Excursion to the “Astana Opera” House

“ASTANA OPERA”is the largest temple of art in Central Asia. It is the only classical theatre of this scale erected in the last few decades throughout the Eurasian region. This is one of the most technically advanced theatres in the world… The magnificent building of «Astana Opera» has already been inscribed in the history of our country. The State Theatre of Opera and Ballet «Astana Opera» was founded in 2013 on the initiative of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Overall, the project is designed in the classical style, with an emphasis on the Hellenistic motifs, Mannerism and Baroque. In this case, turning the hands on the architectural clock several centuries ahead from the Ancient Greek style was not only fitting, but also a

very important decision. In front of the main entrance a tremendous footbridge that
blends harmoniously with the grand project called “Astana Opera” was elevated. The theatre is situated on a plot of almost 9 acres. The building itself is 64,000 square meters. Of these, about 3,000 square meters is the stage area, which includes 4 stages. Astana Opera
House is impressive not only in its scale, but also its architectural refinement.
At the main entrance to the theatre the portico is decorated with designer sculptural compositions “Kobyz Player” and “Girl with Zhetygen”, authored by sculptors M. A. Mansurov and T. T. Yermekov.
The waves of feather grass serve as a pedestal to the seated figures – they seem to raise
the figures over the steppe, elevating and poeticizing the image of musicians. The stately figure of the young man, his face with the profound look of the steppe creator, tied with a beautiful knot headband, details of his clothing and kobyz – Kazakh folk instrument on which he plays – everything is carefully thought out and aligned.
The second figure is a girl playing a musical instrument «zhetygen» Beautiful wistful
face with her eyelashes lowered, high headdress covered with a shawl, her clothes – each
detail is molded with ethnographic accuracy and thoroughly elaborated. The very contour of
the figures fits perfectly into the theatre facade niches and corresponds exactly to the wall height to the portico.
Perhaps every theater guest, plunging into the inner atmosphere, will feel and receive an unforgettable experience that will make them want to visit the theater again.