NEWS

Togrul Narimanbayov's Association in France has gathered over 100 international artists. The project is aimed at promoting the works of talented female artists.

The exhibition displayed more than 500 artworks which left no one indifferent. The event was followed by a fascinating performance of pianist and composer Renara Akhundova and pianist Saida Zulfugarova.

The association was established at the initiative of a daughter of a prominent representative of Azerbaijani art, Honored Artist of Azerbaijan Asmar Narimanbayova. 

The artist's works are featured in many prestigious galleries and museums not only in Azerbaijan, but also in America, France, Germany, Poland, Russia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Finland, and China.

Founded in 2017, the association aims to strengthen cultural ties between Azerbaijan and France. 

Togrul Narimanbayov's Association is actively involved in the promotion of young talents from around the world. The association successfully cooperates with leading world organizations. 

The State Committee on Urban Planning and Architecture has started the planning and design work to restore Azerbaijan's cultural center Shusha.

The restoration and conservation of Shusha Castle walls is one of the main projects in this direction. 

Erich Pummer, the head of the world-famous Austrian restoration company Atelier Erich Pummer GmbH, was hired as a consultant for the restoration of the Shusha Castle walls and the Ganja Gate.

At the first stage of restoration work, the stones from which the Shusha Castle and the Ganja Gate were cleaned of  cement-sand plaster used in recent years. The  gaps between the stones were filled with lime-sand mortar in accordance with international conservation standards.

In addition, an inscription with the name of the city that existed at one time was restored, which was dismantled by Armenian invaders  during the occupation.

Built in the mountains, the city of Shusha is known as the cradle of Azerbaijani history and culture.

Every corner to be visited in Shusha will meet you with another historical touch.

Azerbaijan liberated the city after 28 years of the Armenian occupation on November 8.

Shusha Castle is considered one of the city's most iconic monuments. The historical core was named "Panahabad fortress".

In 1753, Panah Ali Khan enacted a decree on reconstruction of Shusha Castle amid unfavorable geographical position of Bayat and Shahbulag castles. So, the center of the Karabakh khanate was transferred to Shusha Castle.

The castle has a strategically favorable location. The monument is constructed in the Arran style of architecture.

Mainly the local stone, lime and yolk mixture were used in construction of the Shusha castle.

Shusha Castle walls were built with four gates. The main gate was facing north towards the road to Ganja, and was therefore named Ganja Gate.

The Ganja Gate bears architectural importance and is often mentioned among other significant 279 attributes of the Shusha State Historical and Architectural Reserve.

A battle tower is placed on the walls of the fortress for every 50 meters. During the attack of Iran's Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar, the walls of the fortress collapsed as a result of artillery fire.

By the order of Ibrahimkhalil khan, the Irevan gate was built to ensure the security of the city.

At close quarters of the castle there is a bridge known as Gala Bridge. Four castle gates were built in order to connect Shusha with the outside world.

The names of Ganja, Aghoghlan and Irevan gates have survived to our time. However, the name and the location of the fourth gate are unknown.

That gate is supposed to be removed during reconstruction of the castle walls by Ibrahimkhalil Khan.

National artist Samir Salahov has displayed his artworks in Baku's historic core - Icherisheher (Old City).

The facade of Kichik QalArt gallery features a series of artworks entitled "Patterns of Icherisheher".

The eye-catching paintings were displayed as part of the project "Art on the Wall". 

Samir Salahov was inspired to create a triptych by a series of linocuts by the painter, graphic artist, Honored Artist Alekper Rzaguliyev (1903-1974), where he brilliantly reflected the atmosphere of the Old City. 

Salahov is a multitalented artist who is involved in painting, street art, installation and digital art. His artworks have been successfully displayed in Azerbaijan and abroad. 

With its majestic buildings and ruins, Icherisheher hides a centuries-old history.

The city, built on a high hill in the form of an amphitheatre, is exposed to the sea in the lower part and is surrounded by the Caucasus Mountains in the upper part. With its triple row of fortress walls, the Maiden Tower and other fortification facilities, Icherisheher appeared to be an impressive stronghold.

