UNESCO‘s Friday meeting held in Paris included the Azerbaijani mugham in its List of Masterpieces of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. A relevant document has been presented to Eleonora Huseynova, Azerbaijani Ambassador to France. UNESCO’s jury has selected only 28 cultural expressions of oral and intangible heritage presented by 70 world nations. Apart from Azerbaijan, the cultural expressions of three Baltic States, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan were also proclaimed as mast...... полностью

A CD by Honored Artist Mansum Ibrahimov, the soloist of the Opera and Ballet Theater, will be released in Japan shortly. Ibrahimov told AssA-Irada the CD would mainly include Azerbaijani mugams. The songster also plans to give concerts in several Japanese cities.* ... читать

An exhibition opened at the Museum Centre of Baku on Monday. The event was dedicated to an international festival “Aluminium: arts + new technologies”, started the same day and to last till Thursday. Organized with support from the Culture Ministry, the French embassy, the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Tourism, Open Society Institute – Assistance Foundation (Soros Foundation) the show displays around 30 works of different genres of art. Addressing the opening ceremony Leyla Akhundzada, chairwo...... полностью

The Culture and Arts Museum of the world Azerbaijanis is expected to open in Baku on December 31 – the Solidarity Day of the World Azerbaijanis - at the initiative of the World Azerbaijanis Congress (WAC). Khazar Eminov, head of the Culture and Arts Academy of WAC, told AssA-Irada the Museum would display works by world Azerbaijanis, as well as art and cultural figures, who have migrated abroad.* ... читать

The Union of Azerbaijani Photographers (UAP) plans to organize 6 photo exhibitions on “Heritage and Modernity” in Baku in November. Rafig Gambarov, chairman of the UAP, told AssA-Irada series of exhibitions to promote the photo art targets introducing arts-lovers the photos with rich history and their authors, as well as the works by young photographers.* ... читать

Visitors of the Baku-based Miniature Book Museum (MBM), the first and the only of its kind in the world, will be able not only to watch the exhibits, but also read books thanks to new equipment purchased for the MBM under British specialist Rachel Robinson’s project. Zarifa Salahova, founder and director of the Museum, told AssA-Irada Robinson, the Coordinator of Oxford University, who has recently visited Baku to prepare a report on the Azerbaijani museums, was satisfied with MBM and appealed...... полностью

French violinist Frederick Pedafi will give a solo-concert at the Behbudov Theater of Song on November 18. The Theater told AssA-Irada the renowned violinist would perform works by European composers in the concert organized by the French embassy in Baku.* ... читать

An international conference dedicated to the 110th jubilee of Ashug Shamshir will be held in Baku early in November with local researchers, as well as folklore scientists and ashugs from Turkey and Iran. The National Academy of Sciences told AssA-Irada under President Heydar Aliyev’s decree dated June 5, 2003, 110th year anniversary of Ashug Shamshir has been celebrating in different culture centers. Ashug Shamshir is well known in the Azerbaijani literature as the author of lyrical, lov...... полностью

An exhibition of works by Mirmohsun Navvab (1833-1918) - poet, philologist, musician, calligrapher, and artist, will open at the State Arts Museum of Azerbaijan after Mustafayev, early in November, to mark the great artist’s 170th jubilee. The show will display part of works by artist, including tempera (pictures of birds and flowers), portraits of Emir Teymur and other famous historic figures, which are preserved in the Museum. The Museum told AssA-Irada Navvab had great part in the devel...... полностью

A CD entitled “Azerbaijan in Rashid Behbudov’s Songs”, with songs in performance by Rashid Behbudov, a luminary musician and great singer of Azerbaijan, will be released in the United States under a curriculum of the Indiana State University. Kamil Shahverdiyev, Director of the Rashid Behbudov Foundation, told AssA-Irada the CD would include 16 folk music and compositions. Shahverdiyev noted that, moreover, it was planned to release a DVD on Azerbaijan in the United States, which would contai...... полностью

