From 25 to 27 September, Silk Road Media (UK)/ECG (London) vice-chairman and publisher Marat Akhmedjanov and other representatives of the holding company paid a working visit to Dushanbe. This trip led to a number of important discoveries and insights.
DISCOVERY 1: INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AS A VACCINE AGAINST ‘GROWTH DISEASE’
The pace of Dushanbe’s development is a delight to anyone who regularly visits magical Tajikistan, and a tourist visiting the capital for the first time is in for a real treat. The architectural appearance of the city, with its monumentality and majesty, harmonises surprisingly well with the surrounding mountains, while at the same time being spacious and green, and the decorative elements and landscape create a sense of abundance. The buildings of the National Library of Tajikistan and the Sadriddin Aini Opera and Ballet Theatre impressed the Silk Road Media (UK)/ECG (London) delegation with their scale. But with such rapid growth, there are challenges that cannot be avoided. The first is realising the accumulated potential – when so many heritage sites and unique projects are created within the country, international recognition becomes a necessity because of the tremendous effort that has gone into such development. After all, when we put our talent, energy and resources into something, we want to get feedback from others, otherwise we feel disappointed, don’t we? And now Tajikistan has come to the point where the development of international relations has become a critical need. Fortunately, both the state and activists understand this very well and are launching projects that can become a platform for cooperation between countries. Thus, at the invitation of the Minister of Tourism of the Republic of Tajikistan, a delegation from Silk Road Media (UK)/ECG (London) and OCA Magazine visited the first international tourism exhibition at the International Exhibition Centre (EXPO-CENTRE). There, Silk Road Media (UK)/ECG (London) had the pleasure of speaking with Mr. Minister himself as well as with representatives of national and foreign companies such as Alif Bank, Somon Air and others. As a result of the visit to the exhibition, a number of business meetings were scheduled and promptly organised ahead of the Investment Forum to be held in Dushanbe in December.
Of course, it is not only the economy that needs to be opened up to international interaction, but also cultural and artistic integration. Therefore, it was a special honour to announce Tolibkhon Shahidi – an outstanding composer of international renown – as the ECG (London) Ambassador in the field of music, and it was a particular pleasure to launch the idea of creating a music festival in Dushanbe.
DISCOVERY 2: TAJIK CREATIVES ARE READY FOR INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITY
This was objectively demonstrated by meetings with representatives of various artistic directions. Thus, thanks to the famous Tajik writer Gulsifat Shahidi, ECG Guardian (London), a meeting with young Tajik writers and poets was held on 25 September at the Writers’ Union of Tajikistan. The meeting was held in the mode of creative and constructive dialogue, with speeches by Ato Mirkhoja, Deputy Chairman of the Writers’ Union, Gulsifat Shahidi, writers from Uzbekistan and young writers from Tajikistan. Marat Akhmedjanov and Taina Kaunis briefed the writers on how Silk Road Media (UK)/ECG (London) and Hertfordshire Press can help creative people promote themselves internationally. The ECG (London) team were then fortunate enough to visit the Tajik National Conservatory, where students and teachers gave a wonderful concert of classical and traditional music.
One of the most significant and memorable events was the screening of films at the Union of Tajik Cinematographers on 26 September. Two wonderful films were presented to the eyes of connoisseurs – “A Rosary of Memory”, made in memory of Tolibkhon Shahidi, and “Run” (directed by Safar Khakdodov), which was awarded the State Prize “Rudaki”.
And on 27 September, an impressive event took place at the Sadriddin Aini Opera and Ballet Theatre, which included a chamber concert with musicians from Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, as well as discussions on the possibilities of international cooperation and the holding of a series of groundbreaking cultural events at the theatre.
DISCOVERY 3: INTEREST IS THE BASIS OF EVERYTHING
It is no secret that the main stimulus for the development of any creative activity – science, creative industries, social projects, etc. – has always been interesting. It is thanks to constant research, experimentation and attention to international best practices that even global phenomena such as the Great Silk Road came into being, not to mention discoveries and masterpieces. This is why the Silk Road Media (UK)/ECG (London) delegation was particularly pleased to see the sincere attention of the community. During the trip, interviews were conducted with the online portal ‘Vecherniy Dushanbe’ (aka ‘Vecherka’, EN ‘Evening Dushanbe’), the ‘Chaikhona’ programme on ‘Vatan’ radio, and even a video interview was recorded for the ‘XXX’ programme. A special pleasure was the number of wonderful outstanding participants – academics, creators, cultural heritage guardians and events of the business programme, for which Silk Road Media (UK)/ECG (London) would like to thank the Shahidi family and personally Mrs Gulsifat Shakhidi, thanks to whom this trip was made possible.
Of course, it was particularly valuable to see the practical interest of the participants in the projects of ECG (London) and OCA Magazine. The festivals, contests and publishing projects described by the delegates of ECG (London), Ambassador Gennady Gorovoy and Taina Kaunis, advisor of the holding, were warmly welcomed by the audience.
GLOBAL CONCLUSION
Tajikistan has tremendous potential that is not currently apparent to an international audience. It is important to give it exposure and recognition on the world stage now, when the world is focused on finding new prospects. Superb natural conditions, rich subsoil, developing industries and a large number of creative people can provide an excellent basis for further success.
