Yesterday, an opening ceremony of the Culture Week-2022 took place in the Rukhyet Palace of Mary city. A large-scale event aimed at preservation, deep study and popularization of national culture displays it’s a growing role in development of state, society and a great peace making potential.
The event, which is already held for the tenth time and is timed to Day of workers of culture and art as well as poetry of Makhtumkuli Fragi, enables one to imagine in full colours the versatility of historical and cultural heritage of Turkmen people, who have made a weighty contribution to the treasury of universal values by facilitating improvement of professionalism of representatives of cultural sphere and discovery of gifted people.
This holiday of Turkmen culture, art and literature has become a significant event and has taken a worthy place in the modern history of the sovereign Turkmen state.
Having taken up the baton at the annual forum, each of the regions of the country strives to display its achievements and contribution to the progress of our independent neutral fatherland and its creative potential.
In this connection, substantial orientation of the current Culture Week held in Mary region, the territory of which, like other parts of our country, is full of monuments of history, architecture and unique natural sights, is noteworthy.
It is suffice to mention that the southern region started to be settled by people from the 6th-5th centuries BC. One of the main advantages of Marv is its location in the busy section of the great Silk Road. In all times, other cities also played an important role in this ancient transcontinental road, but the title “Maru-Shu-Jahan” –“City of kings “ was by right granted to Marv.
A large city encircled with fortified walls and ruins of medieval clay fortresses and mausoleums, court and residential buildings located in its territory with a total area of over 1, 5 thousand hectares made up a basis of the State Historical and Cultural Park “Ancient Merv”. Such grandiose fortifications as Erk-gala and Gyaur-gala as well as the Seljuq city of Sultan-gala and its citadel Shakhriyar-Ark, Timurid Abdullah khan-gala and late medieval Bayramaly Khan-gala, Great Gyz-gala and Small Gyz-gala, residential place of the caliph al-Mamun, mausoleums of Sultan Sanjar, Muhammad ibn Zeyd, Gyzbibi and Palvan Ahmad keep unknown pages of the past in themselves.
As an important part of the history of the East and possessing hundreds of archaeological and architectural monuments in its territory, Ancient Marv was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999. At present, it has become a popular place not only for scholars, but also for tourists from all over the world.
…The opening ceremony of the Culture Week-2022 took place in the early morning in front of the Rukhyet Palace where members of the Government, heads and representatives of the national cultural sphere, khyakimlik of the region and city administration, mass media, honoured elders, residents and guests of Mary gathered.
The delegations, which participate in the forum, included famous theatre actors, performers of variety and folk arts, specialists of museum and library studies, musicians, artists, poets and prose writers, creative groups and popular folklore and ethnographic groups from all regions of the country.
Here the exposition, which displays the richest cultural wealth of our people, which dates back to the depth of centuries, was organized. Articles of decorative and applied art, ceramics, sculpture, and works of masters of handcrafts, national costumes, jewellery, musical instruments and life mode of Turkmen were exhibited in full colours.
In each of the pavilions women are engaged in needlework, spin wool, make felts, weave carpets, jewellers and blacksmiths display their skill. All this highlights a living link between the times, spiritual heritage and succession of unique traditions which are not only preserved carefully, but are also developed by national handicraftsmen.
The exhibition grounds differ with their special colour and ornamentals features of displayed exhibits from various regions of the country. Models and photos of historical and architectural monuments of each region and Ashgabat city take a special place there.
Creative groups, variety signers, bagshy, and folklore ensembles welcome participants of the ceremony by music and dances.
In the foyer of the Rukhyet Palace, a group of violinists of the Mary city art school named after Mollanepes welcome guests.
It is here that the gallery of artistic works of different styles and genres is displayed. Participants of the event familiarized themselves with great interest with the exhibitions of the capital and regional museums, which became a large-scale and informative panorama for development of national fine, decorative and applied arts.
The diversity of creation of masters, who glorify the love for the fatherland, local nature and Turkmen people, enchanted the guests. The exposition also displays museum values, national musical instruments, photos, books, and printed products.
The people gathered at the Rukhyet Palace listened with great attention to the complimentary address of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, in which it is noted: “This festival presented by Hero Arkadag to our people, will serve workers of culture, art and masters of creative work as an impulse and encourage them into creation of new perfect works. Each of cultural and mass events organized on the margins of the Culture Week, has a great significance in improvement of work of profile institutions of the country, exchange of experience of workers of culture, development of level of their knowledge, cultural education of population and wide popularization of achievements in the given sphere”.
The solemnity continued with the performance of workers of art, young performers-winners of various nationwide art contests, famous musical troupes.
The literary musical composition “Äleme ýaň salan türkmen sungaty” was performed. The concert program included folk and modern songs, classic music, chorographical compositions, which discover the rich heritage of Turkmens, versatility of their creative skill. Spectators warmly welcomed young actors, the future of national culture.
The state ensemble of dance and dance groups as well as folklore groups “Dessan”, “Näzli”, “Altyn asyr”, “Galkynyş”, “Jeýhun”, “Margiana” displayed the spirit and feature of national traditions in combination with the spirit of the Revival of the New Epoch of the Powerful State.
Lyrical melodies, stirring rhythms of Turkmen dances touched deeply hearts of spectators, who worthily appreciated the skill of gifted performers.
The enthusiastic applause of the audience lasted long when the folklore group “Dehistan” and folklore and dance groups from five regions performed the kushtdepdi, which serves as a bright example for harmonic combination of traditions of the past sand creative energy of the present. It should be noted that it is thanks to its uniqueness and ancient roots that the national art of singing and dance “kushtdepdi” was included in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2017.
