A book by the First Lady of Azerbaijan was entered into the US Congress Library
The next publication has been included in the Azerbaijan section of the US Congress’s library. Book ‘Rostropovich’ which talks of Baku life of world-famous musician and public figure Mstislav Rostropovich who led the Symphonic Band of the US for 20 years and is published in frame of series of events in memory of the maestro has been presented to the Congress. Author of the book is Mrs Mehriban Aliyeva, First Lady of Azerbaijan, President of Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Goodwill Ambassador of UNESCO and ISESCO, MP.
Photo exhibition was arranged in the ceremony of presentation by House Museum of Rostropovich in Baku and presented by the Azeri Government to the library of the Congress.
Chief librarian of the library James Billington highly valued inclusion of the new book in the Azerbaijan section. According to him, the library contains 138 various publications and photo archives on Azerbaijan.
Daughter of the maestro Olga Rostropovich talked of important role of Azerbaijan in life of her father. Congratulating President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on decisive victory in the last presidential elections she said: ‘My father spent first and happiest years of his life in Baku. In the last years of his life he acquired lots of friends in Baku. Dear President Ilham Aliyev and his beautiful spouse Mehriban Aliyeva are among them too’.
Ambassador of Azerbaijan in Washington Yashar Aliyev underlined as goodwill ambassadors of UNESCO Mstislav Rostropovich and Mehriban Aliyeva associated in a number of projects in field of propaganda of culture, art and music in the world. During his visits to Baku in the last years of his life Rostropovich did a lot of works, like Baku where he was born gave him a lot. Giving master classes at the State Conservatorium in every trip to Baku he made great contributions to Azerbaijani music, visited refugee camps, partook in social projects. Referring to the book presented, the Ambassador mentioned according to the maestro’s family, one of the last words he said before passing away was ‘So, I will not be able to go to Baku’.
The Ambassador noted residents of Baku will always honor the blessed memory of their genius countryman.