He was born on May 24, 1896, in
Pavlograd,
Russian Empire. Yevgeny Zakhava, his father, was a graduate of Moscow Imperial Cadet School and was an officer in the
Imperial Russian Army. Boris, like his father, graduated the 3rd Moscow Imperial Cadet School (1913). While being a cadet, he was acting in amateur performances. In the meantime he was involved in the centennial celebration of the victory over
Napoleon in 1912, in Moscow. Zakhava studied in the acting class of
Vsevolod Meyerhold (1913–1916) and acting at the Moscow Vakhtangov studio under
Yevgeny Vakhtangov. Since he was being hired by Vakhtangov as an actor, Zakhava worked at his theatre (Vakhtangov Theatre) for his entire life. In 1922 he performed as a Timur in
Carlo Gozzi's
Turandot. Zakhava was a teaching director at the acting studio (1925) and a leading director of Vakhtangov Theatre Company. He produced and directed
Maxim Gorky's dramas,
Yegor Bulychev and Others (1932, 1951) and
Dostegayev and Others (1933, 1934). Since 1939 he became a director of the Shchukin Theatrical School (f. Vakhtangov acting studio). In 1958 Zakhava directed
William Shakespeare's
Hamlet starring
Mikhail Astangov in the main role. His most notable film appearance is as Russian field marshal
Mikhail Kutuzov in the
Oscar-winning film
War and Peace. He died on November 12, 1976, in Moscow and was buried at
Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow. ==Filmography==