Large squares and wide streets gradually narrowed and shrank into a geometric design that fascinates Baku residents and the city's guests.

Numerous unique monuments, including the Shirvanshah Palace complex, mosques and minarets, the ruins of caravanserais and bathhouses make this place one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city.

In 2000, the Old City of Baku, including the Palace of the Shirvanshahs and the Maiden Tower, became the first location in Azerbaijan to be classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Azerbaijan's State Art Gallery has displayed stunning artworks dedicated to the spring feast.

A series of paintings, sculptures and other art objects inspired by the Novruz holiday were presented as part of virtual exhibition sales. The event was organized with the Culture Ministry's support.

The exposition includes works by Narmin Abdullayeva, Malahat Ismayil, Nazrin Khalafova, Javid Gurbanov, Aytan Abdullayeva, Aynur Aslanova, Rahimakhanim Hajiyeva, Ayla Insanova, Bakhtiyar Yusufov, Elnara Khanlarova and other artists.

The artworks brilliantly capture the spirit of the Novruz holiday. The artworks of young talents are filled with bright colours, spring warmth and a festive mood.

Novruz, being a family holiday, is celebrated on March 20-21, and before the actual day of the holiday, people celebrate the four last pre-holiday Tuesdays.

The spring holiday is rich with ancient traditions and games. Khidir Ilyas (the symbol of fertility and blossom), Kos-Kosa— an entertaining game (symbol of spring) and fortunetelling are among them.

Novruz's main symbols include a tray with sweets, nuts, fruits and dyed eggs known (khoncha) and wheat seeds (samani).

The holiday was given the status of an official holiday in Azerbaijan by a presidential decree dated 13 March 1990.

In 2009, Novruz was included in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and since then, March 21 has been declared as the International Day of Novruz.

Founded in 1975, Azerbaijan State Art Gallery displays more than 14,000 paintings, graphics, sculptures, decorative and applied arts and contemporary art examples. 

The main activities of the gallery include preservation and restoration of Azerbaijan's cultural heritage, research on the current situation and prospects of the fine arts and decorative-applied arts and much more. 

The majority of exhibitions in Azerbaijan and abroad are mainly composed of the works stored in the gallery. 

The State Art Gallery regularly successfully holds various art projects, lectures and other events.

Zhara İnternational Music Festival will celebrate its fifth anniversary in Moscow.

The large-scale event is expected to take place in the Luzhniki Olympic Complex on June 23-27.

The music festival will feature numerous concerts with more than 200 pop singers from the CIS countries.

The festival's fifth edition was planned to be held in Baku but was cancelled amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

Speaking about the festival, People's Artist of Azerbaijan Emin Aghalarov said that the event will be held on an even larger scale than before. Three open-air stages, different zones for visitors and bright performances await music lovers at the festival.

The music festival will open with the greatest hits. On the second day of the festival, viewers will enjoy a creative evening by Dmitry Malikov, as well as hits of the 2000s performed by pop singers.

The festival will also feature creative evenings of Igor Nikolaev (June 25), Yuri Antonov (June 26), a concert of young singers and much more. 

Zhara International Music Festival will be aired on Russian Channel One. Note that tickets that were purchased earlier can be exchanged for new dates in Moscow, saved for the next festival in Baku. 

The music festival is co-organized by Emin Aghalarov, Russia's Honored Artist Grigory Leps, founder of Russkoye Radio and Zolotoy Grammofon award Sergei Kozhevnikov.

Many famous singers and bands like Chingiz Mustafayev, Monatik, Philipp Kirkorov, A’Studio, Vera Brezhneva, Bosson, Rita Dakota, Dmitry Matatov, Glyuk’oza, Nikolay Baskov, Kristina Orbakaite, Burito, Aleksandr Panayotov, Ani Lorak and others took part in the festival`s previous editions. 

Azerbaijan and Iran have agreed on expanding partnership in cultural spheres.

The prospects of cooperation were discussed during the meeting between Azerbaijani Culture Minister Anar Karimov and Iranian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Seyyed Abbas Mousavi. 

