Video

On December 30, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation arranged a festivity in Buta Palace for children to mark the World Azerbaijanis’ Solidarity Day and the New Year.

Children being educated at various children’s homes and boarding schools, as well as those in need of special care were invited to the festivity, held traditionally.

First Vice-president of the Republic of Azerbaijan, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva, Vice-president of the Foundation Leyla Aliyeva and Arzu Aliyeva attended the event.

As it has always been, this time too, children were taken to Buta Palace by specially allocated for them buses. Decorated in a special taste, placed at children’s disposal, the place had been designed to create a festive mood in children, resembling a fairy-tale world, and make them happy.

Festivities are arranged each year, following the initiative of First Vice-president Mehriban Aliyeva, for children being educated at various children’s homes and boarding schools, as well as those in need of special care, to celebrate the World Azerbaijanis’ Solidarity Day and the New Year. This year too, there was no exclusion.

The festivity started by the show of a film about the care shown by Azerbaijani people’s national leader Heydar Aliyev towards children, and his celebrating the World Azerbaijanis’ Solidarity Day and the New Year with children in different years.

Thereafter, the “Winter Fairy-tale” was presented. Staged by Russian director Aleksey Smirnov, the small scene was welcomed by the audience with much interest. Making children happy with a colourful design, the Winter Fairy-tale was staged on the histories of welcoming the New Year in various countries. This programme and the decorations built in Buta Palace for children to favour them with a true festive mood augmented children’s joy. Joining dances in the well-decorated palace, performing songs, showing their skills, the children were extremely happy. Because the festivity arranged by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and interesting performances of well-known artists, favourite characters of fairy-tales and animation films were meant for them.

The joy the children experienced at the festivity, the smile on their faces were the highest appreciation of the activity of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, which favoured them with this present. As all previous years, children got together around Mehriban Aliyeva, their greatest patroness.

The First Vice-president of Azerbaijan shared the joy of children, and had a sincere conversation with them.

Every child who was a participant of the festivity felt the care and attention of Mehriban Aliyeva towards them.

First Vice-president Mehriban Aliyeva approached all the tables laid for children in the palace, and inquired about their mood, listened to their wishes and was photographed with each of them. Related to a special category in the society, these children once more saw that they were surrounded with permanent care.

The fairy-tale and musical-entertaining programme was prepared with participation of various child groups, inhabitants of children’s homes, and Azerbaijani masters of art.

Personages playing favourite characters of children caused nice feelings in the festivity attendees. Small scenes, active and lively songs and dances made the festive event more colourful.

On the eve of the holiday, children were surrounded by their favourite characters in the palace resembling a winter fairy-tale, entertaining themselves together with them.

Led by Mehriban Aliyeva, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation has been paying special attention to solving issues concerning children deprived of parental protection. Implementing a series of strategic projects from the perspective of national interest, by becoming the high address of nobility, mercy and benevolence in the society, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation’s multifaceted activities are relying on these noble values.

First Vice-president of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva addressed the festivity.

Speech by First Vice-president Mehriban Aliyeva

- Respected parents, teachers, dear children.

I want to sincerely congratulate each of you on the World Azerbaijanis’ Solidarity Day and the New Year. Since the start of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation’s activity, i.e. for 15 years, we have been welcoming the New Year together. In the course of a year, we happen to meet also during various events, at different places. However, the New Year holiday is a special holiday, being the most favourable holiday of both children and the elderly. Today, we have a good chance to express our thoughts to each other, as a single family, and close, valuable and dear people.

We have been living the last days of the year 2019. I am hopeful this year was successful for each of you. A number of mentionable and significant for our country events took place this year. Stability and peace was ensured in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan has been developing. Reforms initiated by President Ilham Aliyev in 2018 have been continuing. In the report of the World Bank for 2020, Azerbaijan is ranked among the 20 most reformist countries of the world. In the report of the Davos World Economic Forum, Azerbaijan holds the 5th place on the level of the leadership’s tendency towards reforms. Among the 80 most powerful countries of the world, Azerbaijan was in the 45th place this year.

A series of significant international events, including the 7th Global Baku Forum, 5th World Intercultural Dialogue Forum, the 18th Summit of state and government heads of countries-members of the Nonaligned Movement, the 2nd Summit of World Religious Leaders, took place this year. A number of significant events took place also in other areas. Mentionable events in the cultural domain are, obviously, the inclusion of the Sheki Khan’s Palace and the historical centre of Sheki city in UNESCO’s World Heritage List, and Baku city’s having its place among UNESCO’s network of creativity cities. Great achievements were reached also in sports. In 2019, a number of international competitions took place in Azerbaijan. I want to specifically talk about the victory of one young man. In October this year, our young chess player Aydin Suleymanly gained victory in the world championship among girls and boys aged 14, 16 and 18. This, of course, makes each of us proud, and full of joy.

In short, the country has reached new achievements and victories in a number of areas, almost in all domains of life. Dear friends, all the works that we have done to date, all the steps that we have taken are to ensure your happy future.

New year is, at the same time, new wishes, new goals, and new possibilities. I wish the holiest wishes that you have been keeping in your hearts come true. I am confident, new victories and new achievements are facing our country. On this holiday, I want to thank our teachers for their matchless labour, for the attention they have shown towards our young generation, our children. I want to sincerely thank the people of art who have helped us, for the last 15 years, to create this festive environment together with the Heydar Aliyev Foundation’s staff, and entertained children participating in these festivities.

Dear friends, I want to once more congratulate you on the World Azerbaijanis’ Solidarity Day and the New Year, wishing you sound health, and successes. I wish peace to our country. May God protect Azerbaijan and the people of Azerbaijan. Congratulation.

XXX

Thus, the festivity, which is a part of the multifaceted activities of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, made hundreds of children happy.

At the end of the programme, which lasted over an hour, children were presented gifts from the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. Arranged by the Foundation, this festivity will be remembered by children forever.