“Kara Pulat” is an open-air opera on the territory of the Ancient Bolgar Reserve (Republic of Tatarstan, Russia). This project is related to the partially forgotten history of the Tatars. The central element of the opera is the UNESCO World Heritage Site called Kara Pulat (translated from Tatar as The Black Chamber). This is a monument of Bulgarian architecture, built in the XIV century. All the opera scenes were played in the background of the monument. Аnd the scenery of the opera was formed by a real-time projection right on the walls of the Black Chamber.

The plot is based on the legend of the girls who were burned in the Black Chamber by the soldiers of the commander Tamerlane. During the capture of the city of Bulgar, the soldiers nabbed twelve girls, one of whom was the daughter of the Bulgar Khan. The warriors were supposed to deliver her to Tamerlane himself as a concubine, but they just couldn't recognize which of the girls is the Khan’s daughter. Trusty friends did not betray her. However, it beсame known that the Khan's daughter did not burn in the fire. Therefore, the order was given to close the girls in the Black Chamber and set it on fire. The leitmotif of the opera is the words that sound at the beginning and at the end of the play: "Stones burn, iron burns, but the memory about a person does not burn away."

Media content director Damir Allyamov: “I was aware of the "Kara Pulat '' opera a few years before the project. When I first heard the Aria of Nargiza (daughter of the Bulgar Khan), I immediately began to listen again. Each time, different images came to mind. After listening to the whole opera, I thought how cool it would be to make stage design for it. Therefore, when we were offered to create content for the opera and show it right on the historical site, I realized that this was smiles of fortune”.

When you are beside an architectural monument, you immediately feel a connection with history. In this project, it was important not to spoil this feeling. An open stage platform and an orchestra pit were built right next to the walls of the Black Chamber. The central point of the stage platform was the space opposite the corner of the building. Thus, the audience was able to look at the artists from different angles.

Despite the fact that the stage was located on an open field, all artists and musicians performed live. The real-time mixer included over 60 individual audio channels. This meant that each video file had to be produced in a way to make it possible to freely control the visual design of the opera in real time, depending on the musical accents. There were 25 scenes in total, and counting all the planes in the timeline, there were over 200 video files in total.

Video content was projected onto two perpendicular walls. Several scenes have used the Naked Eye effect to create a sense of real 3D volume. We tested it plenty of times on specially prepared test models of the Black Chamber. The Naked Eye effect only works for one particular viewpoint, but we wanted to be able to see the 3D image from all angles. The task was also complicated by the fact that the walls of the chamber have several faces located at different angles at different levels in depth, and the roof of the chamber has the shape of a hemisphere.

More than 1.5 thousand spectators saw the opera on the first day, and about 3 thousand spectators on the second.

The initiator of creating the opera and showing it in live scenery:
State Counselor of Republic of Tatarstan Mintimer Sharipovich Shaimiev
Composer: Elmir Nizamov
Libretto author: Renat Haris
Director: Ilgiz Zainiev
Production director: Georgy Kovtun
Executive Producer: Dina Gafarova
Producer of technical equipment: Mikhail Zotov

Media content: “Abau” multimedia studio

Creative Director: Damir Allyamov
3D designers: Marat Latypov, Roman Kondratiev, Alexander Zagidullin, Svetlana Lavreshina, Timur Yakupov, Stanislav Tsverkunov, Aidar Shakirov, Aman Redzhepov
Concept artists: Farida Kharasova, Anton Lavreshin