Bishkek, Sept. 11, 2026 /Kabar/. The international theater festival and laboratory "GITISFEST" was held in five cities of the Volga Federal District of Russia—Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Samara, Kostroma, and Saratov—from August 31 to September 8. Theatrical Volga Region 2026, the Ministry of Culture, Information, and Youth Policy reported.
Students from the Boobek Ibraev Theater School at the Kyrgyz National Academic Drama Theater represented Kyrgyzstan in the international event. The students presented a sketch based on Nikolai Gumilyov's play "The Tree of Changes." Dmitry Pugovkin directed the performance.
The festival-laboratory aims to develop theater arts in the Volga Federal District, expand international cultural cooperation, and support the creative potential of young theater professionals. The event brought together 12 directors and approximately 200 participants from Russia, Kyrgyzstan, and China.
The festival program, held under the overall theme "Days of Russian Literature on the Volga," included master classes by leading teachers from GITIS, meetings with students from creative educational institutions, and an introduction to the activities of cultural institutions in five cities.
The participation of Kyrgyz students in the international festival laboratory became an important platform for enhancing their professional and creative potential, exchanging experiences with young theater professionals from around the world, and gaining practical knowledge at GITIS.
The sketch by students from the Boobek Ibraev Theatre School was presented on September 6 on the main stage of the Ostrovsky Kostroma State Drama Theater in Kostroma.