The culture minister said that Azerbaijani-Iranian fraternal relations are based on the cultural, historical and religious ties which go back centuries. 

Noting that bilateral ties are developing rapidly in all areas, including culture, the minister stressed that Azerbaijan and Iran have always shown solidarity with and support to each other.

Seyyed Abbas Mousavi noted that the cultural ties between the two countries are rapidly developing. He emphasized the importance of further expanding and strengthening this cooperation.

The Iranian ambassador pointed out great opportunities to promote the common values ​​of Azerbaijan and İran.  

Anar Karimov also noted that Iran has always supported Azerbaijan's sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of its borders. He added that Iran's support to Azerbaijan shown during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war was highly appreciated by the Azerbaijani people. 

The Azerbaijani flag was hoisted on the Khudaferin bridge, which was destroyed after the occupation of Jabrayil region by the Armenian invaders in 1993.

The sides discussed the implementation of joint measures to include the Khudaferin bridge into the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List. 

During the meeting, views were expressed on holding joint events, including exhibitions and presentations timed to the 880th anniversary of Azerbaijani poet and thinker Nizami Ganjavi.

The sides also exchanged views on the renewal of agreements signed between Azerbaijan and Iran, cooperation in the organization of mutual cultural days and weeks, restoration of historical, cultural and religious monuments on the liberated territories, as well as other issues of mutual interest. 

Notably, Azerbaijani and Iranian peoples have common cultural and religious traditions. The two countries successfully cooperate in many areas, including agriculture, transport, tourism, industry and other spheres.

Baku hosted the Iranian Culture Days within the 4th Islamic Solidarity Games in 2017.

The events raised big interest among Baku residents. Representatives of the country performed at a series of concerts, featuring the country's national songs and dance numbers.

The Days of Iranian and Azerbaijani cultures held in previous years also kicked off with great success.

The Russian House in Baku has filmed a documentary dedicated to the centenary of the Azerbaijan State Academic Russian Drama Theater named after Samad Vurgun. The film director is Rustam Huseynov.

The 100 years of the history of the Azerbaijan State Academic Russian Drama Theater is a glorious symbiosis of the creativity of several generations of the theatrical collective and the huge audience love of Baku population. This is the memory of talented actors and directors, original productions that are still alive in the memory of Baku residents.

The official opening date of the theater is December 20, 1920. Over the century of its activity, the theater has repeatedly changed its names, but has retained its unique spirit and is now a legendary theater venue, inseparable from the culture and history of Baku.

The full-length, almost an hour and a half documentary tells us in detail about the circumstances of the emergence and development of the theater, factors and events that made the theater a cultural phenomenon of Baku and its impact on city life.

Special attention is paid to the role of creative personalities in the history of the theater, their relations with the collective, today's ties of the theater with international theatrical life and productions that amazed not only Baku residents.

The film shows a number of little-known facts from theatrical life; it uses a unique archival chronicle, recordings of performances with the participation of theatrical stage legends, rare photographs, personal documents, programs and reviews of performances of half a century and a century ago. Important strokes in the history of the theater and individual productions are revealed in detail.

Particular attention in the film is devoted to the details of the biographies of major theatrical figures associated with the history of the Azerbaijan State Academic Russian Drama Theater named after Samad Vurgun.

The film features recordings of performances and photographs with Vladimir Schweitzer, Faina Ranevskaya, Sergei Mayorov, Mehdi Mammadov, Nazim Hikmet, Maharram Ashumov, Guljahan Gulakhmedova-Martynova, Anatoly Falkovich and others.

The documentary presents a retrospective of the theater's activities over a century: from small theater to a modern academic theater venue.

The Mariinskiy Threatre has recorded a video version of Fikrat Amirov's ballet "One Thousand and One Nights".

The ballet was filmed during the tour of the ballet troupe of the Primorsky Stage in January at the initiative of the theatre's director-general and artistic director, world-renowned conductor Valery Gergiev.

