Tashkent - Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre Alisher Navoi

The State Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre Alisher Navoi is rightly considered the leading theatre of Tashkent, its national pride and an attractive centre of music and theatre culture. It has a glorious history, rich in wonderful traditions. This history is a solid foundation of high culture and mastery that has made the opera and ballet theatre known worldwide. For almost nine decades, theatre has been accumulating achievements, sharpening its expressions, enhancing its experiences and developing its humanistic principles. The theatre has absorbed all the richness of the national and world classical heritage and created unique examples of Uzbek musical and stage art.

The history of the Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre in Tashkent, named after Alisher Navoi, dates back to the 1920s. At that time, the Musical Drama Theatre was founded, on the basis of which the Bolshoi Theatre was created, which is now the leading theatre in the country.

The Musical and Drama Theatre did not have its own building for performances, so the artists had to perform in the circus theatre “Coliseum”. It was the only artistic building erected in the first half of the XX century. The construction of the “Coliseum” was carried out over ten years and the construction was directed by Tsintsadze, a migrant from Tbilisi. A few years after the opening, the theatre was nationalised. A little later, in the 1930s, Russian and Uzbek musical theatres performed here. Even after reconstruction, the “Coliseum” building could not fully support the intended performances, especially national and large classical spectacles. The need to construct a special building for the theatre increased and then a state competition was announced to prepare the best project. The designs developed were published in the press and the public had the opportunity to discuss them. According to the summary of the competition, the winner was academician Alexey Shusev, who prepared the project for the new theatre building and also designed many other projects for the buildings in Moscow, including the Mausoleum on Red Square.

Construction began in 1939, but the new building was interrupted in 1942-1944 for the duration of the war. Uzbek painters were invited to decorate and embellish the halls, and in 1945 the final work on the building was carried out with the participation of Japanese prisoners of war.

The prominent architect planned six side foyers in an individual, original style, taking into account the architectural traditions of the country’s regions. Halls were planned in Tashkent, Khorezm, Fergana, Bukhara, Termez and Samarkand. The Bukhara hall is distinguished by the use of mirrored ganche carvings. The Samarkand hall is distinguished by its original two-layered carving. Notable for the Khorezm Hall is the presence of carved ganch panels similar to the wooden carvings of Khorezm. The Termez Hall is decorated in the style of the palace of the Termez prince. The galleries and other theatrical spaces are decorated with murals.

After the theatre was built, it was proposed to build a fountain in front of the main entrance. It was Aleksey Shusev, the author of the project, who made this suggestion. A few years ago, the fountain was renovated and is now decorated with the original lighting accompanied by music. Residents and guests of the capital of Uzbekistan come to the theatre building to admire the new “singing” fountain.

In 2012-2015, the theatre building itself was reconstructed and the opening ceremony of the renovated building was attended by the Prime Minister of Japan.

Etiquette and rules for visiting the theatre

From the earliest times it is customary to dress elegantly to visit the theatre.
Jeans, sportswear and athletic shoes are unacceptable in the theatre.
Entrance to the theatre is carried out only upon presentation of a ticket. The ticket is also purchased for children from the age of 5. Children under the age of five are not allowed for evening performances.
After the third bell, the doors to the hall are closed and the play begins.
After the beginning of the performance, the entrance to the auditorium is strictly prohibited.
If you are late, you should contact the ticket-collectors and they will help you enter the hall through the balcony of the 1st or 2nd tier. Your seat in the hall, according to a ticket or an invitation card, you can take only during the intermission.
If your seat is occupied, you need to contact the ticket-collectors for help.
It is unacceptable to enter the hall in the outer clothing and stay during the action in the headdress.
Walking along the row is supposed to face the sitting persons.
You can’t bring food, water and other drinks into the hall.
Mobile phones and other noisy devices should be turned off.
You can make photo and video recordings during the performance only with the permission of the Management of the theatre.
Smoking is allowed only in specially designated places.
During the action, you should not voice your opinion.
Presenting flowers to the artists is accepted only after the end of the action or a concert.
At the end of the play, you should wait until the curtain closes and exit of the actors for the audience to bow.
You can leave the hall during the intermission or after the performance.
During the theatrical action, the hall can be left only through the door of the amphitheatre.

The repertoire of the Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre Alisher Navoi in Tashkent includes opera and ballet performances as well as children’s performances.

Opera:

G.Verdi: “Aida”
G. Verdi: “Rigoletto”
G. Verdi: “La Traviata”
G.Verdi: “Il Trovatore”
S. Rachmaninow: “Aleko”
G.Puccini: “La Boheme”
V.A. Mozart: “the Imresario” comic singspiel in 2 acts
А.Rubinstein: “Demon’s”
P.Chaikovsky: “Iolanta”
G. Bizet: “Pearl seekers” (Les pêcheurs de perles)
G. Bizet: “Carmen”
Сoncert of masters of the Bolshoi Theater. Closing of the 89-th theater season
M. Makhmudov: “Kumush”
G. Donizetti: “L’elisir d’amore”
G. Donizetti: “Lucia di Lammermoor”
M.Bafoev: “THE HEAVEN OF MY FONDNESS”
Parade of tenors
S.Yudakov: “Tricks of Maysara”
R.Abdullaev: “Sadokat”
J. Rossini: “Il Barbiere di Siviglia”
P. Mascagni: “Cavalleria rusticana”
T. Jalilov und B. Brovtsyn: “Tahir and Zuhra”
Ch.Gounod: “La Traviata”
G.Puccini: “Tosca”
M.Bafoev: “Hamsa”
N.A. Rimsky-Korsakow: “The Tsar’s Bride”

Ballet:

The Polovtsian Dances, act 2 of A. Borodin’s opera «Prince Igor»
M.Ashrafi: “Amulet of Love”
B. Asafjew: “The Fountain of Bakhchisarai”
L.Minkus: “La Bayadère”
K.Khachaturian: “Snow White and Seven Dwarfs”
G. Verdi, P. Mascagni: “”La Dame aux Camellias””
L.Minkus: “Don Quijote”
I. Strawinsky, N. Rimsky-Korsakow: “Firebird, Sheherazade”
A. Adan: “Giselle”
A.Adan: “Le Corsaire”
P.I. Tschaikowsky: “Swan Lake”
A. Melikow: “The Poem of two hearts”
S. Prokofjew: “Romeo and Juliet”
P. Tschaikowsky: “The Sleeping Beauty”
U.Musaev: “Tomiris”
F.Amirov: “One Thousand and One Nights”
P.Chaikovsky: “Francesca da Rimini”
A. Ergashev: “The Humo”
F.Chopin: “Chopiniana”
A. Borodin: “Polovtsian Dances”
N.Rimskij-Korsakow: “Sheherazade”
P.Tschaikowsky: “The Nutcracker”

Childrens:

G.Gladkov: “The Bremen Town Musicians”
P. Tchaikowsky: “The Return of the Nutcracker”
S. Varelas: “Aladdin’s Magic Lamp”
M.Maksudi, A.Danielyan: “Megabyte fairy tale in the Bolshoi”
S.Prokofiev: “Peter and the Wolf. Symphonic fairytale”
A. Ergashev: “The Snow Queen”
E.Komarova, R.Sherezdanov: “Superheroes in the Bolshoy”
K.Khachaturyan: “Cipollino”

Musical:

R.Sherazdanov: “New Year’s Masquerade”