'Prisoner of Caucasus' staged in Kazakhstan

By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

Premiere of the operetta ‘Prisoner of the Caucasus’ by Rauf Hajiyev, the prominent Azerbaijani composer, was held in Karaganda, Kazakhstan.

The performance was dedicated to the 95th anniversary of R.Hajiyev, Report.az reported.

The operetta, staged in various theaters of Russia starting from late 1960s, was demonstrated in Karaganda for the first time. 

Director was honored artist of Azerbaijan Ali Usubov.

In his speech, Secretary-General of TURKSOY Dusen Kaseinov stressed that such performances will be staged in different cities of the country for the promotion of Azerbaijani culture in the Turkic world.

The premiere of the Academic Musical Comedy Theater in Karaganda was met with great applause by the audience.

Prisoner of the Caucasus is an operetta, based on Alexander Pushkin's poem. The narrative poem written in 1820-21 is dedicated to his friend General Nikolay Raevsky and was inspired by the poet's time spent in Pyatigorsk during his southern exile.

The poem is about a Byronic Russian officer who is disillusioned with elite life and decides to escape by seeking adventure in the Caucasus. He is captured by Circassian tribesmen but then saved by a beautiful Circassian woman. Despite its Romantic and Orientalist themes, Pushkin's use of academic footnotes and reliable ethnographic material gave it credibility in its day. It was highly influential on popular perceptions of the Caucasus for its time. The poem remains one of Pushkin's most famous works and is often referenced in Russian popular culture.