Vagif's Poetry Days once again in Shusha

By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

After 39 years, Vagif's Poetry Days have been once again held in Shusha.

The large-scale event was held for the first time in the poet's native city after its liberation from the Armenian occupation. 

Azerbaijan's national leader Heydar Aliyev gave instructions to hold Vagif's Poetry Days. Until 1991, the cultural event was held annually in Azerbaijan.

After so many years, Vagif's Poetry Days finally returns to Shusha. 

The opening ceremony was attended by President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva. 

The cultural event brought together folk poets, mugham singers and many other cultural figures.

Vagif's Poetry Days 2021 were remembered by fascinating performances, colorful exhibitions, literary symposiums and heart-touching poetic composition "From Nizami to Vagif".

The highly anticipated event organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation left no one indifferent. 

People's Poet of Azerbaijan, MP Sabir Rustamkhanli addressed the event. 

"Arrival in Shusha is pleasing and inspiring, we are proud of our history. Thanks to Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev and the Azerbaijani soldiers for giving us such joy. Vagif's Poetry Days is a great feast of poetry and literature. Our courageous sons passed those impassable roads that we saw when we were going to Shusha, with love for the Motherland. This is an act of the unprecedented heroism and the historical valor shown by the Azerbaijani soldier," he said.

Rustamkhanli also read a fragment from his "Return to Karabakh" poem, dedicated to Azerbaijan`s victory in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War. 

On the second day of the event, poet Vagif Bahmanli,  chairman of the Caspian Branch of the Azerbaijani Writers' Union Arif Buzovnali, chairman of the Nakhchivan Writers' Union Asim Yadigar, head of the Ali Karim Poetry House Ibrahim Ilyasli, head of the "Soz" (Word) literary project Nigar Hasanzade,  Press Secretary of the Azerbaijan Writers' Union Hayal Rza, poetess Rasmiya Sabir, Chairman of the Union of Young Turkic Writers Akbar Goshaly, chairman of the Youth Council of the Azerbaijan Writers' Union Faig Huseyn read out poems.

Furthermore, winners of the International Mugham Competition Nisbat Sadrayeva and Khayal Huseynov thrilled everyone with their performance. 

Vagif's Poetry Days ended with a patriotic song "Karabakh, native land".