Turkmen Theater Wins Awards at the III International Theater Festival of TURKSOY Member States

Recently, the III International Theater Festival of TURKSOY member countries was held in Aktau, Kazakhstan. As is known, Aktau was declared the “Cultural Capital of the Turkic World” by TURKSOY for 2025.

From September 21 to 26, the creative team of the Great Saparmurat Turkmenbashi State Drama Theater from the Balkan region of Turkmenistan participated in the festival. The Turkmen actors performed the drama “Bayram Khan Turkmen,” based on a play by Ch. Ishangulyyev and A. Berdiyev, directed by O. Galandarov.

The theater’s creative team received the festival’s highest award — the “Best National Representation of Culture in a Stage Performance” prize, the festival’s Cup, and an Honorary Certificate from TURKSOY.

The international theater festival featured performances from nine countries, including Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Turkey, and Uzbekistan.

During the festival, masterclasses and workshops were held to facilitate close acquaintance with the theatrical achievements of Turkic peoples, exchange experiences among actors and directors, and further develop friendly and brotherly relations effectively. Besides the mentioned countries, renowned directors, playwrights, and theater researchers from Tajikistan and Gagauzia also participated.

The festival also included exhibitions of theatrical costumes, decorative and applied arts, national musical instruments, and various forms of applied arts.

The head of the Department of Theaters and Performance Institutions of the Ministry of Culture of Turkmenistan, A. Baltayev, served as a jury member of the international festival and was awarded an Honorary Certificate by TURKSOY.

Representatives from Turkmenistan also toured the beautiful sites of Aktau, located on the Kazakh coast of the Caspian Sea. The city’s beauty further inspired the creative spirit of the artists.