Stars of the Commonwealth lit in Ashgabat
The award ceremony for the International Prize of the CIS “Stars of the Commonwealth” was the most solemn moment of the Ashgabat Forum of Creative and Scientific Intelligentsia of the CIS member states.
By decision of the Council for Humanitarian Cooperation and the Interstate Fund for Humanitarian Cooperation of the CIS Member States, for achievements in the field of science, art and the most significant successes in the field of humanitarian activities, eleven scientists and cultural figures became the laureates of “Stars of the Commonwealth” Prize, including Azerbaijan conductor Rauf Abdullayev, Armenian artist Robert Elibekyan, authors of the Belarusian Institute of Powder Metrology Petr Vityaz, Alexander Ilyuschenko and Mikhail Andreyev, Kazakh poet Yesengali Raushanov, Kyrgyz writer Mar Bayjiyev, Moldovan physician Ion Ababiy, Russian physicist Mikhail Kovalchuk, Tjik chemist Ulmas Mirsaidov and Turkmen singer Atageldy Garyagdyev.
Each laureate expressed the hope that the Forum would contribute to even more close cooperation between the scientific community and artists.
“We have many awards,” Petr Vityaz said. “But this award is the most important one, because it is the award from the peoples of the CIS member countries. And we will do our best to justify the confidence given.”
Atageldi Garyagdyev, the first-ever nominee and laureate from Turkmenistan, the famous baritone and favorite advisor of the Turkmen opera school, called this day “the best in his life.”
Representatives of Turkmenistan have not previously participated in the “Stars of the Commonwealth” competition, founded in 2009, as the country is an associate member of the CIS organization. However, in the year of Turkmenistan’s presidency over CIS, when the country does so much to develop cooperation in the field of science, culture, education, medicine, sports, tourism, the Interstate Fund for Humanitarian Cooperation of the CIS Member States made the historic decision to invite Turkmen figures to the competition.
“Stars of the Commonwealth” Prize – the main humanitarian prize of the CIS – was established by the Council for Humanitarian Cooperation and the Interstate Fund for Humanitarian Cooperation of the CIS Member States (IFHC). It is annually awarded to the representatives of the CIS countries for the most significant successes in the field of humanitarian activities, corresponding to the level of world achievements and contributing to the development of each of the CIS countries and the Commonwealth as a whole.
