Segal Zinovy (Sinowi) (25 December 1923, Nizhny Novgorod) — literary figure, theatre professional.

From 1941 to 1945, Zinovy Segal participated in the Second World War, serving on ships of the Black Sea Fleet.

In 1951, he graduated from the Faculty of Law of the University of Latvia. He also pursued incomplete higher studies in philology and economics. He was engaged in teaching and literary activity and worked on a dissertation.

In 1958, he became head of the literary department, and later the literary-dramaturgical department of the Riga Russian Drama Theatre. Over 42 years of work, he transformed the literary department into a center providing repertoire support for other theatres and became a discoverer and promoter of numerous plays included in the theatre’s repertoire.

On his initiative, works by Andrejs Upīts, Rūdolfs Blaumanis, Gunārs Priede, Harijs Gulbis, Pauls Putniņš, and Regīna Ezera were staged at the theatre.

He assisted chief and stage directors in the analysis of plays and development of production concepts. He frequently spoke on issues of art and culture in the press, on radio and television, and published in journals such as “Teātris un Dzīve” (“Theatre and Life”) and “Teātra Vēstnesis” (“Theatre Herald”). He also organized meetings with audiences.

Zinovy Segal authored a number of radio plays based on works of Latvian writers, broadcast on Latvian and central radio. He is the author of the large reference album “Riga Russian Drama Theatre 100” and the book “Russian Theatre in Riga. 110 Years.”

For many years, he was a member of the board of the Latvian Theatre Society and the Union of Theatre Workers of Latvia, and was also elected to the board of the Union of Theatre Workers of the USSR.

He was awarded the title of Honoured Cultural Worker of the Latvian SSR.

Zinovy Segal ended his work at the theatre on 1 January 2000.