At the end of the concert, all participants of the event performed the song “Gülle sen sungatym, gül Diýarymda”, in poetic words and emotional melody of which one could feel sincere gratitude and most kind wishes to the head of the state, and trust in the bright future of the fatherland, which confidently goes on the road of progress and creation under the leadership of Arkadagly Serdar.
Further, on the sidelines of events of the Culture Week-2022, the international media forum, which brought together public workers, representatives of national mass media, professors and teaching staff of higher educational institutions of the country took place in the hybrid format at the hotel “Мary”. Its delegations included First Deputy Director General of TASS M.Gusman, Director General of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) Javad Mottaghi, Director General of TV channel “Russia Today” A.Nikolov, representative of TV channel “TRT” in Turkmenistan Ugur Sani Gezer, Deputy Chairman Azerbaijan Television and Radio Broadcasting Closed Joint-Stock Company Rafik Gashimov and others.
The main topic of the media forum highlighted the role of mass media in international cooperation. The agenda of the event also included the issues, which display the place of national culture and art, mass media in the policy of progressive reforms, popularization of historical and cultural monuments of the country and development of awareness of the growing generation of the richest heritage of Turkmen people and succession of national spiritual and moral values, traditions and family values.
Participants listened to the papers on main areas of development of tourism in Turkmenistan, measures taken to preserve unique sights of ancient architecture, intensification of work on extensive demonstration of achievements of our country in the years of independence in foreign TV channels.
Representatives of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), TASS, Chinese Media Corporation “CGTN-Russian”, “Korean Broadcasting System”, “Sony Middle East and Africa FZE” companies, Turkish TV channel “TRT World”, news channels “Russia 24”, “Russia Today”, international TV companies “Setanta Sports”, “Mir” and others also joined the forum online.
As was underlined in speeches, in accordance with priorities of the foreign policy strategy, Turkmenistan actively integrates with the international media space with expansion of partnership with large profile institutions of the world on the basis of achieved numerous intergovernmental agreements. Agreements and memorandums on cooperation with leading information agencies, TV and radio broadcasting companies of various countries reached in recent years and membership of the State Committee of Turkmenistan for Television, Radio Broadcasting and Cinematography with the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union can serve a visual example for it.
Today, the achievements of our fatherland are widely highlighted with intergovernmental TV and radio broadcasting company “Mir”. Under the column “Legends of Central Asia “series of documentaries of unique historical and architectural monuments of Turkmenistan are prepared.
Joint projects are realized within the framework of cooperation with TV and radio company of Italy “RAI”, TV channels of Germany “ZDF”, Republic of Korea “KBS”, Japan “NHK”, United Arab Emirates, State of Qatar. In particular, it concerns preparation of films of rich traditions of Turkmen culture. Fruitful contacts were also established with relevant departments of Azerbaijan, Republic of Turkey and other countries.
Thanks to the established relations and large-scale work carried out in this sphere, the reliable information of development of our independent neutral country today, the richest historical and cultural heritage of Turkmen people is open to the world audience.
Speaking of the significance of the forum, foreign delegates expressed their gratitude to the President and Government of Turkmenistan for organization of the representative meeting.
As was marked, today, we are surrounded with the new information world, in development of which a great role belongs to the mass media. An emphasis was made on priority tasks concerning application of advanced technologies and challenges emerged in this connection as well as preparation and dissemination of reliable news set before mass media.
By the unanimous opinion of participants, the current forum, which is for the first time held on the margins of the Culture Week, is a good platform, for exchange of experience between profile institutions and development of long-term partnership aimed at consolidation of efforts of mass media in development of international cooperation in this sphere. Study and active use of advanced practice and modern technologies for development of national journalism provide wide opportunities for interaction in the global information space.
In the second half of the day, the library of Mary region hosted the meeting and creative event “Arkadagyň dowamaty dowamdyr”, which brought together workers of culture and education, specialists of library studies, poets and prose writers, journalists to discuss issues of preservation of spiritual heritage, its extensive popularization in the world and organization of cultural and educational activities at the modern level.
As was pointed out, on the margins of the relevant programs in Turkmenistan a large-scale work is carried out to develop Turkmen culture and art steadily. Today, new methods of work connected with digitization of this sphere by establishment of electronic and internet services, development of professional level of workers of culture are actively introduced.
Enormous funds are directed by the state to the strengthening of material and technical basis of libraries, museums, theatres, and other cultural and educational institutions. As a result, national culture and art develop in accordance with requirements of the time.
As was underlined, deep study, development, perfection of culture and art, and the strengthening of cultural ties with peoples of the planet act as the most important task. Various creative events, international conferences, exhibitions and festivals held regularly in the country are aimed at achievement of the task.
Each of the events organized on the sidelines of the Culture Week has a great significance for highlighting extensively the achievements in the sphere of music, song, opera, theatre, cinematography, and fine, decorative and applied arts in the world.
The performance of humourists of the country on the stage of the state drama theatre named after Kemine of Mary region continued the festive program.
The building “Türkmeniň ak öýi”, which possesses wide technological opportunities for holding such large-scale events, will serve a platform for music and dance groups for the week. In the evening, the concert of workers of art from Ashgabat and Akhal region took place there.
Participants of the creative forum will present residents of the southern region with unforgettable impression. On the margins of the Culture Week -2022, the performance of famous singers and young talents, exhibitions of paintings, works of decorative and applied art, photos, and printed products, show of new films, made by “Türkmenfilm” association named after Oguzhan, methodological seminars, video conferences, scientific and literary events are expected to take place.
All panned events will display the versatility of national culture and define further ways of enrichment and discovery of a great potential of the rich heritage of Turkmen people created in the course of centuries with a view of its preservation, revival, and all-round study and passage to the succeeding generations.
The State Customs Service of Turkmenistan.
