The civil funeral of Vakhtang [Buba] Kikabidze is taking place in the Kashveti church today and tomorrow. As his producer, Rati Abzianidze, said, the famous Georgian artist will be buried in Tbilisi on January 19.

Film actor, pop singer, screenwriter, film director and songwriter, he died at the age of 84.

Vakhtang Kikabidze was born on July 19, 1938 in Tbilisi. In 1959-1965 he studied at Tbilisi State University and in 1961-1963 at the Institute of Foreign Languages. Since 1959 he had performed for the Philharmonic. Kikabidze sang in the ensembles Dielo and Rero, and in 1967 he was a soloist of the Orera vocal and instrumental ensemble.

Kikabidze acted in many films, including Gia (“Meeting in the Mountains”), Benjamin Glonti (“Do not Cry”, 1968), Georgy Mikeladze (“I am an Investigator”, 1971), and Pavle (“Melodies of the Verian Quarters”, 1973). One of his most famous roles was as Valiko Mizandari (“Mimino”, 1977). Kikabidze was also a director and screenwriter — “Be healthy, dear” (1981), etc.