Pamphylia Tanailidi


Pamphylia Tanailidi, often spelled as Panfilia Tanailidi was an Azerbaijani actress of Pontic Greek origin.

Life and career

Tanailidi was born in the village of Bashkand to a family of émigrés from Kars. She first appeared on stage in 1905 as an Azeri drama trouper in Tiflis, where she acted in plays by Hajibeyov, Jabbarli, Shakespeare, etc. in both Azeri and Greek languages. At that time, Tanailidi was often credited as Surayya Zangasurskaya. In 1917, she toured Iran along with prominent Azeri actors of the time. Playing the part of Asya in Hajibeyov's Arshin Mal Alan musical comedy in 1919 brought her great success. In 1924, she settled in Baku and started working at the Azerbaijan State Academic National Drama Theatre. Later she starred in the movies Ismat and Almaz.

Death

In 1937, Pamphylia Tanailidi was accused by the Soviet government of being an Iranian spy. Her close friendship with Govhar Gaziyeva and Ahmed Trinić was considered enough evidence to condemn her of espionage. Tanailidi refused to plead guilty. After a fifteen-minute trial, she was given the death sentence, and on 15 October 1937 she was executed by firing squad. The location of her burial place remains unknown even today.
In 1957, Pamphylia Tanailidi was officially exonerated.

Roles