Azernews.Az

Laman Ismayilova

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The closing ceremony of "CIS Capital of Culture – 2025" has taken place in the city of Lachin, organized jointly by the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry and the Special Representative Office of the President in the Lachin district, Azernews reports.

In his speech, Masim Mammadov, the President's Special Representative in Lachin, underlined the event's importance for the city. He underlined that 2025 infused Lachin with renewed vitality, marked by active cultural exchange and broad international cooperation.

Mammadov praised the collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and the CIS Interstate Humanitarian Cooperation Fund, saying their joint work throughout the year laid a solid groundwork for future cultural and social partnerships.

Speaking at the ceremony, Polad Bulbuloglu, MP and Chair of the Parliament's Culture Committee, stressed the value of choosing culturally rich, historically significant non-capital cities as cultural capitals. He recalled that the idea to nominate Lachin originated from President Ilham Aliyev, expressing the committee's profound appreciation to the head of state.

Farid Jafarov, Azerbaijan's Deputy Culture Minister stressed that naming Lachin as this year's cultural capital clearly reflects the revival of cultural life in the country's liberated territories. He pointed out that more than 15 diverse cultural events were successfully organized in Lachin over the year, contributing greatly to its cultural rejuvenation and helping the city emerge as an active hub for regional cultural collaboration.

The ceremony concluded with a cultural performance.

Note that Lachin city was officially designated as the CIS Cultural Capital for 2025, a title announced by the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Humanitarian Cooperation Council in October 2024.

As part of its activities under the CIS Cultural Capital program, Lachin has already hosted an International Film Days of CIS Countries and a CIS Youth Camp. These events brought together young participants from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, enhancing collaboration through masterclasses in theater, media, painting, ceramics, photography, and other creative fields.

The city has also featured cultural and culinary exhibitions, showcasing traditional Azerbaijani dishes alongside offerings from other CIS countries.

These events aim to promote mutual understanding and celebrate shared heritage.