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Affairs, the National Academy of Sciences, the Republican Copyright Agency,
and other involved organizations.
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism is implementing practical programmes
to preserve and develop the cultural values of ethnic minorities and groups in
Azerbaijan. These programmes envisage cooperation with ethnic minorities’
cultural centres and communities, their stage companies’ guest performances
in and outside Azerbaijan, and ethnographic and art exhibitions. The ministry
promotes the creation and performance of art works developing ethnic customs
and traditions, and provides folk costumes, musical instruments and other
equipment for amateur performing companies.
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism goes on implementing the Cultural
Diversity in Azerbaijan project, aiming to provide information about ethnic
and cultural diversity and promote the public awareness of the necessity to
develop and encourage the intercultural dialogue. Ethnic minorities’ cultural
associations are attracted to take part in the project.
The “Azerbaijan, My Native Land” festival of ethnic minorities’ arts was held
in December 2006 on the UNESCO Cultural Diversity programme and the
Cultural Diversity in Azerbaijan project. Organized by the Ministry of Culture
and Tourism, it included concerts by 800 performers representing over forty
companies based in Baku and 14 districts of Azerbaijan. Practically all ethnic
entities in the republic were involved in the festival, which won enthusiastic
public response.
The presentations of the Atlas of Traditional Azerbaijani Music and the Album
of Azerbaijani Ethnic Music, both prepared under the supervision of Professor
Tariel Mamedov, were timed to the festival, just as a republican conference
on The Cultural Heritage of Ethnic Minorities and Contemporaneity, which
gathered top-notch researchers and cultural activists. A major exhibition of
ethnic minorities’ traditions and material culture was held at the Museum
Centre exhibition hall.
A second “Azerbaijan, My Native Land” festival followed in October 2008, and
a third in June 2011. They included research conferences, photo shows, and
routine and gala concerts that involved several thousand participants from
almost all ethnic minorities and groups resident in all parts of Azerbaijan.
With its efficient government policy of promoting languages and cultures,
Azerbaijan is steadily turning into a universally recognized exporter of
the experience of international support of cultural diversity, and Baku has
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