The father of the hero of this article was the famous Soviet director Edmon Keosayan, the creator of the legendary “The Elusive Avengers”. The son followed in his footsteps. Tigran Keosayan is known to viewers as the director of “Silver Lily of the Valley,” “Yalta-45” and “Crimean Bridge. Made with love!". He is also recognized as a sought-after Russian music video director, with whom many Russian pop stars collaborate. Recently, the son of the director of “The Elusive Avengers” has been the host of the “International Sawmill”.
The current common-law wife of Tigran Keosayan is the famous journalist and television producer Margarita Simonyan.
Childhood
Tigran Keosayan was born into a family of filmmakers. Father Edmond Keosayan was a director, laureate of the Lenin Komsomol Prize, mother Laura Gevorkyan was an actress, Honored Artist of the Armenian SSR. Tigran has an older brother, David. During his years at school, Tigran seriously studied piano, but he was always attracted by cinema.
However, studying at a musical institution instilled in the boy a love of classical music. Edmond Keosayan often took his sons to filming. In 1973, Tigran starred in the film “The Crown of the Russian Empire, or the Elusive Ones Again.”
Tigran Keosayan with his parents
Mirage (2008)
The action moves to the Middle East. Irreparable things have been happening here for many years. Terrorists control entire settlements.
The plot centers on three young girls who dreamed of a beautiful life. Due to their naivety, the main characters end up in slavery to criminals. Terrorists are holding slaves hostage in one of the captured settlements. It seemed that at such a distance from their homeland the girls could not count on help. But by chance, two carefree tourists find themselves in the city.
The guys help the hostages escape, but find themselves in a state of siege. Does a small group of people stand a chance against the angry bandits?
The youth of Tigran Keosayan
In 1983, Tigran received a certificate of secondary education and, deciding to follow the example of his parents, got a job at the Mosfilm film studio. Dreaming of a career in cinema, he decided to enroll in drama school.
The first attempt failed. In addition, an article appeared in the Izvestia newspaper that the famous director is trying to place his untalented son in the cinematography institute.
Tigran took this as a challenge and entered the All-Union State Institute of Cinematography at the Faculty of Directing. Its curator was Professor Igor Vasilievich Talankin. But, having not completed his studies, Keosayan went to serve in the army. After demobilization, he was reinstated at VGIK.
A man's work (TV series 2001)
A story about three friends who went through the Afghan war. On the battlefields, colleagues went through real hell. Everything they experienced during the war changed the lives of the main characters.
And with the onset of peacetime, the friends decided not to part with the rifle and continued their careers as mercenaries. Three brave soldiers are sent to hot spots. There, the main characters perform dangerous tasks that ordinary soldiers cannot cope with.
Risking their lives, mercenaries perform heroic deeds. Will the men cope with the next task?
In cinema
The young actor began acting in episodic roles in 1987. And in 1992 he himself directed his debut feature film “Katka and Shiz”. It was a crime melodrama about the theft of a Van Dyck painting.
Keosayan in the movie "Mistress"
Famous Soviet artists who worked with Tigran’s father were invited to work. The script for the film was written by brother David. In 1991, Yuri Kuzmenko presented the film “Joker”, in which Keosayan played a significant role.
Hare over the Abyss (2006)
The action takes place on the territory of Moldova in the distant past. Global changes are about to occur in the Soviet Union: a new ruler, Leonid Brezhnev, will come to power.
But we will not be talking about him at all, but about a simple young musician Lauter. The main character is missing stars from the sky and has difficulty making ends meet. But he is in love with the daughter of the Gypsy Baron, Anna, and in order to win her heart he is ready to take the most risky measures.
Does Lauter have even the slightest chance of making the daughter of a wealthy Baron his wife?
After VGIK
In 1998, Keosayan graduated from VGIK under the guidance of Yuri Nikolaevich Ozerov. During his studies, he managed to shoot the feature film “Sunny Beach” lasting 18 minutes. The drama was dedicated to a soldier who, unable to withstand the hazing rules in the army, ran away. The film stars Fyodor Bondarchuk.
The works “Poor Sasha” and “A Man’s Work” brought great fame to the aspiring director. Keosayan collaborated with popular actors Vera Glagoleva and Alexander Zbruev. Viewers also remembered Tigran Keosayan’s films “Silver Lily of the Valley”, “The President and His Granddaughter”, “Hare over the Abyss”.
In 2008, the film “Mirage” was released. Critics rated the film negatively. But Keosayan continued working on television series. Over the course of 2 years, the director shot 3 works: the mini-series “Yalta - 45”, “Three Comrades” and a series about the Olympic village called “Sea. Mountains. Expanded clay."
Yalta-45 (TV series 2011)
In 1945, a historic meeting between three major rulers took place. Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill were supposed to visit Yalta and discuss plans for the further fight against Hitler.
Despite the fact that the war was nearing its end, the enemy still posed a threat. So, all forces were deployed to ensure security for the politicians. As it turns out, the concern is not in vain: the saboteurs are preparing to carry out a major terrorist attack.
