Anzor Urdia

Anzor Urdia (ანზორ ურდია, Анзор Урдія; March 12, 1939 – September 29, 2011) was a renowned Georgian theater and film actor.

He performed in a number of films, among them was the main role in the iconic Soviet film Data Tutashkhia.

Urdia was born in Uman, Ukraine in 1939 where his father Varlam Urdia served as military fighter pilot during the World War II.

Urdia and his family moved back to Georgia after his father was killed in Ukraine on October 30, 1945.

In Georgia, Urdia studied acting at the prestigious Shota Rustaveli Theatre and Film University and very soon after graduating he became a successful theater actor in number of theaters in the Soviet Union.

Urdia's numerous performances on the theater stage led him to starring and supporting roles in well known Georgian films which included Data Tutashkhia, Kvarkvare, Kukaracha and Pirveli Mertskhali.

In a well known Soviet film series which was based on Chabua Amirejibi's book Data Tutashkhia Urdia played the role of a drunken homeless vagrant called Bardghunia.

Urdia was married to the Georgian mathematician Nana Gigineishvili with whom he had two children, Varlam Urdia (born 1965) and Mariam Urdia (born in 1982).

In 1980, during the height of his career in both film and theater, Urdia was appointed as the head of administration of the famous Marjanishvili Theatre where he worked for more than ten years.

He earned the critical acclaim for his portrayal of Kharabadze in the 1990 film adaptation of Nodar Dumbadze's novel Tetri Bairaghebi (White Flags).

In 1997, Urdia had a leading role as Stalin in an Austrian production of the historical documentary film.

After suffering illness for many years, Urdia passed away on September 29, 2011 and was interred at the Tbilisi Vake Cemetery.