Georgi Kuznetsov, later known as Jüri Järvet, was a renowned Estonian actor, both on screen and stage. Born in Tallinn, his early life was marked by his mother's move to Moscow in 1920, leaving him in the care of a family friend who later placed him in an orphanage. At the tender age of five, Jüri was taken in by a family with three children, although they never officially adopted him.
Jüri's first foray into acting came in the fourth grade, when he landed a non-speaking part in a school play. He continued to act throughout his school years, appearing in five real theatre plays, but was eventually replaced when he turned sixteen, deemed too old for the parts. After completing high school, Jüri worked as a messenger in a factory's office.
In 1941, during the Soviet occupation of Estonia, Jüri was drafted into the Soviet Red Army but was later demobilized. Following the war, he worked as a dancer at Noorsooteater, but soon discovered that dancing wasn't his passion. In 1944, he began studying acting, and by 1945, he had secured his first role. In addition to his studies, Jüri also worked as an editor for a radio station.
Jüri's most notable film roles emerged in the 1970s, including the title role in Grigoriy Kozintsev's powerful adaptation of King Lear (1970),Dr. Snaut in Andrei Tarkovsky's Solaris (1972),and the owner of the hotel in Grigori Kromanov's cult film The Dead Mountaineer Hotel (1979).
Jüri was married twice, first to actress Inna Taarna from 1948 to 1958, with whom he had a son, Jüri Järvet Jr., in 1955. He then married oncologist Astrid in 1958, with whom he had a daughter, Jana, in 1960. Jüri Järvet passed away on July 5th, 1995, in his hometown of Tallinn.
