The participants of the national equestrian games “Galkynysh” led by Pygy Bairamdurdyev from Turkmenistan became prize winners of the first international circus art festival “Na Fontanke”.
The television channel “Culture” reported on 28 May that they won one of the three sold statuettes “Gold Gaetano”.
Russian lion tamer Vitaly Smolyanets with his show “The empire of lionesses” won the Grand Prix of the festival. Performers from China and acrobats from Korea took home two other “Gold Gaetano” awards.
On 29 May President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov sent a greeting card to Turkmen circus horseback riders.
The red carpet welcome featuring various festivities and music performances was arranged for the prize winners in Ashgabat airport.
As is obvious from the footage made by the Turkmen television, greeting the circus performers the crowd chanted “Arkadag shokhrat” (“Long live Arkadag!”).
The state information agency TDH reports that the horseback riders rode along Ashgabat avenues which were closed for traffic access to the State circus.
Then the festivities continued in the circus building where a concert in honour of the prize winners was held.
The first international circus art festival “Na Fontanke” was held on 24-27 May, 2018. Some 200 artists from 11 countries from Europe, Asia, America and Africa took part in the contest.