Graphic artist, cartoonist, theater artist, screenwriter.

Mikhail Lazarevich Ushats, born April 14, 1927.

In 1954 graduated from the Moscow Architectural Institute (MArhI).

In 1956 he published the first satirical drawing in the magazine “Crocodile”. Subsequently, he regularly published his cartoons in it, often in co-authorship with K. I. Nevler.

Since 1963 he started working as a theater artist. The first production was the ballet “The Path of Thunder” to the music of Kara Karayev at the Tajik Opera and Ballet Theater named after S. Aini (Dushanbe).

In total, he designed more than 120 performances, including:

• ballet “Swan Lake” by P. I. Tchaikovsky (Abai Opera and Ballet Theater, Alma-Ata), 1960s;
• Opera La Traviata by G. Verdi (Gorky Pushkin Opera and Ballet Theater);
• operetta “The Wind Rose” by B. A. Mokrousov (Musical Theater of the Republic of Karelia, Petrozavodsk);
• operetta “Free Wind” by I. O. Dunaevsky (Odessa Musical Comedy Theater);
• puppet shows for adults: “Mademoiselle Nitush” (Lviv Puppet Theater), “Smile, Aykhon” (Tashkent Puppet Theater);
• performances of the theater studio “Our House” of the Moscow State University Student Theater.

In 1965, he was the art director of the New Year’s tree performance in the Kremlin Palace of Congresses “Let the stars shine peacefully”.

Since 1989 — artist of the Moscow Jewish Theater “Shalom”, designed the performances “Enchanted Theater” (1990), “Dance of the little Bronsteins” (1991), “Train for Happiness” (1992). He continued to cooperate with other theaters: in 1990 he designed the performances “Soldier Ivan Chonkin”, “Fatal Eggs” (Michurinsky Drama Theater); in 1995 he participated in the creation of the Purimspiel (Moscow, on the stage of the Central Children’s Theater).

His drawings are included in the collection “106 modern cartoonists of the world” (House of Humor and Satire, Gabrovo, 1980).

Member of the Union of Artists of Russia.

The author of a number of scripts of the satirical newsreel “Wick”, humorous poems and parodies, epigrams.

Participant of 34 international exhibitions. Personal exhibitions were held in Moscow (in 1980 and two in 1996).

He died on October 17, 2012. He was buried at Vostryakov Cemetery.

Awards:

• Laureate of the International Biennale of Humor and Satire in Art (Gabrovo, 1972).
• Laureate of the All—Union Festival of Theaters – for the design of the operas “The Overcoat” and “The Carriage” to the music of A. N. Kholminov (Moscow Chamber Music Theater, 1977).

Publications:

• Krivin F. D. The weak of this world: A humorist’s note from the living house of nature / Fig. M. Ushats. — M.: Pravda, 1979. — 47 p. — (Library “Crocodile”).
• Nevler K. I., Ushats M. L. K. Nevler, M. Ushats: [Album of cartoons]. — Moscow: Soviet Artist, 1980. — 46 p. — (Masters of Soviet caricature).
• Ushats M. L. Isopalindromes: [Album]. — M.: Eslan, 2001. — 104 p..

Reference:Wikipedia, 2017