On July 4, a monument to the great Turkmen poet and thinker Magtymguly Pyragy (1724-1807) was unveiled in Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana. The ceremony was attended by the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the People’s Council of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of Kazakhstan Maulen Ashimbayev, and Astana Mayor Kassymbek Zhenis.
The International Organization of Turkic Culture (TURKSOY) declared 2024 “The Year of the Great Poet and Thinker of the Turkic World – Magtymguly Pyragy,” while the 300th anniversary of the poet’s birth Pyragy was included in the UNESCO List of Memorable Dates for 2024-2025.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov announced that the erection of the monument in the capital of Kazakhstan testifies the eternity and inviolability of Kazakh-Turkmen friendship. The National Leader of Turkmenistan also emphasized the continuous, important role played by culture, music, poetry, and creativity in general, in maintaining close and cohesive ties between peoples.
Hailing the legacy of Pyragy the property of all humanity, the Chairman of the Kazakh Senate Maulen Ashimbayev stressed that just like the poems and philosophical prose of the great Kazakh writer Abai, the poetic heritage of the brilliant son of the Turkmen people is perceived in Kazakhstan as an integral part of the common treasury of Turkic culture.
