The opening of the first stationary theater in Kostanay took place in April 1922. Before that, the venue for performances in Kostanay was the People's House and the leading institutions of the city – a real school, a women's gymnasium. Archival documents for 1922-1923 mention that there was already a theater in Kostanay, but there was no permanent troupe.
And only in 1937 the reorganization of the theater troupe was carried out, as a result of which a homogeneous cast of actors with a repertoire only in Russian was formed.
Throughout all the years of its existence, the theater has been a guardian, propagandist, and the focus of not only Russian, but also world and national culture.
The theater actively cooperates with directors of other theaters in the CIS countries.
The high professional level of our performances has been repeatedly confirmed by victories at national and international festivals. In 1995, at the IV Republican theater Festival dedicated to the 150th anniversary of Abai, held in the city of Zhezkazgan, the play "Abai" based on the work of M. Auezov took 1st place. The play "Twilight" by A. Dudarev at the VII Theater Festival in Karaganda in 1999 took 1st place, the play "Amadeus" by P. At the X Theater Festival in Pavlodar in 2002, Sheffer won the Audience Award, at the XV Theater Festival in Astana in 2007, the play "A Very Simple Story" by M. Lado was awarded the prize "For the best staging and coverage of youth problems on stage", and the play "There were three of Us" by T. Abdikov at the XVII theater Festival in Karaganda, he received a diploma "For the best development of modern Kazakh drama" (2009). Our theater has repeatedly participated and became a laureate of the international theater festival-laboratory of small-form performances "Chelo Century THEATER", which takes place in Chelyabinsk, Russia.
In 2015, 2017 and 2019, the theater toured to Israel, as a result of which the theater was awarded a diploma – winner of the festival "Theatrical Divertissement" – and received a permanent engagement at the Israeli Theater Festival.
In 2016, we took part in the international festival "Bridge of Friendship" (Yoshkar-Ola, Russian Federation, Republic of Mari El). Following the results of the festival, the theater was awarded two diplomas in the nomination "Loyalty to the traditions of the Russian psychological theater" and "Best episodic role".
In August 2019, the theater participated in the V Republican Festival of Ethnic Theaters of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Kostanay), where it presented the play "Pannochka". Following the results of the festival, Oleg Smirnov received the nomination "For the best supporting actor", the theater won the nomination "Best Scenography".
In March 2019, the theater received the diploma of the laureate of the festival and the diploma of the Minister of Culture for participation in the festival "Compatriots" in Saransk (Mordovia), presenting the play "The Marriage of Balzaminov".
In 2021, we became diploma winners of five festivals with a solo performance by D. Zhumabayeva based on the play by B. Schweiger "Who knows one?!":
1. International Festival of solo performances "Monocle", St. Petersburg. RF.
2. International Festival of solo performances "He, She, They", Yekaterinburg, Russia.
3. International Festival of solo performances "Armmono", Yerevan, Armenia.
4. Moscow International Solo Performance Festival, Moscow, Russia
5. Open Theater Festival "SVOY", Yekaterinburg, Russia
In 2022, D. Zhumabayeva's monodrama "Who Knows One?" participated in another international theater festival – "Ostrovsky FEST" (nominations: "Best Director's Work" and "Best Female Role").
Today, Honored Artist of the Republic of Kazakhstan Antonina Oleynikova, Raisa Polukhina, Valentina Bityukova, Lyubov Romadina give their talent and skills. The leading actors of the theater have won the love and recognition of the Kostanay audience: Natalia Dedyukh, Oleg Smirnov, Anna Udesiani, Yulia Kudryashova, Olga Mulyak, Vitaly Odinets, as well as many young talented actors such as Sergey Shcherbinin, Ruslan Bushinsky, Olga Kotova, Tatiana Zakharchenko, etc.
If we talk about the repertoire, then in the theater with great success on the stage there were performances staged both according to modern plays ("Rumor has it", "Doll for the Bride", "Siren and Victoria", "Prima Donnas", "Restless Spirit", "An angel came out of the Fog" and others.), and based on classical dramaturgy ("Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk district", "Dance Teacher", "Uncle's Dream", "Pannochka", "The Marriage of Figaro", "The Marriage of Balzaminov"). The theater is not afraid of experiments, here you can note the comedy "Twelfth Night, or whatever" (dir. Yakov Rubin, Volga), "Pannochka" (dir. Liopa), performances by the main director Dina Zhumabayeva: drama-parable "The Block" based on the novel by Ch. Aitmatov, neoclassical "Phaedra").
Contact details:
KGKP "Regional Russian Drama Theater" Department of Culture of Akimat of Kostanay region
Head Ivlev Yuri Ivanovich
Address: Kostanay, Baimagambetova street, house 191
Phone: 8(7142) 544277 reception
Official website: kostanaydrama.kz
E-mail: info@kostanaydrama.kz
Instagram: kostanaydramteatr