As part of the project Cultural Capital of Krasnoyarsk, artists from the Hvorostovsky Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theatre will tour Lesosibirsk and Yenisseisk. The premiere of a new family production will take place in Lesosibirsk on April 12: it’s a children's comic opera The Secret of the Blue Diamond to the music by Mark Minkov.

Several more performances of this spectacular, cheerful, educational music fairy tale will also be performed in the village of Strelka (Lesosibirsk) on April 13 and in Yenisseisk on April 14. Its libretto was written by Natalia Sats and Vladimir Polyakov, production director and the author of the staging is Anastasia Kasatkina, production designer is Natalia Tsurikova.

“The fairy tale The Secret of the Blue Diamond to the music of Mark Minkov is a journey into the world of music. Here, the children will learn the structure of the opera theatre and get acquainted with voices of singers; they’ll begin to understand that music theatre is a synthesis of dramatic play and Its Majesty Music, which conquers laziness, boredom, and loneliness, inspires creativity and fills with happiness. Mark Minkov wrote the music of the fairy tale especially for the Natalia Sats Moscow State Academic Children's Music Theatre (the production called Let's Make an Opera is still being staged there). In the Soviet times, a vinyl record of this fairy tale was released; on the Internet, you can find recordings of performances by the Natalia Sats Theatre and the Kyiv Opera and Ballet Theatre,” said Anastasia Kasatkina.

The plot of the children's opera is life-affirming. The Blue Diamond has been lost in the Kingdom of Sillyland. Day and night, the princess sheds bitter tears over her favourite toy. The Sillylanders are looking all over the kingdom for the loss so that the princess calms down and does not disturb the king and queen with her crying, since the main occupation in this kingdom is the sleeping. No one knows yet that the realm of music is hidden in the precious gem. But thanks to the wise jester, the protagonists find the Blue Diamond. Thus, as soon as the music penetrates the Kingdom, a miracle happens: the Kingdom comes to life and stops sleeping.

The April regional tour of the Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theatre also includes the concert Inspirational Lines (also directed by Anastasia Kasatkina) that is already well-known to Krasnoyarsk music fans. This night of romance songs will take place in Lesosibirsk on April 12, in Strelka on April 13, in Yenisseisk on April 14.