Chief conductor and musical director of the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre Ayyub Guliyev was invited to conduct the ballet in St. Petersburg. The ballet aroused great interest among the audience.

"One Thousand and One Nights" is a collection of Middle Eastern folk tales compiled in Arabic during the Islamic Golden Age. Known in English as the "Arabian Nights", the work is about Scheherazade, a Sassanid Queen, who tells a series of stories to her husband, King Shahryar in order to delay her execution.

The exciting story of Scheherazade laid the foundation of the ballet of the same name. "One Thousand and One Nights" is a ballet in two acts by Fikrat Amirov to a libretto by playwright Magsud and Rustam Ibrahimbayovs.

The ballet's new version was staged by the chief choreographer of the Primorsky stage of the Mariinsky Theatre, Eldar Aliyev, and presented at the Film Festival at the 5th Mariinsky International Far East Festival in August.

More than 300 costumes with hand embroidery were made for the ballet show. Some of them were made at the workshop, while most part by experienced craftsmen in St. Petersburg.

The magnificent performance of the ballet dancers left no one indifferent. The ballet was accompanied by the soloist of the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre, tar musician Ramin Azimov.

Azerbaijan's traditional music instruments - tar and naghara were presented to the theatre on behalf of the national musicians.

The long-necked music instrument featured in the score of Fikrat Amirov. The eminent composer started his musical journey as a tar performer.

The idea to add tar performance came from Eldar Aliyev. Ramin Azimov, the soloist of the Azerbaijan State Opera and Ballet Theatre, performed on tar during the premiere.

Azerbaijan Woman Awards has been solemnly held in Baku. 

Azerbaijan Woman Awards is a prize that unites successful and talented Azerbaijani women.

The prize is awarded in various nominations for achievements in public life, education, medicine, business, culture, art, science, architecture, sports, fashion industry and media.

The selection is made by the organizing committee of the project based on the results of the activity.

Among the laureates are the chairwoman of the Parliamentary Culture Committee Ganira Pashayeva,Vice-Rector of the Baku Choreographic Academy, People's Artist Tarana Muradova, fashion designers, Honored Art Worker Fakhriya Khalafova and Head of the Center for Azerbaijani National Clothes Gulnara Khalilova, Vice President of the French company "Vasconi Architects" Ayten Mirzoyeva, Head of the Public Relations Department of YARAT Contemporary Art Space Khokuma Karimova, actress Oksana Rasulova, TV presenters Elena Sidorenko and Samira Mustafayeva, TV journalist Flora Khalilzade, poet and pianist Zahra Badalbeyli, singer Gunay Ibrahimli, artists Nigar Abbasbeyli, Roya Hasanova and Tarana Said, stylist-make-up artist Sabina Imanova, plastic surgeon Kenul Agamirova, gymnast Zohra Agamirova, poet Esli Dilbazi, fashion designer Gunel Behbudova, director of the marketing department at Kapital Bank Gunel Farzaliyeva, creative director of the Kapital Bank, designer Lala Akkiraz, blogger Elmira Namazova and others.

A special issue of the magazine will be published about the winners of the award.

Founder of Azerbaijan Woman Awards is Agil Mamiyev, project director - Parviz Azimzade, executive director - Siraj Beyalizade, PR director - Vugar Safarli.

President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan approved a protocol on the financing of the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation.

According to the protocol, the budget of the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation will be formed on the basis of compulsory contributions of the member countries of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States (Turkic Council), including Turkey.

The International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation was established by the initiative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and with the support of the heads of state of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkey. In 2019, at the 7th Summit of the Cooperation Council of the Turkic-Speaking States (Turkic Council) Uzbekistan became a member of the organization, and Hungary received the status of an observer country. In February 2021, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation and the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in Azerbaijan.

The headquarters of the organization is located in Baku, Azerbaijan. The opening ceremony of the Foundation's building was held as part of the 7th Summit of the Cooperation Council of the Turkic-Speaking States in October 2019 with the participation of the ministers of foreign affairs of the member and observer countries of the Foundation, as well as heads of international Turkic cooperation organizations.