An exhibition of works by Azerbaijani photographers will open in the exhibition hall under the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in Strasbourg, France, late in October. Rafig Gambarov, chairman of the Union of Azerbaijani Photographers (UAP), told AssA-Irada 20 photographers would display 88 works featuring the lifestyle and traditions of around 25 national minorities residing in Azerbaijan. Along with works by Farid Mammadov and Sanan Alasgarov, both UAP members, and ren...... полностью

An exhibition of works that became victorious at the picture contest dedicated to November 17 National Revival Day will open at the Miniature Art Centre on November 18. The Union of Azerbaijani Artists told AssA-Irada organized by the Union with support from the National Television and Mughan commercial bank, the contest entitled “I See the World”, was held among children aged between 6 and 12. Winners of the contest will be named in the opening ceremony of the exhibition. Apart from three ma...... полностью

Azerbaijani Culture Minister Polad Bulbuloghlu will receive Georgia’s highest award – Order of Honour – in a grand ceremony to be held in Tbilisi, Georgia on Friday. Bulbuloghlu has been awarded the order for his contribution to the development of cultural relations between Azerbaijan and Georgia. A 10-member Azerbaijani delegation headed by the culture minister left for Tbilisi on Thursday to attend the awarding ceremony. The official ceremony will continue with a concert in the performance...... полностью

A first personal exhibition by Ashraf Heybatov, a well-known Azerbaijani artist from Germany, will open at the Absheron Picture Gallery on October 28. The Gallery told AssA-Irada the show to last till November 10 would display around 50 graphical works by the artist. Heybatov, who has been residing in Germany for 10 years, has organized several exhibitions in different picture galleries in this country.* ... читать

An undertaking to mark the World Cultural Heritage Day - November 12 - and provision the Gobustan – one of the world’s open air galleries - with the status of literary-historical state preserve will be held on October 29. Malahat Farajova, Director of the preserve, told AssA-Irada that a photo exhibition of works by local and foreign photographers dedicated to the Gobustan preserve and a large concert program with performance of dance ensembles would be arranged. Gobustan, which is considered...... полностью

A concert of renowned arts masters of Iran, with majority from the South Azerbaijan, will be held at the Republican Palace from October 22 to 26. The Baku-based Iranian Culture Center told AssA-Irada the “Araz” musical band of Azerbaijan will accompany the Iranian singers – Rahim Shahriyari, Rashid Vatanduz, Habib Gasimi, and Rahim Oktavi – in a concert presenting works by Azerbaijani and Iranian composers.* ... читать

Data on 10 Azerbaijani musical instruments will be included into the map of musical instruments of the world nations, compiled by Prof. Noriko Tokama of Tokyo Music College, the State Museum of Azerbaijani Music Culture told AssA-Irada. Thus far, two volumes of the map have been published in Japan.* ... читать

The opera “Natavan” by renowned composer Vasif Adigozalov will premier at the State Opera and Ballet Theater late this October. Based on libretti by Nazim Ibrahimov and staged by Firudin Safarov, a people’s artist of Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, the three-act play will depict Xursudbanu Natavan, a poetess and the last Khan of Qarabag in the 19th century. People’s artists Xuraman Qasimova and Qarina Karimova, and honored artists Akram Poladov and Sahlar Quliyev will play key parts. The Theater ...... полностью

An exhibition of works by Azerbaijani artists featuring summer highlights will open at the Baku Art Center on Wednesday. A source from the Center told AssA-Irada the works of different genres will be put on the show to last by September. * ... читать

The days of Austrian culture will open in an official ceremony at the Chamber and Organ Music Hall on July 25. The Society of Vienna-Baku Cultural Relations has told AssA-Irada Austrian musicians Donna Ellen, Erik Bukhma, Lazalo Miklos, and Andreas Malnar will give concerts, with several exhibitions to open within the event that is to last until July 31. Under mutual accord reached between Culture Ministers of the two countries, Azerbaijani culture days will be organized in Vienna this Sept...... полностью

