Statue of Nizami Ganjavi to be erected in two Ukrainian cities

A statue of the great Azerbaijani poet and thinker Nizami Ganjavi will be erected in the Botanical Garden of the Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv, Ukraine.

According to Report's Eastern European bureau, the Azerbaijani Embassy in Ukraine and the Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University signed a Memorandum of Understanding in this regard.

The memorandum was inked by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Azerbaijan to Ukraine Elmira Akhundova and Rector of Kyiv National University named after Taras Shevchenko, Professor Vladimir Bugrov.

Akhundova said that a statue of the thinker would be erected in Kharkiv and Kyiv under the order of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to declare 2021 the year of the great poet Nizami Ganjavi:

"I thank you and your management for sincere support in erecting a statue of Nizami Ganjavi in Botanical Garden. This is yet another clear example of the strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and Ukraine in the field of culture, just like in all other areas. Azerbaijan also witnessed Ukraine's sincere support during the 44-day Patriotic War."

The ambassador noted that repair work would be carried out around the statue of Nizami Ganjavi in the Botanical Garden. This work will carried out by the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Turkey. The author of the statue is the People's Artist of Ukraine, our compatriot sculptor Katib Mammadov.

In turn, Bugrov stressed he was pleased with constructing a statue of a great thinker like Nizami Ganjavi in Kyiv: "This event will contribute to the development of cultural ties between Ukraine and Azerbaijan. Just as there are statues of famous Azerbaijani figures in Ukraine, there are statues of historical figures of our country in Azerbaijan. Developing this practice only makes a good impression."

Ali Aliyev, chairman of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Turkey, who attended the event, said a special fountain would be built around the statue, and other relevant works would be carried out for the rest of the city's residents.

In conclusion, the participants discussed the re-signing of the cooperation agreement between the Kyiv National University named after Taras Shevchenko and Baku State University, the education of Azerbaijani students in Ukraine, and other issues of mutual interest.