Azernews.Az

By Nigar Orujova

A solemn ceremony dedicated to the 90th anniversary of Azerbaijani National Leader Heydar Aliyev was held in the Hall of Columns of the Unions House in Moscow on May 6.

Organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Russia and the All-Russian Azerbaijani Congress (ARAC), the event was attended by Vice President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva, Azerbaijan's Ambassador to Russia Polad Bulbuloglu, Chairman of the Russian State Duma (lower house of parliament) Sergey Naryshkin, representatives of diplomatic missions accredited in Moscow and members of the Azerbaijani Diaspora.

Leyla Aliyeva addressed the ceremony.

State Duma speaker Sergey Naryshkin also made a speech.

The ceremony continued with presentation of an award named after Heydar Aliyev and instituted by the All-Russian Azerbaijani Congress.

The award was conferred to the editor-in-chief of Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper Vladislav Fronin for his contribution to delivering true facts about Azerbaijan and creating the image of a new Azerbaijan, Rector of the Moscow State Linguistics University (MSLU) Irina Khaleyeva -- for the development of bilateral relations in the field of education, contribution to training of Russian specialists in Azerbaijani language and literature, organization of trainings for Azerbaijani journalists and for assistance in the establishment of the Azerbaijani Language and Culture Centre at MSLU.

The award was also presented to Multimedia Art Museum Director Olga Sviblova for her merits in the development and strengthening of bilateral cultural relations and assistance in holding the "Flight to Baku" exhibition in Moscow.

Movie director Andrei Konchalovski received the award for the biographical documentary "Burden of Power. Heydar Aliyev".

A concert program "Heydar Aliyev's favorite works" progressed the evening in the performance of People's Artist of USSR and Azerbaijan Farhad Badalbayli, accompanied by the Peter Tchaikovsky Large Symphonic Orchestra conducted by People's Artist Vladimir Fedoseyev, People's Artists of Azerbaijan Samir Jafarov, Murad Adigozalzade and Honorary Artist Aygun Zeynalova.

The event featured works by Uzeyir Hajibeyov, Gara Garayev and Fikret Amirov. Muslim Magomayev's Azerbaijan song in the performance of Elcin Azizov ended the ceremony.

A photo exhibition was organized in the lobby of the hall. Participants of the event were distributed issues of the Baku magazine, which was dedicated to the National Leader of the Azerbaijani people.