The telegram reads, in part:
"Oleg Yankovsky was a real master; he was an ingenious and highly gifted man, with a God-given talent for acting. His passing is an irreplaceable loss for the legendary Lenkom theatre, for national culture, and for us all. Mr Yankovsky remained true to his calling to the very end, and in spite of his grave illness, he courageously served the stage, and his audience.
"Oleg Yankovsky will live forever in our memory, in those brilliant, inimitable characters that this great Russian actor created."