“Culture and art are important areas in the life of the country. Art is the soul of the nation, and culture is its spiritual face. Together, they form the core of our civilization. Our common duty is to preserve and multiply them”, – stated the President of Kazakhstan, congratulating the cultural and arts workers on their professional holiday.
In the recent years, a cultural life of the Republic of Kazakhstan has been experiencing a real renaissance. One of the main centers of this revival has become the Astana Opera Theater, delighting the audience with unique productions. In an exclusive interview, the Director of the theater, Honored Worker of Kazakhstan, Galim Akhmedyarov told about the latest achievements in the field of culture, the role of the state in supporting art, training the new personnel and popularization of Kazakh culture abroad.
- Galim Algiyevich, in your view, has the situation with the development of culture and art in Kazakhstan changed recently?
In the recent years, the sphere of culture and art in Kazakhstan has overcome the significant changes, aimed at modernizing and strengthening national identity. Kazakh President pays great attention to the development of this industry, which is reflected in various government initiatives. Using the example of our Astana Opera House, it is obvious thing that our repertoire is annually replenished with national productions. The performances are staged by outstanding directors, conductors, choreographers and scene designers. If we talk about the most ambitious projects, then, the grandiose tours are inscribed in the annals of our theater. There is a world tour of five countries: the USA (New York), Canada (Toronto), France (Paris), Belgium (Antwerpen) and the Netherlands (Rotterdam). In all these cities, the performances of our artists were accompanied by great success.
The ballet company has toured several times to Italy, Spain, China, Russia and many other countries. In a short time, the Astana Opera Theater has become a real cultural brand of Kazakhstan and has gained a well-deserved international reputation. We continue to keep this high creative bar. And with each new season, the artists do their best to ensure that the theater remains an invaluable legacy to the future generation.
Overall, under the leadership of the Kazakh Ministry of Culture and Information, hundreds of thousands of the different cultural events are held annually by the subordinate institutions, which certainly indicates a good pace of the development of this sphere. But it is obviously that the most anticipated event of this year is the Nomad Games, which will be held in the capital city this September.
- What attention is paid to the sphere of culture by the state?
President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Kemeluly Tokayev has repeatedly stressed the importance of culture and art for the development of the country. All his instructions are aimed at preserving and popularizing a cultural heritage. Therefore, the projects are being implemented today support and develop the national traditions and of course, a contemporary art in Kazakhstan. In one of his interviews, the Head of State noted: “Modernization does not mean abandoning someone’s past for the sake of new values. In fact, it is the preservation and enrichment of a national heritage with the best modern achievements of humanity. And here, we can not get over without Abai’s ideas. After all, over a century ago, a great thinker urged the nation to “Modernize, renew and tell us about the need to adapt to the demands of the time”.
As for the cultural workers, they definitely feel the support of the state through certain subsidies, designed for the budgetary areas.
- And, how are the things going on in Kazakhstan with training of personnel for the development of culture? Are there enough professional competitions?
Kazakhstan pays a significant attention to this issue. The specialized universities operate in the country: Kazakh National University of Arts, Kazakh National Academy of Choreography, Kurmangazy Kazakh National Conservatory, Zhurgenov Kazakh National Academy of Arts. Also, there are numerous colleges and art schools, where the young talents pursue a professional education. It is important to emphasize that the International Opera Academy operates on the basis of the Astana Opera. Its activities have become known far beyond the borders of our country in a short time. The students of our academy take an active part in national and international vocal competitions, and regularly become the winners of these prestigious contests.
You need to understand that in the modern world, the conditions are different and the goal is different, which is to reach an international level and keep the bar high. Nowadays, it is precisely that the theaters and cultural institutions are motivated by this. There are such increased demands on the skills of the young artists and musicians, as well as yesterday’s graduates. We all need to be competitive. An idea is simple, but it is very difficult to assimilate it at the level of consciousness, because it means work, work and constant work: forward and upward. Let us remember Roerich, who wrote: “A person has been climbing a mountain since birth. The higher he goes, the further he sees. And, so on, indefinitely. Any point is just the beginning”.
As for the competitions, this is certainly an important aspect that allows the young talents to express themselves. Many of these events are taking place in Kazakhstan. But I would like to focus on the Operalia International music festival, which kicks off at the Astana Opera stage on May 31. Come and choose the event you like, each of them will be attended by invited artists – stars of the opera and ballet scene.
- In your opinion, which direction in the field of culture, has received the greatest development?
In my opinion, all the spheres of culture have been moving towards the development. Especially, I would like to note the cinematic art. Kazakh films become the participants and winners of international film festivals, this is due to the support of the state, the emergence of new talented directors as well as the actors. In addition, a dramatic art is developing at a great pace, the posters of the Kazakh theaters are actively replenished with new titles. Moreover, the premieres are held at a very high level.
There is no doubt that the opera and ballet are the complex genres of musical theater and they are adequately represented as well. Astana Opera, Abai Kazakh National Opera and Ballet Theatre, Astana Ballet, Shymkent City Opera and Ballet Theater operate in the country, and each team contributes to the development of Kazakh art.
- I would like to hear your opinion on the popularization of Kazakhstan’s culture and art abroad.
Kazakhstan is actively working to popularize its culture. The exhibitions, concerts and festivals are taking place, where the Kazakh artists, painters, musicians and writers represent themselves. Let’s take as one of the examples – Kazakhstan’s participation in the Venice Biennale, where the works of the Kazakh artists were presented to the audience. Internationally renowned personalities, such as conductor Alan Buribayev and world ballet star Bakhtiyar Adamzhan play a significant role in popularizing Kazakh culture. Their successes contribute to expanding the interest for Kazakhstan and its cultural heritage. Overall, the sphere of culture and art in Kazakhstan has been developing due to the improvement of the educational system and active international activities. It is important to continue this work in order to preserve and multiply our achievements, as well as strengthen the country’s position at the world stage.