In the event of the death of three rulers, the anti-Hitler coalition will suffer colossal losses. And then the war will follow a completely different scenario. Will law enforcement be able to prevent the crime of the century?
On TV
In 1993, Tigran and his brother David founded the Gold Vision studio. They invited Tigran’s friend from the institute, Fyodor Bondarchuk, to collaborate. There they began producing music videos and advertising content.
Such celebrities as Irina Allegrova and Mikhail Shufutinsky signed contracts with the studio. In 2000, the studio was combined with the production center “Video International”, forming a television.
In the show “Evening with Tigran Keosayan”
For four years, Tigran and David collaborated with the company, producing and producing content for television. From 2003 to 2004, Keosayan participated in the program “People’s Artist” on the Rossiya TV channel. He was invited as a member of the jury.
In 2007, the actor began working as a TV presenter. The first program was “Evening with Tigran Keosayan” on the REN TV channel. Two years later, the presenter broke the contract with the holding company, as NMG decided to change the channel’s broadcasting concept.
In 2009, Keosayan and Alena Khmelnitskaya were the hosts of the “You and Me” program on the Rossiya channel, which discussed the secrets of the family life of celebrities. Famous Russian couples were invited to the studio, ready to share the secrets of a successful married life.
The producers of the project tried to objectively present information so as not to become a source of “yellow press”. At the same time, Keosayan took the position of executive producer on the DTV channel and for six months hosted his own program “Hot Evening with Tigran Keosayan.”
The following programs were launched under him:
- "Cool video";
- "Road wars";
- "Department of Internal Security."
The couple worked together in the TV show “You and Me”
Once again, the TV presenter returned to REN TV with the program “Stop being silent!” in 2011, to which he lost interest after severe criticism. After the project was closed, Keosayan took a five-year break from working on television. He was involved in the film industry and rebuilt the Gold Vision studio.
In September 2021, Tigran was invited to become the host of the entertainment program “International Sawmill” on the NTV channel. The program humorously covered events taking place in world politics. Figures from various fields in the Russian cultural space were invited to the studio, with whom the presenter discussed world problems.
Critics spoke positively about Keosayan’s work on television. He was called a TV presenter who wanted to sincerely understand everything. After participating in the “International Sawmill” program, criticism appeared against him from Irina Petrovskaya, a journalist from Novaya Gazeta.
She felt that the presenter enjoyed the opportunity to say words on screen that would previously have gotten him fired. His manner of communicating with the audience has also changed. The columnist compared him to a schoolboy who learned about the existence of obscene language.
Funny matters, family matters (TV series, 1996)
The USSR seemed to be an indestructible power that would have a great future. But in the early 90s, the dreams of Soviet citizens came to an end. The state system failed, causing the Soviet Union to collapse once and for all.
Russia was formed from the ruins of the former superpower. Despite its powerful territory and resources, the country was in decline. Residents had to take drastic measures to feed themselves and their loved ones.
The plot centers on representatives of four generations who are starting a family business in new realities.
Personal life
Keosayan had two marriages. The first wife in 1993 was actress Alena Khmelnitskaya. They met on the set of a commercial. The director was looking for a face unfamiliar to the viewer. A year later, the couple had a daughter, Alexandra, and in 2010, Ksenia was born.
Tigran and Alena Khmelnitskaya divorced in 2013
At first, the young family experienced financial difficulties, so Alena had to leave the theater and get a job as a manager in a brand store. The marriage of Alena and Tigran was considered one of the strongest in Russian show business.
In 2011, rumors began to appear in the press that the couple was getting a divorce. Some sources claimed that Margarita Simonyan, with whom the man often appeared at public events, was to blame for the family problems. In 2013, the couple filed for divorce.
Margarita Simonyan
In the summer of the same year, the head of the Russia Today channel gave birth to Keosayan’s daughter, who was named Maryana. A year later, the couple had a child. The son was named Bagrat. In 2021, Tigran became a father again: his wife gave birth to his third child, daughter Margot.
Together with his wife, he opened a restaurant in Sochi. Khmelnitskaya admitted that she did not stop communicating with her ex-husband. Their relationship got better in some ways after the divorce. Alena maintains communication with Tigran’s current chosen one.
Tigran and Margarita Simonyan already have three children together (as of 2021)
Video director career
The 90s were quite a problematic time for Russian cinema. Thus, the famous director and producer Timur Bekmambetov, characterizing that period, complained that no one needed cinema: “In the cinemas there were furniture showrooms and spare parts stores.”
Bekmambetov himself, after his debut with “Peshawar Waltz,” switched to filming commercials (you can recall the series “World History. Bank Imperial”), but Keosayan at that moment found himself in the role of a video director. Among his works of that period are videos for songs by Irina Allegrova (“Transit Passenger” and “I Will Win You Back”), Natalya Vetlitskaya (“Look into Your Eyes” - together with Fyodor Bondarchuk), Diana Gurtskaya (“You Know, Mom”), Igor Sarukhanov (“Violin Fox”) and Mikhail Shufutinsky (“Neighbor”), as well as the group “Time Machine” (“Cardboard Wings of Love”).
