life is believed to have been a diet of vegetables and a small amount of pork-free meat. The woman also said that giving up alcohol had a positive effect on her health.

Soviet director Sergei Soloviev

In December, at the age of 78 in Moscow, the director of the film "Assa" Sergei Soloviev died.

He wrote scripts for feature films and documentaries and in 1969 made his debut with the short stories "From Nothing to Do" and "The Proposal" in the film almanac "Family Happiness" based on the stories of Anton Chekhov.

Later, his first full-length film "Yegor Bulychev and Others" based on the play by Maxim Gorky, as well as "The Station Keeper" based on the story by Alexander Pushkin, which received "Pri-Italy" at the Venice Television Film Festival in 1972, was released.

For the film "One Hundred Days After Childhood" Soloviev received the "Silver Bear" prize at the Berlin International Film Festival.

And his film "Alien White and Pockmarked" was awarded a special jury prize at the Venice Film Festival.

One of the director's most famous works was the 1987 film Assa from the Three Songs about the Motherland trilogy.

Botox creator

On December 16, at the age of 90, Alan Scott died. He was the first person to use Botox in medicine, but not in the way we are used to, but in ophthalmology. The cause of death was complications of sepsis.

In the 1960s, Alan Scott studied botox at the Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute in San Francisco, California. Then he noticed an unusual paralyzing effect of the substance on muscles and suggested that an improved formula of the toxin could help treat strabismus and blepharospasm (involuntary blinking).

He created the formula for the drug, and in 1989 received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for it. As a result, the strabismus drug became a cure for wrinkles and brought fame and money to its creator.

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