By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater and the State Russian Drama Theater have expressed their support to National Army. 

The opera house workers transferred their monthly salaries to Armed Forces Assistance Fund.

The State Russian Drama Theater transferred nearly 5,000 AZN to the fund. The theater staff noted that Azerbaijani soldiers are fighting heroic battles against Armenian invaders. They are wishing the soonest liberation of Azerbaijani lands and restoration of the country's territorial integrity. 

Azerbaijan's Armed Forces Assistance Fund was established by the Decree of  President Ilham Aliyev in 2002.

The Fund finances at the expense of funds received on a voluntary basis from legal entities and individuals operating in the territory of Azerbaijan and other receipts not prohibited by law for the purpose of financial assistance to strengthen the material, technical and social base of the Azerbaijan Armed Forces.

The State Opera and Ballet Theater has played a major role in shaping the Azerbaijani opera art.

"Leyli and Majnun" by Uzeyir Hajibeyli, the first opera of the entire East, was first performed at the theater in 1908.

The opera laid the foundation of the new genre in musical culture of the world, which synthesizes oriental and European musical forms, resembling a dialogue of two musical cultures of East and West.

It was followed by multiple national operas such as "Sheikh Sanan" (1909), "Rustam and Zohrab" (1910), "Shah Abbas and Khurshid Banu" (1911), "Asli and Kerem"(1912), "Harun and Leyla" (1915), "Koroghlu" (1932). 

Today, the theater continues to delight its guests with fascinating ballets, operas, and other theatrical performances.

Recently, the theater marked its 100th anniversary. The theater's chief director, Honored Artist of Azerbaijan Hafiz Guliyev as well as the soloists - Honored Artist Ilaha Efendieva, Jahangir Gurbanov and Farid Aliyev provided insight into the country's opera art as part of  "United by Culture" (Bizi birl??dir?n m?d?niyy?t)  project.

Charismatic and extraordinary talented actors of the State Russian Drama Theater always surprise the audience with wonderful performances.

Many works of Russian literary figures such as Tolstoy, Pushkin, Chekov, Gogol, Lermontov, Mayakovsky, Lavrenyov, as well as Azerbaijani literary figures such as Jafar Jabbarli, Mirza Fatali Akhundov, Ali bay Huseynzade, Najaf bay Vazirov, Huseyn Javid, works of world classics such as Shakespeare, Schiller, Moliere, Dumas, Hugo, Balzac are staged at the Russian State Drama Theater.

The theater team pays special attention to young viewers, and plays a significant role in introducing theater art to children.

Nowadays, Azerbaijan State Russian Drama Theater is one of the most popular theaters in the country.