On June 5, a press conference dedicated to the opening of the 13th International Theater Festival of Turkic Nations “Nauryz” was held at the Tatar State Academic Theater named after G. Kamal. Head of the Department of Professional Art and  Education of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan Diliya Khayrutdinova,  art director of the festival and  chief  director of the Tatar State Academic Theatre (TSAT named after. G. Kamal Farid Bikchantaev, Deputy Minister of Culture and Spiritual Development of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) Vladislav Levochkin and Director of the All-Russian Festival “Real Theater”, Deputy Director of the Yekaterinburg Theater of Young Spectators, theater critic Oleg Loewsky  took part in the event.

The program of the festival includes 17 theaters from Russia, Kazakhstan and Estonia. A special guest of the festival is the Estonian theater R.A.A.A.A.M. The thirteenth festival is dedicated to the Yakut theater and will gather in Kazan more than 300 participants.

“For us, the festival” Nauruz “is a great joy and a holiday to receive guests from the regions of Russia and foreign countries,” Dilija Khairutdinova said in her welcome speech. – The festival gives an opportunity to get acquainted with the latest achievements of theatrical art and show the productions of our theaters”.

The founder of the festival “Nauryz” is the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, the Union of Theater Workers of the Russian Federation, the Union of Theater Figures of the Republic of Tatarstan.

Vladislav Levochkin, Deputy Minister of Culture and Spiritual Development of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), told journalists about the possibility to present a theatrical art of Yakutia on platforms   of Nauruz and a long preparation for the festival.

“The festival” Nauruz ”   has  became for us a window into a big theatrical world, thanks to it our directors got fame outside of our Republic,”  deputy minister said. – We   have prepared for this festival two years to present theater groups of Yakutia in scale and quality. I hope that the festival will allow us to present all the diversity of our Republic, and the audience will like our productions. ”

Performances from Yakutia will be presented at the festival “Nauruz” in the Yakut language and are provided with simultaneous translation.

Also,  Vladislav Levochkin noted that the theatrical art of Yakutia is the same age as the Tatar theater. Last year the Yakut theater celebrated its 110th anniversary.

According to the artistic director of the festival, Farid Bikchantayev, the festival annually attracts attention of Russian and European theater figures.

In the poster of the current festival, there are 2 productions of the Kamal Theater: “All  float and  clouds  float”  by Aidar Zabbarov and “Without  Sails”    by  Georgy Tskhvirava. Farid Bikchantaev explained the choice of these productions. “The performance” All  float and  clouds   float”, our student, a student of GITIS Aidar Zabbarov is for us the discovery of a new director’s name,” – said the artistic director of the festival. The second production, according to Farid Bikchantaev, reflects intersection of cultures and views. – “The Russian Georgians staged the strongest play of Tatar classic Karim Tinchurin” Without sails “, affecting the sick theme of the Tatar people – repression during the war.”

“I travel a lot at festivals and I myself am head of the theater forum and I want to note that” Nauruz “is one of the priority festivals for me,” critic Oleg Loevsky told journalists. “In my opinion, the most active theatrical life is in Tatarstan and Yakutia.”

Oleg Loyevsky recalled the last festival “Nauruz”, where the acquaintance of the Yakut director Sergei Potapov and the Estonian producer Mart Meos took place: “It’s been 2 years, and we are already bringing the performance staged by the Yakut director in Estonia according to the Estonian classics”.

The performance of the Estonian theater R.A.A.A.M – a special guest of the festival will be held on the final day – June 9 at 19.00 on the main stage of the TSAT after  G. Kamal.

Participants of the press event repeatedly stated about the purpose of the festival – dialogue and intertwining of cultures. Within the framework of the festival on June 8 at 16.00 a lecture by Ph.D., an American art critic Tavia La Follette on the intersection of cultures will take place.

The grand opening of the 13th International Theater Festival of Turkic Nations “Nauruz” will be held today at 21.00 in an amphitheater on the bank  of  the Lake Kaban. The festival will be held in a capital of Tatarstan from June 5 to 9. The shows of the performances will be held at five theatrical venues of Kazan – the Tatar State Academic Theater named after G. Kamal (Big and Small Halls), the Tatar State Drama and Comedy Theater after  K. Tinchurin, Kazan State Theater of Young Spectators and Tatar State Puppet Theater “Ekiyat”.