"Since the founding of the Taganka Theater, Yuri Smirnov served in its troupe, was at the origins of the theater, and together with Yuri Lyubimov participated in the formation of a new artistic language. Until the last days of his life, Yuri Smirnov actively participated in the life of the united Taganka Theater, continued to serve the art, and performed on stage," the official statement from the theater reads. Yuri Smirnov's last work was the play 'Strawberry Glade', in which he played the lead role of Professor Isaac Borg. Yuri Smirnov was born on November 6, 1938, in Moscow. In 1963, he graduated from the B. Shchukin Theater School, and that same year he joined the troupe of the Moscow Theater of Drama and Comedy, better known as the Taganka Theater. Smirnov made his film debut in 1961. He is best known to the general public for his roles as Pyotr Polipov in the series 'Eternal Call' and Gavrila in the television film 'Bumbarash'. In the theater, he performed in productions such as 'The Good Person of Szechwan', 'Master and Margarita', 'Boris Godunov', and 'Vladimir Vysotsky'.