According to official data, Georgy Tovstonogov was born in Tiflis on September 15 (28), 1915, but his sister Natella Tovstonogova claims that the birthplace of the genius is St. Petersburg. Tovstonogov’s father is a hereditary Russian nobleman, railway engineer, high-ranking employee of the Ministry of Railways, mother Tamara Papitashvili, Georgian by nationality, a singer who studied at the Conservatory of St. Petersburg. The Tovstonogov family lived on Furstatskaya Street, and moved to Tiflis in 1919.
Georgy Tovstonogov graduated from school at the age of fifteen. His uncle was an actor, and George often visited the local theater. After graduation, he continued his studies at the Tbilisi Railway Institute, where his father headed the department. But to continue the work of the parent Tovstonogov did not want, considering that his vocation is theater.
In 1931, Georgy Tovstonogov began stage work in the Tbilisi Russian-language Theatre, where he worked as an actor and assistant director. In the same theater, Tovstonogov in 1933 staged his debut performance “The Proposal” based on the work of A. P. Chekhov. In the same year, Georgy Tovstonogov, having added two years, entered GITIS at the directorial faculty. In the Tbilisi Youth Theatre did not quit work and annually staged at least one performance.
In 1937, Georgy Tovstonogov as the “son of the enemy of the people” was expelled from the fourth year, but a few months later he was reinstated. After graduating from GITIS, Georgy returned to Tbilisi and from 1938 to 1946 worked at the Russian Drama Theatre.
In 1946, Tovstonogov left Tbilisi for Moscow, where he worked as an artistic director for two years in the Tour Realist Theater, then from 1946 to 1949 in the Central Children's Theater he was a director.
In 1949, Georgy Tovstonogov moved to Leningrad. There he became first director, and since 1950 - chief director of the Leninsky Komsomol Theatre. In this theater, he received audience recognition.
In 1956, Georgy Tovstonogov was offered to become the chief director of the BDT (Big Drama Theater, then named after Maxim Gorky), which he headed for thirteen years. Over the years, the theater has become one of the leading in the country.
Georgy Tovstonogov also acted as a film director and screenwriter. He created such works of film classics as "Aesop",
"Hanuma" , several films based on the works of Chekhov.
George Tovstonogov brought up several generations of directors. He showed in practice that the Stanislavsky system contains a powerful creative beginning. Tovstonogov wrote two books on the theory and practice of directing - "Circle of Thoughts" and "On the Profession of the Director", - very important for theatrical culture. He also owns the works “Mirror of the Stage” and “About Andrei Mironov”.
In 1957, Georgy Tovstonogov was awarded the title of People's Artist of the USSR, since 1968 he became a doctor of art history, and in 1983 he was awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor. He is a laureate of two State Prizes of the USSR, two Stalin and Lenin prizes.
Georgy Alexandrovich Tovstonogov died on May 23, 1989. He was buried at the Alexander Nevsky Lavra in Leningrad.
The son and grandson of Georgy Tovstonogov followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, they also became directors.