Ilgiz Zayniev, Ramil Tukhvatullin, Emil Talipov returned "The Old Man from the Village of Alderimish"

      The Kamal Theater has staged the longest-running Tatar play in history for the second time in its history.

      Emil Talipov and Ramil Tukhvatullin. Photo: Artem Dergunov

      The first major showing of the play "Әлдермештән Әлмәндәр" (12+) took place at the Kamal Theater a day before the official premiere, with no free seats in the large hall, and among the guests were the honorary chairman of the State Council Farid Mukhametshin, acting chairman of the State Council of Tatarstan Marat Akhmetov, Kazan Mayor Ilsur Metshin, and others. Colleagues from other theaters, acquaintances, and friends attended. "Are you going to compare?" they asked in the hall, referring to the fact that the play returns to the stage after the legendary production by Marcel Salimzhanov.

      Because theater is not sport

      Yes, the play, first staged in 1976 about an old man who outwitted Death (Әҗәл), ran on stage until 2004. It is said that after that, Shaukat Biktemirov (Almandar) simply did not want to play it anymore. The television version of the play became something like our "Harry Potter" — compare how fans are currently outraged while studying the trailer from HBO. A common thought became the phrase that no one will be able to repeat that production. At the same time, Tufan Minnullin's play has been staged multiple times — and it seems they did not try to play theatrical sports. Ilgiz Zayniev, who began rehearsals at Kamal at the very end of 2025, first showed it at the puppet theater "Ekiyat" in 2020. However, perhaps Zayniev's preparation began even earlier when he played Almandar in an amateur theater in his youth. Shaukat Biktemirov and Ravil Sharafeev. Provided by the press service of the Kamal Theater

      In his version, the role of the old man from Alderemesh was taken on by Ramil Tukhvatullin, and Death was played by Emil Talipov. Almandar's son Iskander is Oleg Fazylzyanov, his daughter-in-law Ummiya is Alsu Kayumova. Khamdebanu, whom Almandar is eager to marry, is played by Ilysiya Tukhvatullina, and Yevstigney is Iltazar Mukhamatgaliev. The roles of the young characters are distributed as follows: Mansur — Iskander Nizamiev (Irkhan Gabdullin), Gulfira — Guzel Gyulverdiyeva (Leisan Gabdrakhmanova), the boy Ilysur — Asfandiyar Shamsuaro or Yusuf Nurtidinov.

      The play also features the canonical Әҗәл, 88-year-old Ravil Sharafeev. He appears on video, in the prologue and epilogue. Sharafeev has been "promoted" to Gazrail, the chief of Death, who sends him to the village to take the old man with him (in the role of the secretary — Aliya Garifullina). A video was shot in the genre of a noir short film by Ilshat Rahimbay, Aidar Sharipov, and Gulnaz Khasanova.

      Another innovation is the arrangements for the songs of Almaz Monasypov, made by the head of Yummy Music Band Yuri Fedorov. Everything is neat, without any tricks, just so the audience can sing along.

      Overall, Zayniev treats the plot quite carefully. He shortens the beginning and the end, completely removes the interlude when Death first returns to his "office" empty-handed. But he retains all the plot twists in the main storyline, only removing the episode where we first see Almandar talking with fellow villagers, immediately transitioning to the first meeting of Almandar and Khamdebanu. Emil Talipov is quite mobile. Artem Dergunov / realnoevremya.ru

      Planet Almandar

      Almandar is 91. If in 1976 we could assume that he was slightly older than Tukay, that he indeed went through the Russo-Japanese War, was a proponent of collectivization ideas, and during the Great Patriotic War lost four sons, to imagine that this is a play about here and now, now the space of Alderemesh turns into a kind of timeless phenomenon. This is emphasized by the diffused light from Nikolai Romanov. Sergey Skomorokhov builds a three-level structure, at the very top of which, as Minnullin wrote, stands "a throne-like revolving chair." Almandar is not just an old man from the village; he is the creator of this village, this world; he does not just want to live for all the deceased sons in the war; he wants to bring back hope that there will be existence even after he signs a contract with Death.

      — The image of Almandar is like an endless sea, — says Ramil Tukhvatullin. — This is a collective image of our people, filled with countless emotions. I am touched by his active life position and philosophy: not to give up in the face of difficulties. Guzel Gyulverdiyeva. Artem Dergunov / realnoevremya.ru

      Tukhvatullin plays Almandar as an eternal character, combining mask-like qualities, memories of Biktemirov, and indeed, echoes of his own biography. Tukhvatullin is 59 years old, in what is called prime time — he is acting in a box office play, just returned to cinema after filming "The Teacher" about Shigabutdin Marjani. On one hand, he is a slowly climbing grandfather on the stairs, on the other — a formidable father, and thirdly, living in memories, he is still a young man.

      — My great joy is that we managed to portray the character of Death in a completely different way, but, based on hints in the play, logically justified, — notes Ilgiz Zayniev. Ramil Tukhvatullin and Ilysiya Tukhvatullina. Artem Dergunov / realnoevremya.ru

      Death serves humanity

      Talipov's hero indeed differs from Sharafeev's character. He is more frantic ("oh, got carried away again!"), and in his mannerisms, there is something wolfish, dog-like, probably because Almandar calls him "dog," and the entire first act makes him serve, ultimately making it so that Death no longer understands what to do — she has grown very fond of Almandar. Moreover, Talipov's organic agility, in which, in principle, most of the time in dialogues only two characters are present, adds dynamics to the play. At some point, they even transfer to a Turkish beach, as if imitating a scene from "Knocking on Heaven's Door."

      Zayniev also "humanizes" Death, giving her a sketch with flowers — Death grows something in a pot, affectionately calling it "Azaliya Ajalievna."

      Other characters also do not drag their feet. Fazylzyanov is quite mobile (who suddenly calls Khamdebanu "classmate," something Zayniev dug up in the logic of the text). Alsu Kayumova does not repeat Najib Ikhsanov, while existing in the paradigm of a stereotypical daughter-in-law. Mukhamatgaliev skillfully strums the balalaika, and the song "Во саду ли, в огороде" has lost its antics with costume changes.

      Alsu Kayumova. Artem Dergunov / realnoevremya.ru

      The duet of Gyulverdiyeva and Nizamiev looks very organic, after which Death's exclamation: "Oh, why wasn't I born a human!" sounds especially poignant.

      It can be said that in Zayniev's play, Life and Death are playing tug-of-war. The old man wants to live for everyone who could not: "If your Gazrail did not allow people in our village to live beyond ninety, why did he not wait for my boys to turn 90?" But soon Death preempts Almandar: "Do not go too deep" (and this, by the way, is already a phrase not for 1976, but straight for 2026).

      "Being immortal is very bad, Almandar," says Death. "Death is great happiness. You, people, are therefore happy."

      So why will we watch "The Old Man from the Village of Alderemesh"? Firstly, Zayniev has created a very neat production. Not conservative, no, rather respectful to both the text and the first version.

      Secondly, the play can be attended not only out of nostalgic feelings (after all, a new generation has already grown up, and not everyone can handle the video recording), it is indeed a well-written play that has managed to withstand the test of time.

      Thirdly, "Әлдермештән Әлмәндәр" is a "safe place" that is simply necessary in troubled times (right after the show, sirens howled over Kaban). Here you can always get an apple, here they sing "Ala Karga," here Death gets drunk on honey mead. Imagine, for example, that you can still go to