Georgi Kolozov

Georgi (or Djordji) Kolozov [His biography can be found at http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1300377/ under the name transcription of Djordji Kolozov] (1948-2003) was one of the best known actors in the Republic of Macedonia and perhaps the most celebrated one by the Macedonian diaspora.

Early life

He was born to a poor family in the small town of Bogdanci and started his career in the theater of Štip. Kolozov graduated from the first class ever at the Academy of Drama Arts, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje in 1973. He married Shenka Kolozova in 1969. She is also a well known actress who pursued her own remarkable career. She is also a screenplay writer currently living in the city of Skopje.They have two daughters: Katerina (Katarina) Kolozova (born October 20th 1969) and Kristina Kolozova (born October 15th 1972).

Career

After his graduation he became permanently employed in the Macedonian National Theater.

His high popularity was the result of the decades long appearance in leading roles in the most popular Macedonian TV series, "Macedonian Folk Stories" [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0444740/] , produced by Macedonian Radio-Television. All of the 300 episodes of "Macedonian Folk Stories" are based on the collections of oral literature stories published in the 19th century by Marko Cepenkov, Kuzman Sapkarev] , Georgi Pulevski, and other significant authors of collections of the Macedonian oral literary heritage. The televised folk stories were aired for almost 15 years with unchanged ratings. Georgi Kolozov and Shenka Kolozova were not only appearing as actors but they also worked on the selection of the stories and screenplays.

Kolozov gained his high popularity, achieving the status of not only a celebrity but also a national icon symbolizing the Macedonian cultural identity, thanks to his style of acting perceived as incarnating the simplicity and naiveté of both the literary genre of the folk stories and the ordinary Macedonian man. [The Macedonian Poet, Sasho Gigov-Gish explains Kolozov's approach to cultural heritage and the latter's transposition into acting in a TV interview, on SkyNet Television - Skopje in February 2005] Moreover, he was not only the leading actor of this marathon TV series but also his "ideologist." "Macedonian Folk Stories" was and still is perceived as one of the chief inspirations in the process of country's transition toward an independent state building a Macedonian sense of cultural and national identity vis-a-vis the Yugoslavian one. After 4 years of his death and almost 10 years since the last episode of "Macedonian Folk Stories" was produced, the show is still on the air on the National and private televisions throughout the country. The DVD format of "Macedonian Folk Stories" is also available for sale.Georgi Kolozov appeared in a number of Macedonian (Ex-Yugoslav) films, such as "Tetoviranje" [http://posters.imdb.com/title/tt0274952/fullcredits] by Stole Popov (1991), "Istrel" [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0171406/] by Branko Gapo(1972), "Makedonskiot del od Pekolot" [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0172762/] by Vatroslav Mimica (1971) et al., as well as in a great number of TV films produced by Macedonian Television (RTS as part of the ex-Yugoslav TV network). Kolozov also appeared in hundreds of theater plays in the Macedonian National Theater and in other theaters in Macedonia and Bulgaria. [ See the books by Ivan Mazov offering ample information on Kolozov's art as a theater actor:
*Ivan Mazov, Scenata i Covekot. Skopje: Kultura, 1982
*___ Scena na zivotot. Skopje: Kultura, 1982
*___ Scenata tvrda pocva na stvarnosta. Skopje: Kultura, 1982
*___ Scenata i sovremenosta. Skopje: Kultura, 1982
*___ Od nasata vojna do site prostori. Skopje: Kultura, 1982 ] He established a small private theater company which produced, and is still producing, independent plays which are being staged in even the smallest communities in the country.

References