Cyrym Girey I and the 263rd anniversary (1758) of European theatrical performances in the Turkic-Islamic world

Abstract

The process of formation of the Crimean Tatar theater is divided into: initial – folk dance and merry-making period (up to the 15th century); the medieval period – the puppet theater of shadows “Karagoz”, “theater of one actor” meddah, areal performances “ortaoyuny” (XIII – mid. XVIII centuries); the late medieval-khan period – the penetration of the traditions of the European theater into the Crimea during the reign of the Crimean Khan Cyrym Girey I (second half of the 18th century); the period of the revival of the traditions of the Crimean Tatar theater – the activities of a group of theater-goers of the Jadidist Crimean Tatar youth – followers of I. Gasprinsky under the leadership of J. Meinov (late XIX – XX centuries); the period of the activity of semi-professional Crimean Tatar theater companies in Simferopol, Yevpatoria and Yalta of «the Crimean Tatar noblewomen» Taiganskaya and F. Shirinskaya (1914–1920); Soviet (pre-deportation) period – the organization of a professional Simferopol Tatar theater troupe under the People’s Commissariat of Education of the Crimean ASSR in 1921 and the creation on its basis in 1923 of the Crimean State Tatar Drama Theater by an organizational group A. Taiganskaya and his activities (1923–1944); post-deportation period – return to Crimea, reconstruction and activity of the Crimean Tatar theater in Crimea (1989–2021).In this article, for the first time in art history practice, the issue of the so-called Khan period of the formation of the Crimean Tatar theater and the selfless activities of the Crimean monarch Khan Cyrym Girey I, the introduction of the ideas of European theatrical traditions and the creation of a classical theater in Crimea, is raised. The picture of the activities of the Crimean ruler in the creation of a European theater in Crimea of actions, his reflections and statements about the classical theater, is based on those published in the 18th century. memories of personal meetings and communication with Crimea Girey I of European authors – the German von der Goltz, the Polish woman Pilshtynova, the Russian Nikiforov, the French de Tott, the Austrian Kleeman and gives grounds for the recognition
of Crimea Girey I as a pioneer in bringing Crimea into the culture, as well as Turkic and Muslim world of European theatrical traditions and the creation of a classical theater.