The Vagif Poetry Days, organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Writers' Union of Azerbaijan, kicked off on July 13 with the laying of flowers at the bust of Vagif in the poet's hometown - the village of Yukhari Salahli of the Gazakh city, AzVision.az reports.

Then, cultural and art figures, members of the Writers' Union of Azerbaijan, young writers and poets gathered in the Garden of Thinkers located in the center of the city of Gazakh.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Culture Murad Huseynov spoke about its importance. He noted that after the liberation of the city of Shusha from occupation, one of the first orders of President Ilham Aliyev concerned the holding of the "Kharibulbul" festival and the Vagif Poetry Days in Shusha. Starting from 2021, both projects are implemented by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Ministry of Culture.

He noted that Vagif was born in Gazakh, but became famous in Shusha, where he is buried. Vagif Poetry Days, which started in Gazakh, will continue on July 14-15 in the cultural capital of Azerbaijan - Shusha.

Ilgar Fahmi, Secretary of the Writers' Union of Azerbaijan, noted in his speech that the Days of Poetry of Vagif have been held for the third year after the liberation of the city of Shusha.

"Back in Soviet times, Vagif Poetry Days began in Vagif's homeland - in Gazakh, and continued in Shusha. This year, it was decided that the poetry days, according to tradition, will begin in Gazakh. The project has already been launched today," he said.

In his speech, literary critic Rustam Kamal noted that Vagif played an exceptional role in laying down national ethnic codes in Azerbaijani written literature, by creating the image of Azerbaijani people in poetry.

"Vagif's works - is a continuous poetry of light. In his poems, words such as 'light', 'fire' are the most significant, the most common and the most noticeable. President Ilham Aliyev and the Heydar Aliyev Foundation patronize our culture, literature, and classics. This plays a huge role in their return to our national memory. Being an intellectual, I thank the country's leadership," he added.

Poet Akber Goshali noted that tomorrow the participants of the event will leave from Vagif's homeland - Gazakh - for Shusha, where they will take part in the event. Holding this event in the cultural capital of the Turkic world with the participation of poets and writers of the Turkic world is of particular significance.

Another poet, Ibrahim Ilyasli, also spoke about the invaluable merits of Vagif in Azerbaijani literature, as well as about the wealth brought by his work to Azerbaijani literature.

Then the participating poets and ashugs read and sang the ghazals of Molla Panakh Vagif.

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