Bernara Karieva-a living legend of the Uzbek ballet

The name of the People's Artist of the USSR Bernara Karieva is inextricably linked with the heyday of the classical ballet of Uzbekistan. Her unique images have been imprinted in the hearts of fans from different generations. Having once watched the dance of Bernara Karieva, the grateful audience forever became an adherent not only of the talent of a wonderful ballerina, but also of classical choreography in general.

"The Tashkent audience has already fallen in love with the recent debutante B. Karieva. The performance of the part of Nina is distinguished by enviable, rare qualities for a ballerina — an amazing spontaneity of feeling, lyrical drama of emotions" wrote a newspaper "Pravda Vostoka" on 31.12.1958

"Bernara Karieva makes an unforgettable impression in the tragic role of Donna Anna. She showed all the qualities of a great dancer. She is organic in the dance style and in the stage actions of her heroine, and in this sense she is an absolute Prima ballerina."

Antoine Chanou, "Egyptian Newspaper", 16. 03. 1966

"The fate of Odette-Odile-Bernara Karieva is exciting, like a true drama of life. The audience naturally feels the atmosphere of great poetry of dance and music thanks to the ballerina, who turned the conventionality of ballet into the unconditionality of true poetry."

 People's Artist of the USSR Tamara Khanum, Recital of B. Karieva on 19.11.1970

The two films named "Dancing Bernara Karieva" and "Ballerina" have been dedicated to Bernara Karieva. Lyubov Avdeeva - a famous art historian wrote two books "Bernara Karieva", "The Dance of Bernara Karieva" and number of articles devoted to the life and plays of ballerina.  The name of Bernara Karieva was included in the Great Soviet Encyclopedia. While Global Ballet Organization calls her a "living legend" and publishes rare photos of the artist.

The thorny path to fame and success began in early childhood, when the father of the future ballerina, the director of the Opera and Ballet Theater Rahim Majidovich Kariev, brought his daughter to the theater, where there was a need for young artist in the performance. Then the capable girl was accepted to a choreographic school, from where, on the recommendation of Raisa Struchkova, she was sent to continue her studies in Moscow. During these very time, when she lived apart from her loving parents, left alone with a profession that requires willpower, hard work and patience, a strong character forged, the ability to set a high bar and achieve results.

Despite the flattering offers to stay in Moscow, the young ballerina returned to Tashkent, to her home theater, and immediately plunged into work.

She gradually mastered classical ballets, continuously investigated and crystallized the image of each heroine. A new role is a new image, a character different from the previous one.

Her repertoire is rich and varied, among them classical roles – Maria in the "The Fountain of Bakhchisarai", Giselle in the "Giselle", Odette-Odile in the "Swan Lake", Kitri in the "Don Quixote", Phrygia in "Spartacus", Parasha in the "The Bronze Horseman", Nina in the "Masquerade", Cinderella in the "Cinderella". There have been ballets on a national theme – were she played Semurg in "Semurg", Mehri in "Suhail and Mehri", Rano in "Tanovar" and many others.

With the onset of the stage of creative maturity, the ballerina replenishes her repertoire with ballets in which actress reflects the tenderness, awe, drama inherent and at the same time spiritual fortitude, loyalty to the dream, ideals. The roles of Anna Karenina in the "Anna Karenina", Juliet in the "Romeo and Juliet", Ophelia in the "Hamlet", Desdemona in the "Pavane of the Moor", Madame Bovary in the "Madame Bovary" - a vivid example of this.

The ballets staged by the choreographer I. G. Gorlina are the special ones in the repertoire of the Bernara Karieva.  The role of Maryamkhon in the "The Poisoned Life" by R. Vildanov, the role of Stranger in the "The Stranger" based on the novel of A. Blok, the lyrical heroine in "Elegy" based on the novel of I. S. Turgenev – reveal another facet of the actress’s talent.

In line with artistic career, Bernara Karieva managed to accomplish her another dream. In 1979 she established "Youth Ballet of Uzbekistan", which became a true embodiment of the youth and beauty.  She introduced an innovative step, where the combination of classical choreography and Uzbek folk dance made it possible for choreographers to create unique compositions that were adored by the audience.

Passing the baton to the young artists, Bernara Karieva successfully completed her stage career, performing eighteen excerpts from her favorite performances at the sixtieth anniversary of her birthday, reminding the audience of the most vivid fragments of her performances.

A single-minded person with inexhaustible energy, Bernara Karieva took a step in a new direction. Being the only female director in the theater, together with Kirill Lavrov and Mikhail Ulyanov, she managed to convince the government to create the Union of Theater Workers. For many years she has chaired this Union.  Moreover, later she became chairman of the Coordinating Council for South-East Asian theaters.

On her initiative, the first international festival "Theater: East-West" was successfully held in Tashkent in 1993, which offered an audience excellent opportunity to enjoy performences of the European theaters. In turn, the regional theaters of Uzbekistan had the opportunity to go on tour abroad, presenting their works, for which they received public appreciation and high reviews.

During her short-term appointment as an art-director of the Alisher Navoi State Opera and Ballet Theater, Bernara Rakhimovna once again demonstrated her organizational skills in conducting international tours. Uzbek artists were applauded in Thailand, Malaysia, China, Japan, and India…

Today, Bernara Karieva is a professor and mentor. She is full of ideas and new projects, she is glad to work with students, firmly believing that they will be able to take the next step in the development of the dance art of Uzbekistan.

On the anniversary of the wonderful actress, beloved ballerina, teacher, People's Artist of the USSR Bernara Rakhimovna Karieva, students and professors, relatives and friends wish her strong health, inspiration and long years of happy life.

Elena Kari-Yakubova

28 января 2021