Galiaskar Kamal Tatar Academic Theatre

The Galiaskar Kamal Tatar Academic Theatre is the leading Tatar theater in Kazan

Kazan

Kazan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. With a population of 1,143,546 , it is the eighth most populous city in Russia. Kazan lies at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers in European Russia. In April 2009, the Russian Patent Office granted Kazan the...

, Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

. Named after the playwright Galiaskar Kamal

Galiaskar Kamal

Ğäliäsğar Ğäliäkbär ulı Kamaletdinov aka Ğäliäsğar Kamal is a Tatar writer, dramatist and playwright. Galiaskar Kamal Tatar Academic Theatre is named after him.-Biography:...

, it was founded on December 22, 1906.

The first known Tatar theatrical efforts were during the 19th century when Tatar amateur theater groups emerged in some cities and towns of Russia with sizable Tatar populations. The first published Tatar-language play was "Unhappy Girl" (1886) by Gabdrakhman Ilyasi (1856–1895), written perhaps under the influence of the first Turkish playwright Ibrahim Şınasi and his play "Şair Evlenmesi" (A Poet's Marriage) which was published in 1860. Both plays deal with the problem of arranged marriages which were very common at that time.

In the middle of the 19th century, Tatar amateur theater groups staged free performances in private houses and were attended by very few people. Their repertoire

Repertoire

Repertoire may mean repertory, a system of theatrical production and performance scheduling, but may also refer to:* Musical repertoire* Repertoire Records, a German record label specialising in 1960s and 1970s pop and rock reissues...

usually included the plays of Russian and foreign playwrights. The first public performance of a Tatar play in modern times took place in 1906 and was organized by the group "Sayar" (The Traveler). "Sayar" eventually became the leading Tatar professional theater company. In 1939 it was re-named after the playwright Galiaskar Kamal. In 1987, the company moved to its current building on the shore of the lakes Qaban

Lakes Qaban

Lakes Kaban, the system of lakes in Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, includes Nizhny Kaban, Verkhny Kaban, and Sredny Kaban. With an area of , it is the biggest lake in Tatarstan....

.

The theater's current repertoire consists mostly of plays written by Tatar playwrights but includes many plays of Russian and foreign playwrights as well.

The theater provides special translation devices to audience members who do not understand Tatar

Tatar language

The Tatar language , or more specifically Kazan Tatar, is a Turkic language spoken by the Tatars of historical Kazan Khanate, including modern Tatarstan and Bashkiria...

.

One of the peculiar features of Tatar culture during Soviet times was that Tatarstan

Tatarstan

The Republic of Tatarstan is a federal subject of Russia located in the Volga Federal District. Its capital is the city of Kazan, which is one of Russia's largest and most prosperous cities. The republic borders with Kirov, Ulyanovsk, Samara, and Orenburg Oblasts, and with the Mari El, Udmurt,...

, being an "autonomous republic" rather than a "union republic" within the USSR, was not allowed by Moscow to have its own film studio (whereas each "union republic" was entitled to one). As a result, most Tatar actors, producers and directors could develop their talents only within the realm of theater. All artistic talent in those fields of self-expression was concentrated exclusively in theater rather than both theater and film. This fact might explain the extraordinary commercial success of the Tatar theater and the remarkably high quality of its productions, as well as the enormous popularity of theater as a genre among Tatars.

See also