Until 1917, there was one cinema installation in Pishpek (now Bishkek). From the very first years of Soviet power, cinemas were built in the cities and villages of the republic.
Before the Great October Revolution, the Kyrgyz did not have a national professional theater. However, throughout their centuries-old history, the people created their rich, unique art, filled with theatrical elements. Performances by manaschis (epic storytellers) and akyns-improvisers resembled a one-man theater.
The monumental epic of the Kyrgyz people “Manas” is rightly recognized as an encyclopedia of the philosophical, ethical, and artistic views of many generations of the Kyrgyz people. In terms of its volume, “Manas” has no equal among the world-renowned epic tales. The Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz SSR has collected recordings of more than 40 versions of this monumental trilogy.
