The Vagif Poetry Days, organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Ministry of Culture, are held in Shusha on July 17-19.
The poetry festival began on July 18 in front of the Molla Panah Vagif Museum and Mausoleum Complex.
The opening ceremony was attended by representatives of the state and government, prominent figures of literature, science, and culture of the Republic, as well as residents of Shusha who returned to their homeland in May this year.
Chingiz Abdullayev, the people's writer and first secretary of the Union of Azerbaijani Writers (UAW), expressed his happiness at participating in such a grand event in Shusha. He noted that this year's Vagif Poetry Days coincided with several important occasions: "It is the first poetry festival conducted under the leadership of Commander-in-Chief, President Ilham Aliyev, after the complete restoration of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and sovereignty. Shusha holds the title of "Cultural Capital of the Islamic World for 2024". This year coincides with the 530th anniversary of the great Azerbaijani poet and thinker Muhammad Fuzuli and the 90th anniversary of the Union of Azerbaijani Writers. Over 100 members of the Union are taking part in this year's event”.
Academician Isa Habibbayli, President of ANAS, spoke about Molla Panah Vagif's literary contributions. He highlighted that Vagif was the first to extensively introduce Azerbaijani geography into our literature, celebrating the land's beauty: "Vagif praised the beauty of Azerbaijan in his poetry. He brought the vernacular into literature at a high level. His creativity is, first of all, an Azerbaijani phenomenon."
The scholar noted that at the time when the USSR was discreetly pursuing its internationalist movement in Karabakh, the national leader Heydar Aliyev built a grand mausoleum for Vagif in Shusha, which was a sign of Azerbaijan's presence in Karabakh. It is important to restore it in all its glory. The newly organized Vagif Poetry Days are a great celebration of Azerbaijan, which is developing day by day under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, expressed through the language of poetry and art.
The people's writer Elmira Akhundova spoke about the boundless love and care of the national leader Heydar Aliyev for the Azerbaijani language and literature. She mentioned that during the most difficult periods of the Soviet era, Heydar Aliyev promoted the preservation and development of national consciousness and the concept of Azerbaijanism. He made sure that works that nurtured this idea and passed it on to future generations were awarded the State Prize.
Fazil Mustafa, a deputy of the 6th convocation of the Milli Majlis, said that the successful liberation of our lands was due to the outstanding organizational talent of President and Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev and the exceptional bravery of the Azerbaijan Army. At present, Shusha, which has become a symbol of Azerbaijan, is being restored to its former glory.
People's Poet Sabir Rustamkhanli, Chairman of the Press Council of Azerbaijan and Deputy Chairman of the UAW Rashad Majid, Secretary of the UAW Selim Babullaoghlu, and Chairman of the Kazakh branch of the Union Barat Vusal spoke about the charm, exceptionality, and uniqueness of Shusha, which has become the venue of international events, and recited poems.
During the artistic part, a poetic duet based on the works of Mohammad Fuzuli and Molla Panah Vagif was performed by the honored artists Azad Shukurov and Nazir Rustamov.
The musical pieces "Karabagh", "Shusha Mountains" and "This is the Homeland" were performed by Honored Artist Nigar Shabanova and soloists Abgul Mirzaliyev, Ilkin Dovlatov, and Leyla Rahimli. The audience greeted the concert program with applause.
At the end, photos were taken to commemorate the event.
It’s worth mentioning that on January 14, 1982, with the participation of national leader Heydar Aliyev, the mausoleum of the great poet and statesman Molla Panah Vagif (1717-1797) and the House of Poetry were opened in Shusha. At this event, Heydar Aliyev supported the initiative of our literary figures in this field and ordered the launch of Vaqif Poetry Days. The first festival of literature and art was held in July 1982. Vagif Poetry Days, with a history of 42 years, will be held for the fourth time in the liberated Shusha.
