Mintimer Shaimiev has congratulated Farid Bikchantayev with his jubilee
On 2 June upon his arrival to the Interactive multimedia complex “Sharyk Club” in Kazan, Tatarstan State Counselor Mintimer Shaimiev was met by the Chief Artistic Director of the Tatar State Academic Theatre after Kamal Farid Bikchantayev and the Director of the theater Ilfir Yakupov, who showed Mintimer Shaimiev interactive rooms of the new complex organized in a historical building in Tatarstan Street, which in 1907-1917 was the Sharyk (Oriental) Club – a communication club for Tatar youth.
During the excursion, Ilfir Yakupov said that the idea to organize a Tatar theatre history museum was put forward by a legendary Director of the theater Marsel Salimzhanov and in 2000 the First President of the republic Mintimer Shaimiev made a decision to revive the historical Oriental Club building. The modern historical complex was opened for public on 15 September 2021.
After he was shown “The Stream of Time”, “The Backstage”, “The Phantom Theatre”, “The Theatre, the epoch, the personality” expositions, Mintimer Shaimiev expressed his gratitude to the museum organizers and gave high assessment to the design and organization of exhibition spaces of the complex. “You have made true the dream not only of your predecessors – the big names of our theatre art but also of many-mane generations of spectators. And you have done this beautifully and meaningfully”, he said.
After the excursion, Mintimer Shaimiev came back to the Phantom Theatre spectators’ room where the young actors performed the first play in the history of the theatre – Bichara Kyzy, which was staged by Farid Bikchantayev in its initial version as it was performed in the Sharyk Club in the beginning of the XX century.
After the performance, Mintimer Shaimiev congratulated Farid Bikchantayev with his 60th birthday and gave him a bright picture by Ilgizar Samakayev, showing a ceremony of a voluntarily adoption of Islam by the Volga Bulgarians on 21 May 922.
“I think that the fact that 1040 years later Farid Bikchantayev was born this day is in tune. He makes a huge contribution in revival of spirituality and his creative work reflects the destiny of our people”, Shaimiev said.