16 Facts About Savely Kramarov

Savely Kramarov acted in at least 42 Soviet films, and later appeared in several more after his immigration to the United States.

Savely Kramarov was born 13 October 1934 to parents: father Viktor Savelyevich Kramarov, a prominent Moscow attorney, and mother Benedikta Solomonovna "Basya" Kramarova.

When young Savely was only three years old, the elder Kramarov represented some defendants in a widely publicized Soviet secret police case.

Savely Kramarov's mother was forced to divorce his convict father, and mother and son lived for a time in a communal apartment.

Savely Kramarov spent the remainder of his childhood in poverty, living with relatives, mainly his maternal uncles.

Savely Kramarov did not attend formal acting school, at the State Theatre Art Institute, until 1972, well after achieving film stardom.

Savely Kramarov's application rejected, Kramarov's films were suppressed nationwide; his film career was dead.

Savely Kramarov found his only outlet to continue acting was a theatre of refuseniks, where the passports of prospective audience members were checked on arrival at a performance.

Savely Kramarov's name was removed from credits of all the films that he made so successful.

Savely Kramarov achieved only moderate success in American cinema, playing small Russian roles.

Savely Kramarov returned to his motherland only once, in 1992, following the break-up of the Soviet Union, as the guest of honor at a Russian film festival.

Savely Kramarov bought a home in a wooded area in Forest Knolls, Marin County, north of San Francisco.

In March 1995, Savely Kramarov underwent what is normally routine surgery to remove a bowel tumor.

Savely Kramarov died at Pacific Medical Center Hospital in San Francisco on 6 June 1995, age 60.

Savely Kramarov was survived by his wife Natalia Siradze, as well as his daughter from a previous marriage, Basya Kramarov.

Thanks to the personal contributions of fellow former Soviet exiles of Savely Kramarov's including artist Mihail Chemiakin, a unique gravestone containing "casts of [Savely Kramarov's] comedy masks, scripts, [and] make-up brushes," and his framed photograph was placed at the Jewish cemetery, Hills of Eternity Memorial Park in Colma, California, in 1997.