The Ukrainian honored artist, renowned opera soloist Tatyana Galina is scheduled to give a concert at the Chamber and Organ Music Hall (COMH) in Baku on July 3. Accompanying her will be Azerbaijan State String Quartet. The COMH has told AssA-Irada that works by Azerbaijani, Russian and West European composers will be performed in the event.* ... читать

The second unknown films festival will be held in Baku on June 24-30, Senior Department of Films under the Culture Ministry has told AssA-Irada the festival to demonstrate 36 documentaries, animations and movies will start at the Araz Cinema. The annual festival targets revealing the films that have not been demonstrated so far due to different reasons.* ... читать

Yug Theater will welcome the visitors in a new building in July with a first night of the play, Hamlet, Aphelia and autodafe, based on «Hamlet» tragedy by William Shakespeare. A source from the Theater has told AssA-Irada the play produced of Irada Gozalova of Azerbaijan and Rasim Hasim of Turkey will be staged on an absolutely new plot with different ending. * ... читать

Всемирный Фестиваль Танца будет проведен в ряде американских городов с конца мая до начала июня. Пресс-служба министерства культуры сообщила Асса-Ирада, что Азербайджанский Государственный Ансамбль Танца под руководством народного артиста Афага Маликова покажет на фестивале национальные танцы. В фестивале примут участие танцевальные труппы из более чем 100 стран со всего мира. ... читать

The World Dance Festival will be hosted in several US cities from late May to early June. The Culture Ministry’s press office told AssA-Irada that Azerbaijan’s State Dance Band, which is directed by People’s Artist Afaq Malikova, would perform national dances at the festival. Dance companies from more than 100 countries all over the world are expected to attend the festival. * ... читать

Авторская выставка карикатур современных французских художников откроется в художественной галерее «Гыз Галасы» в Баку 19 марта. Спикер посольства Франции, которое организует выставку, сообщил Асса-Ирада, что выставка, которая продлится 10 дней, познакомит посетителей с более чем 50 карикатурами 10 художников. ... читать

The Author’s Work exhibition of comic-genre drawings by modern French artists is to open at the Qiz Qalasi art gallery in Baku on March 19. A spokesperson for the French embassy, the organiser of the event told AssA-Irada that the show, to last 10 days, will familiarise the visitors with more than 50 drawings by 10 artists. * ... читать

Коллоквиум, проведенный в Страсбурге, Франция 17-18 февраля, как часть проекта «Диалог между культурами и обращаясь к конфликтам» под руководством Совета Европы, завершил свою работу. Министр культуры Азербайджана Полад Бюлбюльоглы выступил с речью на встрече с министрами культуры из 55 стран. Он говорил о необходимости того, чтобы предотвратить разрушение культурного богатства, отметив роль, которую может сыграть культура в разрешении армяно-азербайджанского, абхазско-грузинского, киприотско...... полностью

A colloquium conducted in Strasbourg, France, over February 17-18, as part of a project, Cross-cultural dialogue and addressing conflicts, under the Council of Europe auspices, has finalized its work. Azerbaijani Minister of Culture Polad Bulbuloglu also made a speech to the event joined by culture minister of 55 nations. He spoke about the necessity for preventing cultural wealth from being destroyed; stressing the role the culture could play in the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani, Abkha...... полностью

Полнометражный фильм «Кероглы» снимается на основе одноименного эпоса. Автор сценария фильма Айдын Курбанов, а режиссер фильма Ровшан Алмурадов. Фильм снимается на студии «Азтелефильм» по заказу правительства. В настоящий момент завершаются съемки второй части сериала, который будет показан на национальном телевидении в конце февраля. Первая часть сериала была снята в ноябре прошлого года. Глава «Азтелефильм»» Вугар Тапдиглы сообщил Асса-Ирада, что фильм, снятый в районах Гадабай, Товуз, Шамк...... полностью