Tbilisi State Azerbaijan Drama Theater in a bad condition - REVIEW

Tbilisi. 18 April. REPORT.AZ/ There are number of cultural institutions in Georgia which played important roles in development of Azerbaijan culture, art and press. N.Narimanov’s house museum, J.Mammadguluzade’s house museum, Azerbaijan Cultural Museum named after M.F.Akhundzade, Heydar Aliyev park and etc. Tbilisi State Azerbaijan Drama Theater is one of such cultural institutions. Giants of theater like Ibrahim Isfahanli, Alakbar Seyfi, Mohsun Sanani, Ulvi Rajab worked in this theater. Plays of famous Azerbaijani and world authors were staged in this theater. History books inform that in different times of the history this theater provided support to and funded plays of other theaters. This important historical and cultural institution has been given name of nationwide leader Heydar Aliyev. Unfortunately, a common cultural memorial of Azerbaijani and Georgian nations Heydar Aliyev Tbilisi State Azerbaijan Drama Theater is in bad condition. Actors’ suits are dirty and scattered about, floor and ceiling has been destroyed. The theater lost all necessary equipment and needs an overhaul.

Deputy director on technical issues of Heydar Aliyev Tbilisi State Azerbaijan Drama Theater Vagif Bayramov told Report’s Georgian bureau that the building of the theater was built in 1900: “746 square meter (22 percent) part of the building at Gogasali street 1 in center of Tbilisi belonged to the theater. The theater supported Georgian theaters established those times. Theater has only 19 rooms. However, today 16 families, 2 shops, 1 restaurant, 1 art workshop and 1 Folk Musical Instruments Museum have been accommodated in the same building with the theater. The theater was closed in 1947 and resumed its activity in 2003 as Tbilisi Municipal Theater. In 2004 the theater was given the name of Azerbaijan nation’s great leader Heydar Aliyev”.

Azerbaijan’s Honored Art Worker, deputy director of the theater Namig Hajiyev told that premiers of many plays have been staged by staff of Heydar Aliyev Tbilisi State Azerbaijan Drama Theater: “Due to emergency and bad conditions of the building we stage our plays in other theaters of the capital. This causes financial burden to us. But despite this, we will work more and stage more plays thanks to efforts of our talented actors”. He told that despite all difficulties, 12 actors work in the theater: “7 of them graduated as theater and cinema actors from Tbilisi Theater and Cinema Institute named after Shota Rustaveli thanks to initiative of great leader Heydar Aliyev and former president of Georgia Eduard Shevardnadze”.

Minister of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia Mikhail Georgadze told Report that the building of Heydar Aliyev Tbilisi State Azerbaijan Drama Theater is really in emergency condition: “We first estimated reconstruction and overhaul of the building. But then, due to some problems, we decided to build a new building for the theater. Plot of land for theater building has already been allocated near Azerbaijan embassy. Documentation work is underway and I think that it will not take much time”.

Notably, Azerbaijan ambassador in Georgia Dursun Hasanov and head of Milli Majlis (Azerbaijani Parliament) taskforce for Azerbaijan-Georgia inter-parliamentary relations Aflatun Amashov recently visited the theater, met with the staff, asked about their problems.

Notably, 2016 budget of Heydar Aliyev Tbilisi State Azerbaijan Drama Theater was GEL 160,000. Last year budget of Armenian theater was GEL 480,000. As a result of financial crisis in Georgia, allocations to all budgetary organizations, including theaters were cut by 10%.