Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Vasily Lanovoy, People’s Artist of the Soviet Union, on his birthday, stressing that the actor devoted his life to serving art and won truly nationwide fame. The congratulation was published on the Kremlin’s official website.
“Dear Vasily Semenovich! <...> Your bright, multifaceted creativity, active participation in public, educational, charitable projects, invaluable personal contribution to the preservation of our patriotic traditions, education of young people deserve the deepest respect, “the president’s congratulatory message says.
The Russian leader also wished the actor “good health, success and prosperity.”
On December 31, Lanovoy was diagnosed with COVID-19. The actor did a test for antibodies, and, according to his wife Irina, “a large number of them” were identified. The first and repeated PCR tests of the actor for coronavirus gave positive results.
In October, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin submitted to the Moscow City Duma draft resolutions on conferring the titles of honorary citizens of the city to the President of the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts (GMII) named after Pushkin Irina Antonova and People’s Artist of the USSR Vasily Lanovoy.
Lanovoy was offered to be awarded the title “Honorary Citizen of the City of Moscow” for his outstanding contribution to the development of the art of theater and cinema.
Vasily Lanovoy – People’s Artist of the USSR, Lenin Prize Laureate, Hero of Labor of the Russian Federation. He was awarded the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, III and IV degrees, the Order of Friendship of Peoples, the Order of Honor, the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, the Order of Peter the Great II, the Order of St. Stanislav, the Order of Chivalry, the Order of Alexander Nevsky.