Khiva hosts the 4th International Bakhshi Art Festival.

The Second Turkic World Culture Forum and the international scientific and practical conference “Art of Bakhshi in New Uzbekistan: Contemporary Research and Prospects” were held as part of the festival.

The events brought together Sultan Raev, Secretary General of TURKSOY, Aktoty Raimkulova, President of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, Mehmet Süreyya Er, Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States (TURKPA), Shahin Mustafayev, President of the Turkic Academy, Adil Karimli, Minister of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Gulbara Abdykalykova, Deputy Minister of Culture, Information, Sports, and Youth Policy of the Kyrgyz Republic, and other high-ranking officials. Among the participants are folklorists working at universities and research institutes across the country and scholars interested in the study of Bakhshi art and oral folk traditions.

The art of Bakhshi is a people’s art, timeless and enduring, that has existed for thousands of years. Any nation’s ancient history and culture are primarily embodied in its oral folk creativity, Dastans, and epics. These serve as invaluable sources for understanding a nation’s identity and preserving and developing its unique national values and traditions.

“This festival has been held since 2019 to develop the unique examples of Uzbek national Bakhshi art, promoting it widely, nurturing in the younger generation a sense of respect and attention toward this art form, strengthening bonds of friendship and brotherhood among different peoples, and further expanding creative cooperation and cultural and spiritual ties on an international scale”, said Adil Karimli, Minister of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan. “This year, the festival organized in Khiva has brought together nearly 200 participants from more than 40 countries”.

“In recent years, under the initiative of the President, such integral parts of culture as the art of Bakhshi, Maqom, and Lazgi have been developing in your country”, said Mr. Raev. “In the history of Uzbek culture, there have been two periods of Renaissance. Today, a third Renaissance is beginning here. It can be said that Uzbekistan has become one of the strongest countries in the world in this field. The country has taken the initiative to become a special region that unites many cultures, peoples, and heads of state. The event in Khiva contributes to the current globalization. This reflects the profound meaning of our culture and national traditions”.

Following the scientific and practical conference, an important resolution on the prospects of Bakhshi art was adopted.

Ahmadjon Shokirov, photos by Behzod Saidov, UzA