The 9th International Central Asian Countries Theatre Festival concluded at Tullip Hall in Shymkent, Kazakhstan. The event brought together theater troupes from across the Turkic World, including Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Karakalpakstan, Tatarstan, and Uzbekistan. During the closing ceremony, held in the presence of the Shymkent Governor’s Office and Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Culture and Information, theater artists were awarded medals by TÜRKSOY Secretary-General Sultan Raev, with a distinguished jury led by renowned Kazakh actor Asnaly Ashimov presenting awards in various categories.

In a message read by a TÜRKSOY representative, Secretary-General Raev extended his gratitude to the Muhat Avezov and Jumat Shanin theaters, as well as the Shymkent Governor’s Office and the Ministry of Culture and Information, for their role in organizing the festival. He emphasized the importance of such events for the development of theater arts in the Turkic World, stating that “TÜRKSOY will continue to support these cultural and artistic initiatives.”

The awards recognized outstanding talent, with the “Best Actor” awarded to Bazarbay Nazarimbetov of the Berdak Karakalpak National Academic Musical Theatre for his role in The Louvre Duck. Baktigul Asanova from Kyrgyzstan’s Ucur Youth Theater received “Best Actress” for her role in Face to Face. Additional awards went to Marat Habibullin and Sevinch Kurbanova for supporting roles, and Fırat Onur Deniz and Moldir Ziyaeva for character roles, with special recognitions from Shymkent’s Governor’s Office and for the best directing and production categories.

The jury selected Leyla and Majnun by the Samarkand Musical Drama Theatre as “Best Play,” the festival’s most prestigious award. The TÜRKSOY medals and certificates, personally sent by Secretary-General Raev, were also presented by the TÜRKSOY representative.

The ceremony concluded with a concert by Kazakh artists, bringing a harmonious end to this cultural celebration.