A ceremony has been held in the capital city to give awards to the winners of creative contests on the promotion of Uzbekistan’s non-material cultural heritage. The contests were conducted by the country’s Ministry for Culture and Sports and the republican scientific methodological centre for folk art and cultural enlightenment work.

A ceremony has been held in the capital city to give awards to the winners of creative contests on the promotion of Uzbekistan’s non-material cultural heritage. The contests were conducted by the country’s Ministry for Culture and Sports and the republican scientific methodological centre for folk art and cultural enlightenment work.

The deputy director of the republican scientific methodological centre for folk art and cultural enlightenment work, K.Omonqulov, and others said that consistent work was done in this country to keep its national heritage and to promote it widely, especially among the younger generation.

A resolution, dated 7 October 2010, of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan on approving a state programme for the preservation, propagation and use of the country’s non-material cultural heritage in the years 2010-2020 is an important guidance document for action in this sphere.

The aim of the contests held for the first time and entitled “The best expedition and scientific explorer” and “The best photo and video piece” is to step up the promotion of this nation’s rich non-material cultural heritage. Scholars, folklore specialists, explorers, teachers, students and employees of mass media actively participated in these contests.

In the contest for “the best expedition and scientific explorer”, Sarbinaz Sapparova from the Republic of Qoraqalpoghiston took first place in the expedition part of it, and Rahmatilla Sarimsoqov from Jizzakh Region achieved first place in the scientific exploration part.

“Jizzakh Region’s very rich and unique folklore has been studied to a small degree. We have visited a large number of steppe villages and have been able to gather more than a hundred folk songs,” says scholar and folklore specialist Rahmatilla Sarimsoqov.

In the contest for “the best photo and video piece”, Ozoda Turaqulova, an employee of the “Dunyo Buylab” television channel of the national tele-radio company of Uzbekistan, won the grand prize for videos, and Muhayo Egamberdiyeva, an employee of the “Mahalla” television channel; and Safarali Kurbonov, an employee of the “Madaniyat va Marifat” television channel, shared first place.

In the photo part, a photo correspondent of the Uzbekistan National News Agency, Alo Abdullayev, won the main prize, and Atanazar Kalliyev from Qoraqalpoghiston and Hamdamjon Mamadaliyev from Namangan Region shared first place.