Condolences on passing of Zurab Sotkilava 2017-09-18 12:30:00 Vladimir Putin conveyed his deepest condolences on the passing of opera singer, People’s Artist of the USSR, Zurab Sotkilava, to the singer’s family and friends. The message reads, in part: “Zurab Sotkilava had a long life and career. He brilliantly fulfilled himself as an outstanding opera singer of our time. His colleagues and a grateful public highly valued him for his vocal skills, artistic charm and selfless love of music. Mr Sotkilava left a rich creative heritage; he educated talented students and made a unique contribution to the development of national performance arts.” Mr Sotkilava died in Moscow on September 18 at the age of 80.