The identity peculiarities of the costume from the work ”Aleko” (1973) in the vision of the painter Constantin Bălan

The opera Aleko (1892) based on the poem The Gypsies by A. S. Pushkin is the debut work of the young composer Sergei Rachmaninoff. After the premiere of the opera based on the libretto by Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko at the Bolshoi Theater, which took place on April 27, 1893, productions followed in other theaters. On the occasion of the composer’s centenary in 1973, the opera Aleko was staged at the Chisinau Opera and Ballet Theater. The director of the performance was Eugen Platon, the conductor was Isai Alterman, the choreographer was Simion Drecin, and the set designer was Constantin Bălan. The success of the opera was due to both the skill of the director and performers, as well as the scenography concept and the original costumes of the Gypsies, presented for the first time on the Moldovan stage. It should be noted that the artist Constantin Bălan, working on the creation of costumes for the artists, sought to present them as a symbol of the identity of this people, full of passions and thirst for freedom. In this context, we consider Constantin Bălan’s costumes as an element of clothing, as a characteristic that defines the character, giving it individuality, establishing its place in the social, national and cultural hierarchy.