Turkmenistan Presented Its Vision of Chingiz Aitmatov’s Heritage at a UNESCO Conference
On September 19, the international conference “A Common Heritage Uniting the World” was held at UNESCO Headquarters, organized by the Permanent Delegation of the Kyrgyz Republic to UNESCO in cooperation with the General Secretariat of TURKSOY, the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, the Chingiz Aitmatov Institute of Language and Literature of the National Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic, and the Chingiz Aitmatov Institute in Ankara.
The event was attended by the UNESCO Deputy Director-General, the Secretary General of TURKSOY, ambassadors, permanent representatives, senior diplomats, scholars, and cultural figures from the Turkic world and other countries.
Turkmenistan was represented at the conference by Maksat Chariyev, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Turkmenistan to the French Republic and Permanent Representative of Turkmenistan to UNESCO, Doctor of Philology Murad Tuvakov, and Candidate of Philology Chary Kuliev from the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan. The delegation delivered reports and presented a video about the monument to Chingiz Aitmatov installed in the Magtymguly Fragi cultural and park complex in Ashgabat.
Participants discussed the creative and spiritual legacy of Chingiz Aitmatov, highlighting his importance as a “bridge” between East and West. Universal themes of his works — memory, identity, generational continuity, and respect for cultural values — were emphasized. Special attention was given to the concept of the “mankurt” as a symbol of the danger of losing historical roots and spiritual memory.
It was noted that Aitmatov’s works, translated into more than 170 languages of the world, remain relevant today, fostering intercultural dialogue and strengthening mutual understanding among peoples in the context of global changes.
The writer’s son, Eldar Aitmatov, underlined the enduring relevance of his father’s ideas on human responsibility toward nature, history, and one another, especially in the era of today’s global crises.
ORIENT
