Eldar Ryazanov, a Russian film director whose iconic comedies captured the flavor of life and love in the Soviet Union while deftly skewering the absurdities of the communist system, has died at the age of 88. His films ridiculed Soviet bureaucracy and trained a clear eye on the predicaments and peculiarities of daily life during the communist era, but the light touch of his satire helped him dodge government censorship.
Eldar Ryazanov And His Films
Eldar Ryazanov
"My favorite genre is tragic comedy because it reflects life most fully," Ryazanov said in 2007.
Ryazanov (left) with actors who appeared in his 1975 film The Irony Of Fate
Ryazanov speaks after winning the Russian national TV prize, TEFI, in 1997.
Ryazanov (shown in 1991) continued working after the Soviet Union fell apart, although his later films never achieved the same cult status.
Ryazanov attends a celebration of his 80th birthday at the Moscow Operetta Theater in 2007.
Ryazanov and actress Olga Naumenko (right) attend the unveiling of a memorial plaque on the house in Moscow where the famous film The Irony Of Fate was shot in 1975.
Ryazanov appears at the 80th birthday celebration of filmmaker Georgy Danelia in 2010.