Russian theater director Yuri Butusov drowned while on vacation in Bulgaria, BGNES reported.

The incident occurred in Sozopol, where a wave knocked him over and carried him away. His body is in Burgas. "He went to the sea to swim, he was vacationing with his family in Bulgaria and there was a light storm. He couldn't cope with the waves and drowned. This is what an absurd death," said the director of the Vakhtangov Theater, Kirill Krok.

Butusov was born on September 24, 1961 in Gatchina, Leningrad Region. He graduated from the Leningrad Shipbuilding Institute, worked in his specialty for some time, and was involved in equestrian sports.

In 1996, Butusov graduated from the directing department of the St. Petersburg State Academy of Theater Arts. Since 1996, at the invitation of Vladislav Pazi, he has worked as a director at the Lensovet Theater.

He became famous in 1996 thanks to his graduation performance "Waiting for Godot". The production, in which Konstantin Khabensky, Mikhail Trukhin and Mikhail Porechenkov played the main roles, received two Golden Mask awards and was awarded the prize for best direction at the Rozhdestvensky Parade festival.

In 2002, Yuri Butusov was invited by Konstantin Raikin to the Satyricon for the production of E. Ionesco's play "Macbeth". On this stage, the director also created the performances "Richard III" (2004), "King Lear" (2006), "The Seagull" (2011), "Othello" (2013).

Butusov worked at the Lensovet Theater until 2004, after which he returned there in 2011 as chief director. I BGNES