Arts & Culture

Cultural organization of Turkic countries meets
The 19th meeting of TURKSOY, the cultural organization of Turkic nations, concluded its work in Baku on Thursday with a news conference on the results of the two-day event. Azerbaijani Minister for Culture said more Turkic autonomous regions of Russia, including Altai, Yakutiya (Saha), had become TURKSOY members during the conference.  He added that the next gathering would take place in Russia's Hakasiya, whoose Minister of Culture Natalie Diatchenko was elected  temporary coordinator (rotating chairman of the board for a six-month term) of TURKSOY. The 20th gathering will announce winners of the fifth exhibition of young Turkic artists held in Baku. Aleksey Ulturchasev, an artist from Hakasiya, was this years winner.
To finalize the gathering of TURKSOY, which embraces 13 Turkic states and autonomous entities, ministers of culture signed a mutual cooperation protocol for 2003. Following the news conference, Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev met the Turkic ministers.
Exhibition
A show of some 100 works by artists from member-states of TURKSOY, the cultural organization of Turkic nations, opened at the Sattar Bahlulzada Exhibition Hall on February 5. Opening the show, Azerbaijani Minister of Culture Polad Bulbuloglu judged the event as contributing to strengthened cultural cooperation among Turkic countries.
Culture ministers of Turkic countries have attended the exhibition which ends on February 15.
Refugees in focus
A Photo exhibition and photo album "Refugees" consisting of 48 works by Turkish newspaper photographer Yavuz Alatan was presented to the ongoing TURKSOY conference, the cultural organization of Turkic nations, at the Azerbaijani State Library after Mirza Fatali Axundov on February 6. Attending the presentation were TURKSOY ministers of culture. Photo album Qacqinlar features the plight of IDPs settled in refugee camps in Saatli, Sabirabad, Agcabadi and other districts, being forced out of their homes due to the Armenian occupation.
Earlier, the photo exhibition had been conducted in a number of Turkish cities, while it is planned to apply the same approach in some European countries as well.

Documentary about Mstislav Rostropovich
A documentary film called Dogma Diyar (Native Land) is being made about Mstislav Rostropovich, the eminent composer of Baku origin, who currently lives in France. The documentary directed by Ziya Sixlinski is being filmed at Salnama studio. Dogma diyar highlights meetings and concerts of the musician, who is a regular visitor to Baku.
Rostropovich is expected to visit Baku in April to give a concert at the opening ceremony of the Azerbaijani State Philharmonic Society, which will be put into service after restoration works are completed.

Azerbaijani theater to open in Tbilisi
An Azerbaijani theater will open as a national culture center in Tbilisi, Georgia, in the near future. The theater is to be set up in accordance with a special decree issued by Georgian President Edward Shevarnadze, a source connected with Hacan Haciyev, the Azerbaijani ambassador in Georgia, has informed AssA-Irada. A troupe has already been assembled from among graduates of Baku and Tbilisi art universities. The theater will begin activity as soon as premises are allocated.
There are Russian and Armenian theaters currently operating in Tbilisi. An Azerbaijani theater had existed there until 1948, but was closed.
The establishment of the Azerbaijani theater is fully funded by the Georgian state. Opening this cultural hub is an important step towards meeting the cultural needs of 500,000 Azerbaijanis residing in Georgia.

40 works by 40 artists to be exhibited
An exhibition, 40 tableaus by 40 artists, will open at the Abseron art gallery on February 19. Works by young and middle aged artists alongside well-known artists Kamil Nacafzada, Tofiq Karimov, Mir Ismayil Cafarov, Altay Haciyev are to be displayed at the exhibition. Also demonstrated will be portraits by three deceased artists, Baba Aliyev, Eyyub Mammadov and Rasid Heydarzada.  The gallery told AssA-Irada that the exhibition would consist of two parts.
The 1st part to last till March 14 will be followed by an exhibition of paintings of the graphic genre.
The event is sponsored by the USA-based Langtech International company.

Children's film studio launched
A new children's film studio, Individual, has been set up in Baku. The studio aims to familiarize children aged over four with actor's profession, board chairman of the Azerbaijani Children Association Kamala Agayeva has told AssA-Irada.  A contest will be organized involving all applicants and subsequently, two-month courses will be held for talented children with stage plasticity and good sense of music. The training courses will be delivered by professional film-makers and film directors. Then, young actors will be involved in films. A comedy, Tiq-tiq xanim, has been already shot, according to Kamala Agayeva. Screenplays of further films are planned to feature children's lives, rights protection and other issues of this nature.

European designers to attend Baku fashion contest
Outstanding Azeri designer Faxriyya Xalafova is going to organize a fashion contest of CIS designers in May in Baku.
European fashion designers will be invited to attend the event as well, according to the contest organizers.
Faxriyya Xalafova is due to display her new collection during the show.