Ilham Aliyev attended an official opening ceremony of the Azerbaijan State Musical Theater after major overhaul and reconstruction

The building of the Azerbaijan State Musical Theater has been put back into operation after major overhaul and reconstruction.

President Ilham Aliyev attended the official opening ceremony.

As all areas of life in the country, the sphere of culture is also receiving the attention of the state. Evidence of that is the attention to the development of culture and art, people working in this area and the organization of international events in Azerbaijan. In accordance with the instructions of President Ilham Aliyev, many historical monuments, monumental buildings and centers of material culture have been repaired and reconstructed in recent years. One of them is the building of the Azerbaijan State Musical Theatre.

Since its inception, the Azerbaijan State Musical Theatre has presented many invaluable stage compositions. As one of the leading art centers of the country with a rich history, the theater still enjoys great love of the audience.

Particularly noteworthy are projects on the development of culture implemented by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. The work carried out by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation on the initiative of First Lady of Azerbaijan, Goodwill Ambassador of UNESCO and ISESCO Mehriban Aliyeva is making a great contribution to the further enrichment and promotion of the country’s cultural heritage in the world and the education of talented individuals.

President Ilham Aliyev was informed about the work done at the Azerbaijan State Musical Theatre and on an area around it.

Then the President of Azerbaijan met with foreign experts who participated in the reconstruction of the theater.

It was noted that the first theater in Baku was built on the initiative of Haji Zeynalabdin Tagiyev in 1883. On 25 January 1908, the building of the theater hosted the premiere of the "Leyli and Majnun" opera by Uzeyir Hajibayli who laid the foundations of the opera genre in the Muslim East. In 1922, this building started functioning as the Academic National Drama Theatre and in 1960 as the Azerbaijan State Musical Comedy Theater. In 1988, due to the threat of a collapse, the building was knocked down and a new one built instead. In 1995, nationwide leader Heydar Aliyev, who paid special attention to the construction of the theater, reviewed the progress of construction and gave relevant recommendations. In October 1998, the great leader took part in the official opening of the theater. According to the Order signed by President Ilham Aliyev in 2010, extensive renovation of the Azerbaijan State Musical Theatre has been carried out. Special attention during the work was paid to preserving the original architectural style.

President Ilham Aliyev examined the auditorium of the theater.

It was noted that the 460-seat auditorium is fitted with the latest equipment. The seats and the furniture have been replaced and the stage rotating to 360 degrees has been fully reconstructed. The theater operates state-of-the-art sound and acoustic systems. The lighting system of the stage has also been upgraded in accordance with the latest projects and technologies.

All the offices and dressing rooms have been renovated as well. The updated ventilation system meets the latest standards.

After major restoration the recording studio and the rehearsal room of the theater have also assumed a totally different appearance.