On November 20, the exhibition “Seven Beauties” was inaugurated in the All-Russian Popular and Decorative-Applied Art Museum in Moscow.

Vice-president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva attended the exhibition’s inauguration ceremony.

The exhibition is held with the organizational support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Culture Ministry of Azerbaijan, supported by the Azerbaijani Embassy in Russia.

Leyla Aliyeva addressed the ceremony:

Today, we are inaugurating the exhibition “Seven Beauties”. The exhibition’s concept has been built on the basis of 12^th-century Azerbaijani poet of genius Nizami Ganjavi’s poem and world-renowned composer Gara Garayev’s ballet. Today, you are going to see miniatures, carpets and items of jewellery. The exposition has been enriched also with classical music of Azerbaijan, classical dances, and contemporary art elements. Those visiting the exhibition will be lost in the secret of seven beauties and Bahram Shah legend. The poem “Seven Beauties” is one of the best examples of the Eastern poetry. The poem’s profoundness and philosophical world are introduced through carpets, projections of book miniatures, examples of decorative and applied art, and installations. Dedicated to the ballet “Seven Beauties” and presented to the audience today, the archive materials are very valuable historical research documents. Today, you can get information through old posters, ballet programmes, and photos. Inauguration of the exhibition “Seven Beauties” is extremely important, as works by genius Nizami covers a large period of the Azerbaijani literature.

Dear friends, timeless creativity is a great boon sent from the heavens. It helps human become better, to go into the depths of his soul, and open love, the superior force.

I want to thank Yelena Titova for the possibilities she has created for us. I thank everyone who has worked on the exhibition. Thank you all for being together with us today.

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Director of the All-Russian Popular and Decorative-Applied Art Museum Yelena Titova and Azerbaijan’s ambassador to Russia Polad Bulbuloghlu spoke at the event.

The concept of the exposition has been built on the basis of the poem “Seven Beauties” by 12^th century poet of genius Nizami Ganjavi, and the same-name ballet by world-renowned Azerbaijani composer Gara Garayev. In the project, the Azerbaijani culture is introduced by the synthesis of carpet, jewellery and miniature arts, contemporary art, classical music and dance.

The exposition is comprised of exhibits of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the Carpet Museum of Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijan State Music Culture Museum. The place of exhibition takes visitors to the legend about Bahram Shah and seven beauties. The philosophical world of this literary work, which has played a significant role in the Azerbaijani culture, is revived through carpets, projection of book miniatures, items of decorative and applied art, and installations.

The installation “Miniature” being displayed at the exhibition has been created by Azerbaijani artist Rashad Alakbarov on the basis of the Tabriz miniature called “The Prince Reading a Book”, related to the 16^th century. The idea of the composition has been built on creation of an illusion portal, which leads each visitor to the world of ancient fairy tales and legends. Here, Nasimi’s poem is revived before the eyes of the audience. The miniature “The Prince Reading a Book” is said to have been created by Sultan Mahammad, who used to be considered the peak of the Safavids painting at the time of Shah Tahmasib the 1^st, and this work is being preserved in the collection of V.Vever in Paris.

Scenes from Gara Garayev’s ballet “Seven Beauties”, written on the basis of Nizami Ganjavi’s poem, as well as archive materials related to the same spectacle too are included in the exhibition’s exposition. A visitor finds here himself on a scene of ballet, surrounded by ballerinas reviving Nizami’s characters.

The exhibition will continue to function until February 3, 2019.