This year 2022, the public of our country celebrates a glorious date - the 50th anniversary of the Turkmen National Conservatory named after Maya Kuliyeva. Students and teachers of the conservatory, as well as graduates of different years, hold a series of concerts in honor of this higher musical educational institution. One of the gifts of the conservatory is the publication of Bahargul Yakubova's book Turkmenistanyn Gahrymany Maýa Kyliýewa.

Bahargul Yakubova is the head of the Music History Department at the Conservatory. We met with her, and she willingly agreed to an interview for our newspaper.

- Maya Kyliýewa is a legendary person: she stood at the origins of the birth of opera art in Turkmenistan, and her fate was again destined to take an active part in the revival of this art. It's unique. How did you feel when you took on this topic?

- It was both tempting and exciting. But the main thing is different: I tried to present Maya Kyliýewa as an example for many generations of singers and musicians, a role model. I put her reverent attitude to opera art at the forefront.

- Your approach to show in detail the creative path of an outstanding singer from one opera to another is very successful. Reading your book, you involuntarily experience all her successes together with Maya Kulieyva, starting with the first role of Makhym in the opera Zohre and Tahir by Veli Mukhatov and Adrian Shapashnikov. And then she - and Abadan in the opera of the same name by Ashir Kuliyev and Julius Meitus, and Nedda in the opera Pagliacci by Leoncavallo, and Tatiana in Tchaikovsky's opera Eugenyi Onegin, and the main character in three dozen other operas. What is the secret of her brilliant success?

- I think, not only in the voice. Maya Kuliyeva was not just a great opera diva, she was also a great actress. She played the role of each of her heroines so sincerely and convincingly that these roles fell into the hearts of the audience and brought success to both the opera and the performer. In my book, I called this a special talent for the reincarnation of Maya Kuliyeva.

- I liked that you emphasized the connection between opera art and the personal life of Maya Kuliyeva: she named her daughter Makhym in honor of her first role, and her son Batyr in honor of the protagonist of the opera Obadan. Maya Kuliyeva and her husband, People's Artist of Turkmenistan Khojadurdy Annaev, performed in the operas Shasenem and Garip, Leyli and Mejnun, Zohre and Tahir: lovers in life are lovers on stage.

- Maya Kuliyeva's daughter helped me in the work on the book. If I found documentary information on the work of the great singer in the State Archives, then Makhym Khodzhaevna spoke very warmly about family life, for which many thanks to her.

- The magnificently illustrated book gives a clear idea of Maya Kuliyeva in life and on stage. Young, bright, sparkling - this is how one can characterize the outstanding singer, who brought glory to the Turkmen vocal art with her performances for many years.

- And again, I want to express my gratitude to Makhym Khodzhaevna for the safety of the family archive of photographs. I cannot fail to mention here the People's Artist of Turkmenistan Saragt Babaev, who, at the request of Maya Kuliyeva, carved her plaster portrait in the image of Sheker from the film "The Shepherd's Son". After the museum of Maya Kulyieva was opened in the conservatory, Saragt Babayevich donated this bust to the museum.

- Largely thanks to Maya Kuliyeva on the stage of the Turkmen Music and Drama Theater. Magtymguly began to come to life, starting in 2008, almost every year, opera after opera...

- Honored Art Worker of Turkmenistan Ainazar Batyrov became the last student of Maya Kuliyeva. Under her advice, he staged a number of operas, the first of which, of course, were operas based on Turkmen folk destans - Shasenem and Garip, Zuhre and Tahir, Leyli and Mejnun. From now on, the people of Turkmenistan have the opportunity to aesthetically enjoy the art of high vocals.

- Your book is read in one breath and leaves a lot of positive impressions after reading. I think if Maya Kuliyeva read it, she would be satisfied with your work.