People’s Artist of Turkmenistan Ogultach Hannyeva − a pleasant woman in every respect, and a leading actress in the capital’s three theaters − is often called by the name of her character, Aigul. Ogultach Bairamovna says it is because she and Aigul are kindred souls. But Aigul is a fictional character created by Bashkir writer Mustai Karim, and she is a real person, who lives a life of her own.
When asked a banal question “How did you become an actress?” Ogultach Bairamovna surprised me again by her reply: “I wanted to make my mother happy”. Looking at me, Ogultach Bairamovna guessed that I did not quite understand her, and told me about what had happened to her when she was in grade four:
− One evening, when my mother was watching a concert performed by children, she sighed and said: “How happy their parents must be!”
− Would you be happy if I performed in televised concerts? I asked.
− Yes, I would be the happiest mother in the world.
The next day, I went to look for the Television Center after school. I stopped passers-by asking them where the Center was. Most of them shook their heads helplessly, but some of them explained how to get there. When I came up to the Television Center and was about to climb the steep steps to the entrance, a young man in a military uniform stopped me.
− Where are you going? he asked in a serious tone.
− I want to perform in televised concerts…
The soldier led me along the long corridor to the door with a sign “Children’s Television Department”, where Byashim Kurbanov met us.
− What can you do?
− Anything. I can sing and dance.
− Can you act roles in films well?
− It’s as easy as ABC!
− It’s not that simple! Everything should be very realistic.
− It will be realistic, I assured.
I appeared in many television films and my mother was very proud of me. She was delighted to inform me that cultural enlightenment (kultprosvet) college had announced that Shchepkin Higher Theatre School was holding auditions for several places. At that time, I had just finished school, and I would be glad to study at Theater School nicknamed “Shchepka” by students. First, I had to pass the audition, of course. “You are sure to pass it! You’re so pretty!” my mother encouraged me.
There were many girls who went for the audition. When it was my turn, I entered the room and introduced myself: “Ogultach Hannyeva. I have appeared in TV films”.
− You are a star, Professor Vladimir Konstantinovich Smirnov smiled. Will you tell me how you managed to get into films?
When the Professor heard my story, he began to laugh. “He is laughing at me”, I thought desperately.
− What can you do?
− I can recite poetry, sing and dance…
− Will you recite a poem, please?
Although I was upset, I managed to recite a long poem in Turkmen well. By that time I had already learned how to control my emotions.
− Well done! the Professor said and invited the next auditionee.
Together with several other girls from Ashgabat I began to study in Moscow. Vladimir Konstantinovich taught us acting and stagecraft and his wife was our voice teacher. We performed in crowd scenes at the Moscow Art Theatre and put on students’ performances. I played the leading role in a production of “The Enterprising Lieutenant” directed by Vladimir Konstantinovich. My character threw herself into the lieutenant’s arms. My fellow student Durdyklych Niyazov played his part. And we fell in love with each other. When we returned to Ashgabat after graduating from Shchepkin Higher Theatre School we were a married couple. My fellow students Kakajan Ashirov and Gulnabat Ashirova had got married too when they returned home.
The four of us started to work at the Mollanepes Academy Theater, where we shared the same stage with star actresses, such as Sona Muradova and Suray Muradova, Tachbibi Gafurova, Jeren Ishankulieva, and Liza Karaeva to name just a few. I was luckier than the others: I landed the principal role in “Aigulistan”, a production based on Bashkir writer Mustai Karim’s play “The Land of Aigul”. You got from the shipboard straight into a ball” the actors joked about the fact. And what is more, if I were Aigul in real life, I would act like her and would say the same words. I inhabited my role so fully that people started to call me Aigul.
I worked at the Academy Theater for 5 years and played many roles, for the most part they were principal roles. Despite my age, I was the leading actress. My husband decided to end his acting career. He was drawn to teaching, probably because teaching prowess was in his blood. Soon after, he started to work at the Institute of Culture.
By that time, the Ashgabat Cinema had been reorganized into the Aman Kulmamedov Theater for Young Audiences, and young actors and actresses from other theaters came to work there. I was among them. I worked at the Theater for 25 years without respite. Once, when we went on tour, women, who spoke to me, said: “You always work so much, and you must be very rich”. Their words amused me.
At 40, I was awarded the title of “People’s Artist of Turkmenistan”. When Maya Kulieva heard of this, she exclaimed: “This title is usually awarded in one’s sixties…”
When the wonderful, then newly built Magtymguly Music and Drama Theater opened its doors, the first Artistic Director Kadyr Atabaev invited me to a new company. I played the role of Garagyz in “The Father and the Son” based on the novel by Kerim Kurbannepesov and many, many other roles here. Now young actors are learning from me. And I always try to help them with my advice, encourage them with kind words or even a smile.
To my regret, my daughter did not follow in my footsteps. She was keen on economics and worked in a bank for a long time. I sometimes think I could have become a teacher, a banker or a doctor, if I had not promised once to make my mother happy.
Tamara GLAZUNOVA
