Well-known departed Moldovan actor would have turned 90

Chisinau, 9 March /MOLDPRES/ - The well-known theatre and film actor, Mihai Volontir, would have turned 90 years today.   

Mihai Volontir was born in the Glinjeni village, northern Soldanesti district, on 9 March 1934. She studied at the Orhei-based Pedagogical School (1952-1955) and concomitantly worked as teacher at the school from Papauti, Rezina. After graduation, Volontir was appointed director of the club from the Lipceni village, the same district.   

Starting from 1957 till the end of his life, Mihai Volontir was actor at the Vasile Alecsandri Theatre from Balti. He debuted with the role of a coachman in the play Chirita in Iasi by Vasile Alecsandri. Volontir played in more than 120 performances; he played tens of outstanding parts in diverse comedies, tragedies and dramas. Volontir made the stage management for the plays Hagi-Pana and Marita, The Magic Eye and others.    

He debuted as film actor at the Moldova-film cinematographic studio in 1967 in the part of Ivan Turbinca from the movie Se caută un paznic (A Guard is Sought), directed by Gheorghe Voda. Volontir played more parts at Moldova-film and in more Russian movies: Această Clipă (This Moment) by Emil Loteanu (1968), Dimitrie Cantemir (1973) by Vlad Iovita, Pădurile (The Woods) (1973), Povestea lui Făt-Frumos (The Story of Prince Charming) (1977), Singur în faţa dragostei (Lonely before Love) (1969), Al patrulea (The Fourth) (Mosfilm, 1972), Rădăcinile vieţii (The Roots of Life) (1979), Fii fericită, Iulia (Be Happy, Iulia) (1983), Sunt vinovat (I am Guilty) (1992), Ciandra (2003), etc.        

In 1979, Mihai Volontir played the part of Budulai in the feature film Ţiganul (The Gypsy), which brought him celebrity in the entire former Soviet space and then all over the world and afterwards in the film Întoarcerea lui Budulai (The Return of Budulai) (1984). Namely for this reason, many of his admirers called him Budulai.   

The actor was appreciated also as light music singer for more well-known songs.

Mihai Volontir was awarded the State Prize of the Soviet Moldovan Republic (RSSM) (1973), National Prize of Moldova (1991), National Prize of Russia (1984), Prize Vasilyev Brothers of Russia (1980), silver medal Pyotr Dovzhenko (1978), the Dimitrie Cantemir medal of Moldova’s Academy of Sciences (ASM), the honorific titles People’s Artist of RSSM (1974) and People’s Artist of the USSR (1984).  

In 2000, Volontir was nominated the best actor of the Moldovan cinematography of the 20th century. In 2009, he was awarded the title of Doctor Honoris Causa of ASM for the progress achieved in the development of the theatrical art and cinematography. Mihai Volontir was awarded the Order of the Republic (2009); he is honorary citizen of the Balti municipality (2000) and honorary citizen of Chisinau (2014).       

Volontir was elected MP in the first parliament of Moldova, in 1990-1994. Mihai Volontir was one of the 278 lawmakers who voted for the Declaration of Independence of the Republic of Moldova on 27 August 1991. The actor died in Chisinau on 15 September 2015. He was buried with military honours at the Central Orthodox Cemetery on the Armeneasca Street in Chisinau.    

A museum in the memory of the departed actor will be set up in his native village of Glinjeni. The museum will be introduced in Moldova’s cultural circulation. At a meeting on 27 February 2019, the cabinet approved the transmission of a real estate from the state public property to the one of the Glinjeni village, in order to found the memorial house Mihai Volontir.