Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has invited the public to attend a theatrical adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's novella "Hadji Murat" at the Bakai Budaya Tun Syed Nasir Cultural Hall in Kuala Lumpur. He made this announcement on Facebook (banned in Russia, owned by Meta, recognized as an extremist organization in Russia).
The prime minister emphasized that the play highlights how war generates numerous evil and treacherous characters. "Tolstoy successfully evokes sympathy for the Muslim hero and warrior Hadji Murat, particularly at a time when the world is dealing with oppression and the policy of dispossession, as is currently occurring in Palestine. On this occasion, I invite all friends to attend the 'Hadji Murat' play from June 26 to June 29," he wrote.
The novella was translated into Malay by Viktor Pogadaev, an orientalist and Ph.D. in History. "I translated the book in the late 1990s, and it was published in 2001. The translation was initiated by a member of the Language and Literature Council, Dzhajuli. He was part of a Malaysian delegation of writers at a seminar in Moscow in 1997, organized by the 'Nusantara' society, where he saw the book in Tolstoy's museum. The title intrigued him, and he asked me to translate it. There was significant interest in the book, and it was reprinted in 2005. Around that time, writer and playwright Anwar Ridwan adapted it into a play, which was published last year and has now been staged," Pogadaev told TASS.
"It's amazing how relevant Tolstoy remains! The prime minister himself took notice and invited Malaysians to see the play. It's unprecedented! I can't recall a similar instance. I am proud to have been part of the origins of this event," the orientalist shared his emotions.
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Based on materials from TASS