Nurmukhan Seitakhmetuly Zhantorin

Nurmukhan Seitakhmetuly Zhantorin (1928–1990)

Nurmukhan Zhantorin was an actor and director, People’s Artist of the Kazakh SSR (1966) and laureate of the State Prize of the Kazakh SSR.

After finishing school, he moved to Almaty and enrolled in a school for projectionists. During this time, teachers recognized his acting talent, and he became a student at the Almaty Acting School. Soon after, he was admitted directly to the third year of the Acting Faculty of the Tashkent Institute of Theater Arts, graduating in 1952.

From 1952 to 1967 and again from 1988 until the end of his life, he performed on the stage of the Kazakh Drama Theatre. From 1967 to 1988, he worked as an actor at the Kazakhfilm studio.

His portrayal of Baybars in the film “Sultan Baybars” (1989), directed by Bulat Mansurov, became a major achievement not only for Zhantorin but for Kazakh cinema as a whole. This role marked the peak of his acting mastery. For this performance, he received a special diploma and the award “For Outstanding Contribution to the Acting Profession” at the All-Union Film Actors Festival “Constellation–90.”

As a director, together with Tsoy Guk In, he staged “Forest Ballad” (1972), and with N. Zhaynakov, “The Third Side of the Medal” (1976).

He was awarded the honorary title of Honored Artist of the Kazakh SSR (1959), the Order of the Red Banner of Labor (1959), the title of People’s Artist of the Kazakh SSR (1966), the commemorative medal “For Valiant Labor in Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of Lenin’s Birth” (1970), the Honorary Certificate of the Supreme Council of the Kazakh SSR (1978), and the Order of Friendship of Peoples (1988). He was also awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor for a second time and received honorary certificates from the Supreme Councils of both the USSR and the Kazakh SSR.