Interesting facts from the life of Keosayan
The most interesting facts concern his personal life. Keosayan's second wife had three children, but the marriage was not registered, despite the fact that the man persuaded Margarita Simonyan to get married. And only the rector of the Armenian church had a positive influence on solving the problem. Tigran lives in one big family with Margarita, three children, mother and mother-in-law.
Keosayan, Margarita, Alena Khmelnitskaya, as well as their children from their first and second marriages went on vacation to France together. Tigran became a TEFI laureate in 1998 for the film “Poor Sasha.” In October 2014, the TV presenter took part in the online broadcast of the work “Karenina. Live edition."
And one of the saddest facts is that Keosayan suffered myocardial infarction twice: in 2008 and 2010.
The President and his granddaughter (1999)
Actors : Oleg Tabakov, Nadezhda Mikhalkova, Dina Korzun, Vladimir Ilyin
An influential general with an explosive temper gets into an accident on the way to the maternity hospital with his pregnant daughter-in-law. A tragic accident leads to premature birth. The baby dies. An unfortunate obstetrician, intimidated by a general demanding to save his grandson, gives him someone else's child. It turns out to be one of the twin girls born to another woman.
Several years pass. The sisters meet at the New Year's party. One daughter is a poor artist, and the other is the granddaughter of the President of the Russian Federation. The girls quickly find a common language and become friends. For fun, they switch places.
Tigran Keosayan now
The presenter continues to work on the International Sawmill program. Directing remains the main activity for Keosayan. In 2021, together with Margarita Simonyan, he presented the series “Actress”, in which Katerina Shpitsa and Yuri Stoyanov starred.
In 2021, the director began work on the film “Crimean Bridge. Made with love!". The picture tells about the history of the construction of the bridge over the Kerch Strait. His wife Margarita acted as the screenwriter.
Filming with a budget of 300 million rubles. took place during the construction of the real bridge. Despite the positive reviews from critics, the film received a rating of 2.5 on the Kinopoisk portal. According to the director, throughout 2021 he worked on a new film dedicated to military themes.
Keosayan prefers to keep the name of the film and the actors who took part in the filming secret. Director Keosayan does not communicate with admirers of his work on social networks. The husband provides the opportunity to cover events in his personal life to his wife Margarita.
Tigran spends a lot of time with his ex-wife and his present one
A Man's Work 2 (TV series 2002)
Continuation of the action-packed action film about comrades Pasechnik, Leshem and Grizzly. Everything changed when colleagues found themselves on opposite sides of the barricades.
The main character, who works in special forces, has to fight with a former friend who has gone over to the side of the terrorists. Ruslan intends to take control of the St. Petersburg suburb. But behind the terrorist there are much more influential people.
The main character will have to take up arms again. Can a veteran of the war in Afghanistan free the hostages and win the battle against the terrorist group alone?
Frequently asked questions about Tigran Keosayan
Social networks often search for the answer to the question of how much Tigran Keosayan and his wife Margarita Simonyan earn. An investigation by employees of the Dozhd channel released the following figures: contracts with Aeroflot brought the couple 720 million rubles over 3 years through companies controlled by them.
FBK reports that Keosayan's studio "Gold Vision" sells the weekly program "International Sawmill" to the NTV channel at a price of 380 thousand for each episode. FBK also announced the results of the investigation: Tigran Keosayan earns an average of 74 million a year as a presenter.
Directory of Death (TV series 1999)
The story of a successful writer whose career would be the envy of many writers. His track record includes dozens of hits that are sold throughout the country.
Each episode of the series “Death Directory” is the screen embodiment of another story by the writer. But since all the author’s stories are based on real-life incidents, he and his wayward wife will invariably remain the main characters of the story.
How will the next confusing situation in the life of the main character of the story end?
Actress (TV series 2017)
Anatoly is an investigator from a small provincial town. The life of the main character can hardly be called eventful: he devotes all his time to solving minor crimes. Anatoly is also raising his son alone.
He was once married to Evgenia. But with the advent of fame, Evgenia ran away from her husband and son to build a career on stage. Several years have passed since then. Evgenia is found murdered. To identify the criminals, Anatoly begins his own investigation.
But the difficulty lies in the fact that Anatoly is the main suspect. Will the investigator be able to understand why Evgenia returned to her hometown? Who could benefit from the death of a star?
Sea. Mountains. Expanded clay (TV series 2013)
Sochi is one of the main resorts in Russia. Thousands of tourists come here every summer. So local residents do not miss the opportunity to earn extra money. The main character is the son of the owner of a local khinkal shop, who falls in love with a girl from an Old Believer family.
Due to different views on life, the parents of lovers are not able to come to a common opinion. So on the path to happiness, the young man and his girlfriend will face many difficulties. Everything changes when the residents of Sochi learn about the Olympics.
The upcoming event will change the usual way of life of Sochi residents once and for all. But how will what is happening affect the personal life of the Armenian in love?
