Vice President of Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leila Aliyeva attends opening of Nizami Ganjavi Garden in Saint Petersburg
Garden named after the great Azerbaijani poet and philosopher Nizami Ganjavi on the occasion of his 870th anniversary was solemnly opened in Saint Petersburg, June 5.
Vice President of Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leila Aliyeva attended the ceremony.
In her opening remarks L.Aliyeva said opening the Nizami Ganjavi Garden is another project of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation’s Representation in Russia implemented jointly with the Saint Petersburg Administration. ‘Presidents Heydar Aliyev and Vladimir Putin attended the opening of the monument to the great Azerbaijani poet and philosopher of the 12th century in Saint Petersburg on June 9, 2002. The monument was prepared in Baku and gifted by Azerbaijani people to Saint Petersburg. Azerbaijani sculptor, graduate of the V.Mukhina Leningrad Higher Art School Gayrush Babayev created the image of Nizami. This year will see the poet’s 870th birthday. Under the patronage of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation’s Representation, unique granite benches and piano with fragments from Nizami’s poems were installed in the garden and the monument to the poet was restored on this occasion. Upon the Saint Petersburg Governor’s decree, this wonderful garden was named after Nizami Ganjavi’, Mrs Aliyeva said. She thanked the City authorities for the support and voiced hope that the Heydar Aliyev Foundation’s Representation in Russia and the Saint Petersburg Administration will carry out many interesting projects.
Azerbaijani Ambassador to Russia Polad Bulbuloghlu told the prehistory of establishment of the monument to Nizami Ganjavi in Saint Petersburg. He noted that even during the tough years of the World War II the intelligentsia of Russia’s northern capital marked the great poet’s 800th jubilee. The Ambassador thanked all those who participated in and supported the establishment of the monument in Saint Petersburg. ‘This monument and garden symbolize the friendship and good relations between Azerbaijan and Russia’, he underscored.
Deputy Chairman of the Saint Petersburg Government’s Committee on Culture Alexander Platunov spoke about significance of this event for Saint Petersburg residents and for strengthening friendly relations between Russian and Azerbaijani peoples.
Deputy Executive Director of Russian Azerbaijani Congress Ilgar Hajiyev also noted tremendous significance of such actions in strengthening friendship and mutual understanding between the two nations.
Azerbaijan’s Consul General in Saint Petersburg Gudsi Osmanov attributed the opening of the Garden as an important event in the life of Azerbaijani community of Russia’s northern capital. According to Osmanov, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation’s Representation in Russia implements various projects in Russia, including monument erected to legendary Farman Salmanov, memorial stele to Azerbaijani heroes in ‘Nevski pyatochok’, and today this garden named after Nizami Ganjavi is opening here. ‘The monument was gifted to Saint Petersburg residents and the garden is a gift to residents from Azerbaijani people’, the Consul General mentioned. He thanked the Administration for support.
Afterwards, Leila Aliyeva cut the symbolic red ribbon and put flowers at the monument to the genius Azerbaijani poet.
