Azerbaijan Celebrates National Theater Day

The 152nd anniversary of the creation of the Azerbaijan Professional National Theater is being celebrated.

As reported by BAKU.WS, by decree of President Ilham Aliyev from March 1, 2013, National Theater Day is celebrated annually on March 10 in Azerbaijan. This date was not chosen by chance. On March 10, 1873, a play based on Mirza Fatali Akhundzade's comedy "Adventures of the Vizier of the Lankaran Khanate" was staged in Baku. This first amateur performance, staged by real school students on the initiative of Hasan bey Zardabi and Najaf bey Vezirov, laid the foundation for the national theater.

A significant contribution to the development of the national theater was also made by the famous philanthropist Haji Zeynalabdin Tagiyev, who financed the construction of the first theater building in Baku.

Soon, a constellation of brilliant actors grew on the Azerbaijani theater stage, such as Huseyngulu Sarabski, Husein Arablinski, Ulvi Rajab, Abbas Mirza Sharifzade, Mirza aga Aliyev, Mustafa Mardanov, Alesker Alekperov, Agasadyg Geraybeyli, Leyla Badirbeyli, Nasiba Zeynalova and others.

The performances organized at that time by the Azerbaijani intelligentsia in Baku, Shusha, Sheki, Lankaran, Nakhchivan, Tiflis, and Irevan played an important role in the cultural life of these cities.

Always distinguished by its active position, the Azerbaijani theater was at the forefront of public thought, having a significant impact on the cultural progress of society and the development of national consciousness. Outstanding representatives of our literary thought history used the theater stage as a high oratorical platform to address the people.

The Azerbaijani theater, which has gone through a long and glorious path, has entered a new stage of its development in recent years, which primarily manifested in strengthening the material and technical base, updating the repertoire, expanding the geography of tours, etc.

The creation of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR) led to the revival of national theater activities. As a result of active state assistance and intervention in the development of Azerbaijani theater, important qualitative changes occurred. New works related to the history of Azerbaijan and the national liberation struggle were included in its repertoire. One of the purposeful steps of the republic's government in this area was the organization of the Azerbaijan State Theater.

This meant that the Azerbaijani professional theater received state status. The curtain of this theater was first opened on November 4, 1918, with the performance of Nariman Narimanov's historical tragedy "Nadir Shah".

During the Soviet era, theatrical art in Azerbaijan received further development. Along with works praising Soviet ideology and regime, works about people's lives, their customs, and historical past were widely represented in the repertoires.

During the independence years of the Republic of Azerbaijan, national leader Heydar Aliyev paid great attention to the development of theatrical art, and his successor - President Ilham Aliyev - worthily continued his father's work. Thus, in 2006, the law "On Theater and Theater Activities" was adopted. In 2007, the head of state signed an order "On the Development of Azerbaijani Theater Art," and on May 18, 2009, approved the State Program "Azerbaijan Theater in 2009-2019".

Within this program, international conferences are held in Baku, theaters undergo capital repairs, their material and technical base is updated, anniversaries of outstanding theater figures are solemnly celebrated, etc. Over the past years, our theaters have toured in more than 30 countries worldwide.