On August 19, 2026, Eduard Dzhabashevich Malbekov, a distinguished artist of the Kazakh SSR, ballet master, choreographer, and teacher, passed away at the age of 85. This was reported by the website infohub.kz citing the Almaty Choreographic School named after A. Seleznev.
Eduard Malbekov was born in Almaty in 1941. He graduated from the Kazakh State Choreographic School, and from 1960 to 1984 he was a leading soloist with the Kazakh State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre named after Abai. His repertoire included roles such as Crassus in "Spartacus," Rothbart in "Swan Lake," Kashchei in "The Firebird," and Drosselmeyer in "The Nutcracker."
From 1986 to 1988, Malbekov headed the Seleznev Choreographic School. Later, he returned there as artistic director and teacher, training several generations of ballet dancers. In February 2026, the school held an evening dedicated to the 85th anniversary of Eduard and his wife, Tamara Malbekova, a ballet dancer and teacher.
Malbekov also made his mark as a choreographer: his production of "Polovtsian Dances" entered the school's repertoire.
"A great Master has passed away. His name will forever remain in the history of Kazakh ballet and our school," the school wrote on social media.
In 1973, Eduard Malbekov was awarded the title of Honored Artist of the Kazakh SSR. He was also decorated with the Order of the Badge of Honour and the Certificate of Honour of the Republic of Kazakhstan.