İyunun 5-də Sankt-Peterburqda dahi Azərbaycan şairi və mütəfəkkiri Nizami Gəncəvinin 870 illik yubileyi münasibətilə onun adını daşıyan bağın təntənəli açılışı olmuşdur.

In her opening remarks Mrs Aliyeva said opening the Nizami Ganjavi Garden is another project of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation’s Representation in Russia, implemented jointly with the Saint Petersburg Administration. ‘Presidents Heydar Aliyev and Vladimir Putin attended the opening of the monument to the great Azerbaijani poet and philosopher of the 12th century in Saint Petersburg on June 9, 2002. The monument was prepared in Baku and gifted by the Azerbaijani people to Saint Petersburg. The Azerbaijani sculptor - graduate of the V.Mukhina Leningrad Higher Art School - Gayrush Babayev created the image of Nizami. This year will see the poet’s 870th birthday. Under the patronage of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation’s Representation, unique granite benches and a terrace with fragments from Nizami’s poems were installed in the garden.The monument to the poet was restored on this occasion. Upon the Saint Petersburg Governor’s decree, this wonderful garden was named after Nizami Ganjavi’, Mrs Aliyeva said. She thanked the City authorities for their support, and voiced hope that the Heydar Aliyev Foundation’s Representation in Russia and the Saint Petersburg Administration will carry out many interesting projects in future.

Azerbaijani Ambassador to Russia Polad Bulbuloghlu related the earlier history of establishment of the monument to Nizami Ganjavi in Saint Petersburg. He noted that even during the tough years of the World War II the intelligentsia of Russia’s northern capital marked the great poet’s 800th jubilee. The Ambassador thanked all those who participated in and supported the establishment of the monument in Saint Petersburg. ‘This monument and garden symbolize the friendship and good relations between Azerbaijan and Russia’, he underscored.

Alexander Platunov - Deputy Chairman of the Saint Petersburg Government’s Committee on Culture - spoke about the significance of this event for Saint Petersburg residents, and for strengthening friendly relations between Russian and Azerbaijani peoples.

Ilgar Hajiyev - Deputy Executive Director of Russian Azerbaijani Congress - also noted the tremendous significance of such actions in strengthening friendship and mutual understanding between the two nations.

Azerbaijan’s Consul General in Saint Petersburg Gudsi Osmanov acknoledged the opening of the Garden as an important event in the life of Azerbaijani community of Russia’s northern capital. According to Mr Osmanov, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation’s Representation in Russia implements various projects in Russia, including a monument erected to the legendary Farman Salmanov; a memorial stele to Azerbaijani heroes in ‘Nevski pyatochok’; and today this garden named after Nizami Ganjavi is opening here. ‘The monument was gifted to Saint Petersburg residents and the garden is a gift to residents from Azerbaijani people’, the Consul General mentioned. He thanked the Administration for their support.

Afterwards, Leila Aliyeva cut the symbolic red ribbon and put flowers at the monument to the legendary Azerbaijani poet.