Leonid Gaidai

Leonid Gaidai
Леонид Гайдай
Gaidai in 1941
Born(1923-01-30)30 January 1923
Svobodny, Amur Oblast, Soviet Union
Died19 November 1993(1993-11-19) (aged 70)
Moscow, Russia
Resting placeKuntsevo Cemetery
Occupation(s)Film director, screenwriter, actor
Years active1955–1992
Works
TitlePeople's Artist of the USSR (1989)
SpouseNina Grebeshkova

Leonid Iovich Gaidai (30 January 1923  19 November 1993) was a Soviet comedy film director, screenwriter and actor who enjoyed immense popularity and broad public recognition in the former Soviet Union. His films broke theatre attendance records and were some of the top-selling DVDs in Russia. He has been described as "the king of Soviet comedy".