N. Zhanturin Drama Theatre in Aktau — Online Webcam

How Aktau Got Its Own Theatre

Aktau is a young city, built in the 1960s on the deserted coast of the Caspian Sea. For a long time, there was no local theatre company here — residents made do with concerts at the Palace of Culture and touring performances by visiting troupes. The situation changed in October 2001, when at the I Youth Congress in Aktau the question of the need to establish a full-fledged theatre was raised. The initiative received support at the highest level — the President of Kazakhstan instructed the regional leadership to found a theatre company.

Construction of the building began almost immediately. By the end of 2002, a new building had risen on one of the city's central squares — built "from scratch" specifically for the theatre. Until that point, the young city had indeed only had a Palace of Culture, so the appearance of a dedicated theatre space became a landmark event for the entire Mangystau region.

The official founding date of the company is 21 March 2003. It was then that the Mangystau Regional Musical and Drama Theatre began its work, becoming one of the youngest theatre companies in Kazakhstan.

Architecture and Facade: Winged Horses on Red Panels

The theatre building immediately draws attention with its facade. Bright red panels are adorned with images of winged horses — this motif references Kazakh folklore and the image of Tulpar, the mythical winged horse. The theatre facade is decorated with bright red panels featuring images of winged horses, and the entrance area is designed in the same tones, creating a cohesive architectural ensemble.

Inside, audiences are welcomed by two auditoriums — with 680 and 200 seats. This division allows for both large-scale musical and drama productions and more intimate performances for children and youth audiences.

Nurmukhan Zhanturin — the Man Whose Name the Theatre Bears

Three years after its opening, in 2006, the theatre was named after an outstanding Kazakh actor and director. The theatre received the name of Nurmukhan Zhanturin in 2006 — this decision cemented the new company's connection with Kazakhstan's theatrical traditions.

Nurmukhan Seitakhmetovich Zhanturin (1928–1990) was a Kazakh Soviet theatre and film actor and director, awarded the title of People's Artist of the Kazakh SSR in 1966. He was born on 22 April 1928 in the village of Kondaurovo in what is now the Atyrau region — that is, in the same region where the theatre named in his honour now stands.

Zhanturin's career was closely tied to cinema. He worked with acclaimed masters of Soviet film: Mark Donskoy, Larisa Shepitko, Sergei Urusevsky, Shaken Aimanov, and Ali Khamraev. His filmography includes "Alitet Goes to the Mountains," "The Heat," "The Trotter's Run," "The End of the Ataman," and "The Seventh Bullet." His work in cinema did not separate him from the theatre stage — Zhanturin continued to perform in plays and worked as a director.

The Square Around the Theatre: Monument and City Life

The theatre is located in the central part of the city — in the 8th microdistrict, not far from the Caspian Sea. The square in front of the building has become one of Aktau's most recognisable landmarks. A monument with curved beige panels forming a dome-like structure with numbers on its faces stands here — this landmark is well known to locals and visitors alike.

Another cultural institution is located near the theatre — the Murat Oskinbayev Regional Philharmonic. Thus, this part of Aktau has become a true cultural cluster of the Mangystau region.

The area around the monument is well-maintained: lawns, trees, decorative shrubs, pedestrian pathways, and fountain elements. Busy city streets with traffic — cars and buses — run around the square. In the background, multi-storey residential and commercial buildings are visible, including a high-rise with an ASEM AL sign. To the left of the theatre is a Burger King restaurant — this landmark makes it easy to orient yourself in the area.

Repertoire and Areas of Work

The theatre pursues an active creative programme across several directions. Its structure includes a children's, youth, Russian, musical, and drama theatre. This format allows it to reach a wide range of audiences: from young children to adult connoisseurs of serious drama.

The young company's first production was a play based on Gabit Musrepov's work — "Kyz Zhibek". This choice was symbolic: a story of love and loyalty written by a classic of Kazakh literature set a high bar for subsequent works. Today, the theatre's repertoire includes more than 45 productions, which run on two stages simultaneously.

What the Camera Shows

The online camera broadcasts the square in front of the N. Zhanturin Drama Theatre in Aktau. In the frame is the central monument with a dome-like structure made of beige panels, surrounded by a well-maintained area with green zones and pedestrian pathways. To the right is the theatre building with its characteristic facade and an inscription on the wall. To the left, a Burger King restaurant is visible; in the background, multi-storey urban development including a high-rise building with an ASEM AL sign. Cars and buses move through the square, and pedestrians go about their business. The webcam operates in real time, allowing viewers to observe life in Aktau from anywhere in the world.