Astrakhan has become another Russian city to celebrate the 570th anniversary of Alisher Navoi. The historical ties of the city with Central Asian nations create a specific atmosphere at the events. Fully aware of the importance of the events, the residents of the city have contributed to a series of events related to the anniversary of the founder of Uzbek poetry and literature.

The events started with the opening ceremony of a pictorial book exhibition “Legacy of Alisher Navoi”, with exhibits provided by Krupskaya Astrakhan Oblast Library, which piqued the interest of the literati. The exhibition presented virtually all works by Alisher Navoi translated into the languages of nations living in this area. Of particular interest was Navoi’s khamsa (quintuple) composed of five epic poems.

It would be difficult to picture fully with a presentation of Uzbek arts. With this in mind, the Fund Forum in conjunction with the National Society of Uzbekistan organized an exhibition of applied art, which gave its visitors a unique opportunity to learn about Uzbekistan’s rich cultural and historical legacy. Among the exhibits on display were laukhs (traditional book stands), ceramic items, Bukhara handmade embroidery dating from the 18-19th century, famous Samarkand writing paper and many other objects which helped take the viewers back to the days of Alisher Navoi.

The celebration also included traditional readings dedicated to Alisher Navoi, which were titled “Uzbek luminaries’ creative legacy in Astrakhan Oblast”, organized by the Fund Forum, the Ministry of Culture of Astrakhan Oblast, and “Uzbekistan” cultural public organization with support from the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Russia. The main performances were dedicated to the life and activities of the outstanding poet of the Orient and his impact on the development of literature at large.

The participants of the roundtable talked about their research in to the works by Navoi which retain their actuality to the present day. As it was noted, the solution to many contemporary problems many be found in the eminent thinker’s creative works.

"Navoi went down in the history of global literature in the 15 the century,” said Alexander Mukhin of Astrakahan State University. “The impact his works have had on the development of literature in Turkic-language regions reveal that Navoi is on par with luminaries such as Petrarka, Rabelais and Cervantes."

Viktor Viktorin, associate professor of Astrakhan State University, said that if it wasn’t for Alisher Navoi’s creativity, Turkic literature and Turkic literary language wouldn’t exist. Other speakers noted that Navoi’s works were translated into Russian by famous Russian poets such as Pavel Antokolskiy, Boris Pasternak, Nikolai Ushakov and Semyon Lipkin among others.

Later that day, a concert was held in honor of Navoi at the grand hall of the Regional Center for Youth Creativity Development. The concert performances were based on the notions of life, peace, and tolerance hymned by Alisher in his works. Art professionals from cultural centers in Russia’s pre-Caspian regions presented a masterfully theatralised staging, conveying the message of Navoi’s works.