DERBENT, March 27 – RIA Dagestan. In a video address timed to International Theatre Day, President Vladimir Putin hailed the reopening of the renovated Azerbaijani Musical Drama Theater in Derbent as a landmark event—not only for cultural landscape in Dagestan, but for the entire Russian Federation and the broader Caucasian region.
The President emphasized that a vibrant cultural life should be accessible to citizens in all regions, not just capital cities, praising the revival of the Azerbaijani Musical Drama Theater in Derbent after extensive reconstruction. He highlighted the theater's 19th-century origins and its role as a living "cultural bridge" between Russia and Azerbaijan, alongside the Russian Drama Theatre in Baku.
V.Putin thanked Azerbaijani leadership for their support of Russian-language theater and recognized the role of benefactors and Dagestan authorities in restoration efforts. He also extended his best wishes to the theater's creative team, hoping for inspiration and new artistic accomplishments.