Okzhetpes

(A dramatic ballad based on Saken Seifullin’s poem «Kokshetau»)

Premiered on 20 December 2018.

Countless myths and legends have been woven around the enchanting landscapes of Borovoe, the jewel of Kokshetau. Inspired by S. Seifullin’s poem Kokshetau, playwright O. Zhanaidarov, a native of this land, created the play Okzhetpes.

This is one of those magical legends, telling the story of a young Kalmyk beauty. The tale goes: «When Abylai Khan returned from a raid against the Kalmyks and his warriors began dividing the spoils, among the trophies they discovered a seventeen-year-old girl of extraordinary beauty. Each warrior wished to take her as his wife. The khan allowed her to choose her husband herself. But she had left behind a beloved in her homeland, and so she refused to marry any of them. Climbing to the top of a cliff, she fastened her scarf and declared: ‘Whose arrow pierces it - that man I shall marry.’ Yet no one succeeded: not a single arrow could reach the height where she stood. In despair, the girl threw herself from the rock. At the foot of Okzhetpes lies Lake Borovoe. And at the place where her body touched the water, a strangely shaped rock emerged - Zhumбaktas, the Mysterious Rock.»

Director - Olga Lutsiva, Honoured Cultural Worker

Production Designer - Natalya Menshchikova

Music Design - Vladimir Ovchinnikov

Artistic Director - Olga Lutsiva, Honoured Cultural Worker