The First Congress of the World Society for the Study, Preservation and Popularization of the Cultural Legacy of Uzbekistan

During the First Congress "The Cultural Legacy of Uzbekistan: the Way to Dialogue between Peoples and Countries", held in May 2017 in Tashkent and Samarkand, 250 scholars from 20 countries for the first time put forward the idea to establish a World Society for the Study, Preservation and Popularization of the Cultural Legacy of Uzbekistan . This idea was voiced in the Resolution of the Congress and the appeal of scholars to the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

Among the representatives of world science are well-known scholars, heads of museums and scientific institutes, editors of scientific journals, eminent collectors from Russia, Canada, Italy, Great Britain, India, Egypt, Korea, Belgium, Holland, France, Germany, Czech Republic, USA, China, Turkey, Greece, Azerbaijan and other countries, as well as representatives of UNESCO and ICOMOS (International Council for the Conservation of Monuments and Sites). Among them are Director of the UNESCO Office in Almaty and UNESCO Representative in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan Krista Pikkat; Director of the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts of the Russian Academy of Sciences Irina Popova; Honorary Research Director of the National Center for Scientific Research in Paris Pierre Leriche; director of research at the Pembroke Center for Persian Studies Firyuza Melville and other scholars.

The main event was the presentation of the exclusive cultural and educational media project "The Cultural Legacy of Uzbekistan in the World Collections" (the author and project manager is Honored Journalist of the Republic of Uzbekistan Firdavs Abdukhalikov).

The first five volumes of illustrated books-albums “The Cultural Legacy of Uzbekistan in the World Collections” were presented under the titles “The Collection of the State Museum of Oriental Art” (Moscow), “The Collection of the Russian Museum of Ethnography” (St. Petersburg), “The Collection of the State Tretyakov Gallery ”(Moscow), “Carpets and Embroidery of Uzbekistan in the World Collections” (Russia, the USA, Canada, and Australia), as well as “Works by Alisher Navoi in the Collection of the Russian National Library” (St. Petersburg).

More than 100 reports were made at the Congress, in which scientists shared the latest achievements and discoveries in the field of archeology, numismatics, history, and applied arts.

On May 15, the solemn event was the honoring of the scientific supervisor of the project, an outstanding archaeologist, researcher, doctor of history, professor, academician of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan Edvard Rtveladze on the occasion of his 75th birthday. At a solemn meeting at the Academy of Sciences with the participation of the Prime Minister of the country Abdulla Aripov, he was awarded the Order of El-Yurt Khurmati.

An organizing committee for the event was formed (chairman is director of the National Center for Human Rights, chairman of the Committee on Democratic Institutions, Non-Governmental Organizations and Self-Government Bodies of Citizens of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan Akmal Saidov), which included representatives of academies and research organizations in the Republic of Uzbekistan, international organizations, as well as foreign experts and scholars in the field of studying the cultural heritage of Uzbekistan.

As a result of the work of the congress, a resolution was adopted on the need to establish a World Scientific Society for the Study, Preservation and Popularization of the Cultural Legacy of Uzbekistan, which was read out by acting head of the UNESCO Office in Uzbekistan, Director of the UNESCO Cluster Office for Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan Krista Pikkat in Registan Square in ancient Samarkand.

On May 15-16, for the first time at the First International Congress, a colorful 3D-mapping light and music show took place in Registan Square.

On May 16, the second day of the congress in Samarkand, a session of the international congress “Ethnocultural Relations and Synthesis of Traditions in the Heritage of Uzbekistan” in the Ulugbek Madrasah was held. 

The participants visited the factory for the production of Samarkand paper and got acquainted with the process of making ancient paper (Samarkand), and also got acquainted with the exhibition of the best works of carpet weaving and suzani craftsmen from Uzbekistan in the Tilla-Kori Madrasah (Samarkand).

The Congress ended with a gala dinner in the eastern garden of Bogishamol (Samarkand), recreated in the image of one of the seven gardens of Amir Timur. The evening, at which the book-album "Musical Heritage of Uzbekistan" was presented, was accompanied by performers of national Uzbek classical music.