Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater facts for kids
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| Address | Nizami küçəsi 95 Baku Azerbaijan |
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| Construction | |
| Opened | 28 February 1911 |
| Years active | 1911-present |
| Architect | Nikolai Bayev |
| Tenants | |
| Azerbaijan State Academic Ballet Azerbaijan State Academic Opera |
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The Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater (Azerbaijani: Axundov adına Azərbaycan Dövlət Akademik Opera və Balet Teatrı) is a famous opera house in Baku, Azerbaijan. An opera house is a special building where people perform operas and ballets. This theater was once known as the Mailov Theatre. It was built in 1911 by an Armenian architect named Nikolai Bayev.
Contents
History of the Theater
How the Theater Was Built
The idea for this theater came from a wealthy businessman named Daniel Mailov. Another rich businessman, Zeynalabdin Taghiyev, also helped pay for it.
In 1910, a famous Russian opera singer, Antonina Nezhdanova, visited Baku. She performed in many places. At a party before she left, someone asked if she would come back to Baku. She said no. She felt that even though Baku had many rich people, there was no good opera theater for singers to perform their best.
Daniel Mailov was very impressed by Nezhdanova's singing. He decided to build a new opera theater just for her. He promised her that if she came back in one year, she could perform at the grand opening of his new theater.
There's a story that the Mailov brothers were not invited to a party at a famous opera singer's new house in Baku. This house was one of the most beautiful buildings in the city. So, the Mailovs decided to build an even grander building to show them up!
Designing and Building the Theater
The architect for the theater was Nikolai Bayev, who was of Armenian descent. Building such a large theater in just one year was a huge challenge. The Mailovs started building without waiting for the city's permission. Because of this, they were told to stop construction. But Bayev managed to convince the city leaders, and they finally approved the project.
Another wealthy Azerbaijani businessman, Zeynalabdin Taghiyev, had already helped build the Taghiyev Theatre. He doubted that the new theater could be finished so quickly. Daniel Mailov made a bet with him: if the Mailovs couldn't finish the theater on time, they would give it to Taghiyev as a gift. But if it was finished by 1911, Taghiyev would have to pay for all the building costs.
Workers worked in three shifts, with 200 people on site, to build the theater very quickly. They finished the entire building in less than 10 months! The total cost was more than 250,000 rubles. The city mayor, Peter Martynov, along with architects and engineers, checked the new theater and said it was safe. As promised, Taghiyev paid for everything.
The Mailovs' Theatre officially opened on February 28, 1911. Daniel Mailov sent a telegram to Antonina Nezhdanova, and she became the first singer to perform there. Many important people from Baku attended the event. The opera singer who hadn't invited the Mailovs to his party was not there.
The Theater Through the Years
In 1916, a group called Pavel Amirago's opera troupe started performing regularly at the theater. This made it a permanent performance venue. In 1920, it became a state-owned theater and was called the Opera and Ballet Theatre.
By 1925, different opera and drama groups joined together to become the official resident company. In 1927, the theater was named after the famous writer Mirza Fatali Akhundov. In 1959, it was given the special title of an "academic theater."
Sadly, in 1985, the theater caught fire after being recently renovated. It was a mystery how the fire started. But by 1987, all the repairs were finished, and the theater opened its doors again.
Many talented singers have performed with the opera company over the years. Some of them include Azer Zeynalov, Javid Samadov, and Shovkat Mammadova.
See also
In Spanish: Teatro de Ópera y Ballet Académico Estatal de Azerbaiyán para niños
- List of concert halls
