Bernara Karieva

Bernara Rakhimovna Karieva (born 28 January 1936) is a Soviet and Uzbekistani former ballet dancer, prima ballerina, choreographer and politician. She was prima ballerina of the Navoi Theater from 1956 to 1996 and its artistic director between 1994 and 2002. Karieva ran the Youth Ballet of Uzbekistan community from 1979 to 1983 and chaired both the Union of Theater Workerds and the Coordinating Council for South-East Asian theaters. She was an elected deputy of the Congress of People's Deputies of the Soviet Union from 1989 to 1991 and was on the Committee of the on the Development of Culture, Language, National and International Traditions, Protection of Historical Heritage. Karieva has received various state awards such as the Order of the Badge of Honour, the People's Artist of the USSR, the USSR State Prize and the Order of the Red Banner of Labour.

Early life She was born on 28 January 1936, in Tashkent, Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic. She is the daughter of the former director of the Perm Opera and Ballet Theatre and she was brought to view his productions. Karieva had her stage debut in the ballet Ak-belyak although her mother opposed her daughter being on stage. From 1947 to 1951, she studied at the Uzbek Choreographic School (today the Tashkent State Higher School of National Dance and Choreography).

Career Following graduation, Karieva was accepted into the Navoi Uzbek Theater of Opera and Ballet in Tashkent. She had rejected offers to remain in Moscow, She was on the committee of the Commission of the Council of Nationalities on the Development of Culture, Language, National and International Traditions, Protection of Historical Heritage. and in 1959, she was awarded the Order of the Badge of Honour, named People's Artist of the Uzbek SSR in 1964, the State Hamza Prize in 1970. She was made a People's Artist of the USSR in 1973. Two years later, Karieva was given the , from President Askar Akayev in 1996 and the Fidokorona Hizmatlari Uchun in 2020.