Actor. Burly, comedic character star of Soviet stage and screen. Born in Moscow, he was fascinated with the theatre as a child and made his stage debut at 16 in “Lysistrata”. From 1920 to 1934 he was the top comic performer at Vsevolod Meyerhold’s Theatre, starring in such famous productions as “The Magnificent Cuckold” (1922), Gogol’s “The Government Inspector” (1926), and Vladimir Mayakovsky’s satire “The Bedbug” (1929). The latter landed many of its participants in hot water with Soviet authorities. With the beginning of Stalin’s political purges Ilyinsky distanced himself from the controversial Meyerhold (who would ultimately be executed) and in 1938 he joined Moscow’s Maly Theatre, where he remained for the rest of his life. He also appeared in over 20 films, memorably in the musical comedy “Volga-Volga” (1938). His other movie credits include “Aelita” (1924), “The Cigarette Girl from Mosselprom” (1924), “Woe from Wit” (1952), “Carnival Night” (1956), and “Hussar Ballad” (1962). Among the honors he received were the Stalin Prize, People’s Actor of the USSR, and the Hero of Socialist Labor. He was married to actress Tatiana Yeremeyeva.