He is one of the most famous actors in Armenia and even in former soviet countries. He is considered to be very talented person who is always in the mind of every Armenian. Frunzik Mkrtchyan is the greatest Armenian actor of second half of 20th century. He was born 4th of July, 1930 in Leninakan, current Gyumri. He studied in Leninakan Art College and Theatre Studio, then finished at the Acting Department of Yerevan Institute of Fine Arts and Theatre.
Since 1953 he has performed in the Sundukyan Drama Theatre of Yerevan. He also directed many successful productions, best of them Maxim Gorky’s “On the Bottom”. His cinema career began in 1955. After a debut in “01-99” film, which has received a general recognition, F. Mkrtchyan has forever contacted with cinema. His famous roles in Rolan Bykov’s “Aybolit-66″ (1966), Leonid Gaidai’s ‘The Prisoner of the Caucasus” (1966), and Georgi Daneliya’s “Mimino” (1977) earned him the reputation of one of the leading comedy actors in the Soviet Union. But that reputation sometimes overshadowed his real talent and emotional deepness which he put in his roles in such classics of Armenian cinema as: F.Mkrtchyan’s talent has been latent in a combination of comedy and dramatic nature.This is very valuable and rare quality for the actor.
Even though he was known as a comedic actor, Frunzik’s personal life was filled with tragedy. His first wife, Donara Mkrtchyan, became mentally Hi and was sent to a mental institution for the rest of her life. Frunzik became a single parent of two young kids. His son inherited his mother’s mental illness, which devastated Frunzik. His daughter died at the age of 39 in automobile accident in Argentina. According to people close to Frunzik, he suffered from severe depression in the last few years of his life, and became a heavy alcohol drinker.
Nevertheless, his talent were realizing the colleges, the admirers were pursuing him, he was three times married to the nicest women of Armenia. Frunzik Mkrtchyan was so Famous that he could allow himself to travel by the world without any documents and money. He concerned to his massive nose with humour and he was telling to everybody the jokes about his big nose himself. But even when he was laughing, his eyes were always remaining sad. Only a few people knew, how the ingenious actor was unhappy.
He had two names and two passports. He had two destinies. About the second one, 10 years later after the death of Frunzik Mkrtchyan, to the correspondent of”??”, in actors Fatherland, have told his brother, friends, neighbors.
In 1993 on 29th of December, his brother found him lying dead in his condo in Yerevan. On 31-st of December Yerevan has said Good Bye to it’s idol – Frunzik Mkrtchyan. Thousands of people attended the funeral of their beloved actor.The coffin with the body of Great actor they were carrying by alive multikilometer brightly covered corridor. Frunzik was only 63… By the laws of mountains still the youth…
But his gfory in history of the Armenian Cinema, just as a name of Jean-Paul Belmondo in the history of French cinema, will never die. He was a real Great actor. It is proved by the fact that it is impossible to find at least one Armenian who does not adore Frunzik Mkrtchyan.
Consequently, such a Great person will always remain in a history of Armenian cine-ma as well as in the history of Armenia, with his exciting sad eyes and his huge nose!