In the International Year of Peace and Trust, some past events acquire new shades of perception. For example, today the work of the People's Artist of Turkmenistan, Orazgeldi Amangeldiyev, is seen differently. At the end of the last century, he became a star not only in Turkmen but also in Uzbek and Kazakh cinema. The remarkable actor has recently passed away, but his name has entered the history of theater art and cinema of Turkmenistan.
Orazgeldi Amangeldiyev was born in 1951 in Garrygala in the family of a schoolteacher who passed away early, leaving six children. One of the younger children was taken in by relatives, others continued their studies, while Orazgeldi and another brother ended up in an orphanage. Orazgeldi’s handsome appearance allowed him to play the best roles in the orphanage’s drama club. His caregivers predicted that he would become a famous actor—and they were right. In 1968, the former orphan entered the Moscow Higher Theater School named after M.S. Shchepkin at the State Academic Maly Theater. The looks of the 17-year-old boy assured him the role type of a romantic hero.
The course Orazgeldi Amangeldiyev joined was remarkably successful for Turkmen theater art. It produced future People's Artists of Turkmenistan such as Nury Allaberdiyev, Ogultach Hannyeva, Chary Seitliev, Kakajan Ashyrov, Ovez Gelenov, Gulnabat Ashyrova, Honored Art Worker of Turkmenistan Bilbil Mamedov, and Honored Actresses of Turkmenistan Gozel Hojieva and Oguljan Niyazberdiyeva.
"Turkmenfilm" applied for students of the Shchepkin school to play various roles in films, but the school leadership, citing a demanding study schedule, refused. The only exception was Kakajan Ashyrov, who acted during his studies in the film "My Friend Melegush".
In 1973, the film "The Land of Sannikov" was released. Orazgeldi Amangeldiyev played a minor role, but it was a good school for his creative growth. He interacted with cinema luminaries: Vladislav Dvorzhetsky, Georgy Vitsin, Oleg Dal, Yuri Nazarov. The entire filming process unfolded before Orazgeldi’s eyes. The student from Turkmenistan absorbed like a sponge all the nuances of the craft from the celebrated film masters.
"After each course, we returned for summer holidays to our homeland," recalls Ovez Gelenov. "Flying to Ashgabat, we took a bus to Gyzyl-Arbat, where Orazgeldi would stay at my home for about two days before heading to Garrygala. I enjoyed hosting him. During one visit, Orazgeldi proposed marriage to my younger sister. Since then, I was not only his classmate and colleague but also his brother-in-law. Our course’s diploma work was a production of Molière’s “Monsieur de Pourceaugnac.” The lead role, Eraste, was of course played by Orazgeldi. Soon after, the entire graduating group returned to Ashgabat. Some graduates were recruited by the Mollanepes Academic Drama Theater, led by Aman Gulmamedov; the other half, including Orazgeldi and me, joined the Young Spectator’s Theater."
Four months later, People's Artist of Turkmenistan Halmamet Kakabayev invited Orazgeldi and me to participate in the film "Color of Gold." Orazgeldy was offered the lead role of oil worker Yumudov. Incidentally, initially Stanislav Lyubshin was invited for the role, but he declined due to the harsh desert shooting conditions. I played Muhammad, a shepherd who, watching the oil prospectors, decided to become an oil worker.
Subsequently, lead roles came to actor O. Amangeldiyev abundantly: the two-part film "Morning Riders" based on Hydyr Deryaev’s novel "Fate", the film "Black Caravan". An invitation came from "Uzbekfilm" for the lead role of Akmal Batyrov in the musical film "You Are My Song." The songs for Akmal were performed by the famous singer Sergey Zakharov.
The director of "Kazakhfilm," People's Artist of the USSR Asanali Ashimov, invited Orazgeldi to play Akhtam in the film "Year of the Dragon."
In 2014, Orazgeldi Amangeldiyev appeared in the film "Magtymguly Fragi" as the poet’s father, Dovletmamet Azadi. Then he acted in the film "Jygaly Beg" based on the epic of Gorogly, playing the role of Gorogly’s grandfather.
Orazgeldi Amangeldiyev’s creative fate also prospered at the Young Spectator’s Theater. Since 1987, he served as the artistic director and director of the theater. He invited director Ovlyaguly Hojagulyev, who worked both in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan (now world-famous), to stage the play "The Groan of the Prophets" at the Young Spectator’s Theater. To say the play was successful is an understatement—it was a phenomenon! It was applauded not only in our country but also abroad—in Finland, Poland, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan... The play "The Groan of the Prophets" raised the prestige of Young Spectator’s Theater.
Looking back at the work of the unique actor Orazgeldi Amangeldiyev, one inevitably concludes that he was not only a talented actor but also a very happy man. It is no secret that the most important thing for an actor is to get the lead role in a good play or film. And in terms of the number of lead roles performed, no one equaled Orazgeldi Amangeldiyev. Transforming from one character to another, the actor adorned his people's cinema art and that of fraternal countries with his talent.
