Theater is life: immortal classics a new reading

On February 12, 2026, as part of implementation SDG 4 "Quality Education," Lazzat Nagiyatova, senior lecturer of the Department of Foreign Philology and Translation Studies and advisor, along with first-year master's students of Foreign Philology and Translation Studies, as well as first-year students of the faculty of Journalism, visited the Gabit Musrepov Kazakh State Academic Theater for Children and Youth. The students saw N.V. Gogol's famous work "The Government Inspector." The plot sparked great interest among the students, evoking positive emotions and leaving a deep impression.

A city ruled by officials - a district court judge, a trustee of charitable institutions, a mayor, and a school superintendent is mired in disorder and injustice caused by bribery. A secret representative of the inspectorate, the "inspector", is dispatched to a provincial town where the people's concerns are ignored and their complaints are ignored. No one knows who he is or when he will arrive. Upon hearing this, the officials, remembering their illegal actions, are in panic. At this point, the local landowners and the town's ubiquitous gossips and newsmongers - Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky, suddenly announce that the mysterious guest is staying at the town hotel. The mayor, having divided up the duties among his subordinates, goes to the hotel, meets the "inspector," and convinces him to move in with him, visiting prearranged sites along the way - a hospital and educational institutions.

However, the real inspector, the protagonist, is not actually Khlestakov. A minor official from St. Petersburg, mired in debt and afraid of imprisonment, is mistaken for the inspector by his admirers. To cover up their sins, they do everything possible: they throw feasts with songs and dances, introduce them to beautiful women, and even hand over suitcases stuffed with money. Khlestakov and his servant Osip, realizing their hosts' intentions, begin to play along and exacerbate the situation. Khlestakov pretends to be a high-ranking official who supposedly frequents the palace and entertains governors-general and prime ministers. He even proposes to the mayor's daughter, Marya Antonovna, and receives her parents' blessing. At this point in the play, the poem "Aynalayin" by the eminent Kazakh poet Olzhas Suleimenov is recited by the protagonist, Khlestakov.

In the finale, the false inspector, Khlestakov, having collected all the "offerings" from the local authorities, makes a fool of them. This moment in the production was subtly intertwined with the current situation - the situation surrounding the fake charity foundation "Biz birgemiz," which was raising funds for victims of the spring floods of 2024.

In conclusion, the performance of "The Government Inspector," which lasted over two hours, clearly explained to the students that bribery is a crime and that easy money always leads to an inglorious end. The example of Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky demonstrated that one cannot disseminate information without verifying its veracity, as it was precisely because of their haste that the "unexpected guest" deceived everyone and threw the city into disarray. Furthermore, the students greatly appreciated the harmonious combination of the Russian classic's play with the poetry of the Kazakh poet. Having received a vivid impression, the students did not hide their emotions and expressed a desire to visit the theater again.

Nagiyatova L.B.

Al-Farabi KazNU, Faculty of Philology, Department of Foreign Philology and Translation Studies, assistant professor, PhD