Насретдинова Зайтуна

She was born in Ufa on August 14, 1923. We will remind the reader how she started her performing career.

The young choreographer Faizi Gaskarov selected a group of gifted children who were sent for studies at the Leningrad State Academic Choreographic School named after Vaganova (now Academy of Russian Ballet). Among these fourteen "lucky ones" were Zaituna Nasretdinova and Khalyaf Safiullin. Their childhood was far from being cloudless. Zaituna came from a railwayman from Ufa, and Khalyaf - from a peasant family with many children. Both of them appreciated a chance to study at an outstanding school in a wonderful city, to be trained by talented pedagogues. It so happened that they had started to dance together at school and later made a "swan duet".

After Nasretdinova’s graduation from the Leningrad Choreographic School in 1941, she became a soloist of the Bashkir Theater of Opera and Ballet. The remarkable physical qualities, diligence, subtle perception of music and her dedication to dancing attracted the attention of the composer Lev Stepanov and Faizi Gaskarov, who authored the libretto of the "Crane Song" ballet. The part of Zaitungul was created specially for her. Her roles have also included Maria and Zarema in Asafev’s Fountain of Bakhchisarai, Tao Khoa in Glière’s The Red Flower, Zafira in Kliucharev’s Mountain Tale, and Giselle in Adam’s ballet of the same name. Nasretdinova has performed in the German Democratic Republic, Poland, the Mongolian People’s Republic, and other countries. She has been awarded the Order of the Badge of Honor. Zaituna Nasretdinova created many magnificent images with her husband, friend and partner Khalyaf Safiullin. When he died, she left stage.

Ranks and awards:

· Medal for Valiant Labor In the Great patriotic War 1941-1945 (1946)

· Order of Badge of Honour (1949)

· Order of the October Revolution (1976)

· Not once she was awarded Honorary certificates by the Supreme Soviet of BASSR

· Merited Artist of BASSR (1946)

· Merited Artist of RSFSR (1949)

· People’s Artist of RSFSR (1953)

· People’s Artist of USSR (1955).