During the farewell ceremony for director, TV and radio host Tigran Keosayan, actor Ivan Okhlobystin characterized him as a dear, unusually talented, and selfless person.
The farewell for Keosayan took place at the Armenian Church on Olimpiysky Prospekt in Moscow on Sunday. His wife, Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of the international media group “Rossiya Segodnya” and RT channel, had previously announced the director`s passing on Friday, following a clinical death and a prolonged coma.
“He was a dear person to me – that`s beyond all categories. His talent was limitless, as was his selflessness towards friends and relatives,” Okhlobystin told journalists.
A Remarkable Career in Film and Television
Tigran Keosayan, born on January 4, 1966, in Moscow into a family deeply rooted in cinematography, graduated from the directing faculty of VGIK. In the 1990s, he was primarily known for directing music videos for prominent Russian singers such as Mikhail Shufutinsky, Leonid Agutin, Irina Allegrova, Igor Sarukhanov, and Natalia Vetlitskaya.
In 1999, Keosayan directed the film “The President and His Granddaughter,” which received a special jury prize at the “Kinotavr-2001” festival. His extensive filmography also includes notable works like “Men`s Work,” “Lily of the Valley,” “Yalta-45,” “Three Comrades,” “Hare Over the Abyss,” and “Mirage.” His last film, “Seven Days of Pyotr Semyonovich,” starring Fyodor Dobronravov, was screened at the 47th Moscow International Film Festival.
Keosayan also left a significant mark in the television industry. In 2007, he launched his author`s project “Evening with Tigran Keosayan” on REN TV. From 2009 to 2010, he co-hosted the show “You and I” on the Rossiya channel with Alena Khmelnitskaya. In 2011, Keosayan returned to REN TV with the program “Stop Being Silent!” Since 2016, he was the host of the popular entertainment show “International Sawmill” on NTV. Furthermore, based on Margarita Simonyan`s scripts, he directed the TV series “Sea. Mountains. Keramzit,” “Actress,” and the patriotic film “Crimean Bridge. Made with Love!”.
