Legendary Tuvan Actor and Playwrite Viktor Kok-ool was Born Century Ago

Public at large in Tuva is celebrating today 100th anniversary of Viktor Kok-ool, famous Tuvan actor and playwrite whose name Tuvan Drama theatre has been carrying for the last decade. Every theatrical season in Tuva opens up with his legendary 'Khaiyraan-bot' play staged for the first time in 1936. 13th child in the family of female-shaman Dolchan and woodworker Shogzhap he took his first lessons of the actor's mastery watching his mother's shamanic ceremonies. He studied in the Communist University of the Orient Workers in Moscow and could watch Stanislavski and Mayakovski at work.

Back home he staged his first play in 1935 and was one of the founders of the Tuvan theatre.