November 27, solemn opening ceremony of the photo exhibition “With love for Baku” by famous photographer Georgi Pinkhasov was organized at the “Manezh” Central Exhibition Hall in Moscow by the “Baku” magazine.

Director of “Moskovski dom fotografii” Museum Olga Sviblova called the soiree as the festival of “Baku” magazine, the initiator of the project.

Opening the ceremony, Editor-in-Chief of the “Baku” magazine, Head of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation’s Office in the Russian Federation, Chairwoman of the Azerbaijan Youth Organization of Russia Leila Aliyeva said: “We want the magazine that was established two years ago to help readers to feel and love the unique atmosphere of our city. On the pages of our magazine, we tell about the history, culture, traditions, customs, origin and modern look of our country, our capital. We talk about great persons with extraordinary fate, great talents and intellects, also ordinary people with very interesting destiny. In a word, we talk about residents of Baku. We – residents of Baku much love our city and this is why always talk about it with love. This evening confirms it”. 

L.Aliyeva underlined Baku has a lot of allegoric names: “”The city of winds”, “The land of fires”, “The pearl of Caspian” and all these words said about the capital of Azerbaijan are true. She mentioned Baku is very diverse: antiquity and modernity, broad avenues and narrow zigzag streets, Maiden Tower and ultramodern buildings, typical landscapes related to urbanization and traditional lifestyle. The Editor-in-Chief of the “Baku” magazine said: “Like all big cities Baku is a noisy, hasty and at the same time mysterious great city with century-old history. I can talk of Baku for hours, but I quite agree with proverb “Seeing once is better than hearing for hundred times”.

Then, L.Aliyeva asked the audience to view the photographs by very gifted photographer Georgi Pinkhasov, saying “Creative activity of this person is great art, and I have no doubt, he created these works with love for Baku”.

Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Russia Polad Bulbuloglu described the photo exhibition about Baku as very amazing. He thanked Leila Aliyeva and all organizers of the event: “As if presentation of “Baku” magazine took place recently, but 2 years have already passed and the 14th issue of the magazine is to be released. We all are honored for publication of such a modern and elegant magazine in the Russian Federation”. According to the Ambassador, the magazine is the source of our pride today and read with huge interest in Russia. He said: “The talented photographer has made a nice exhibition on our native city. There are many here who were born in and have been to Baku. I express my gratitude to the author for these wonderful works, for presenting our city so sunny and beautiful, and to Leila Aliyeva and all the editorial of the magazine for organizing the event”.

Georgi Pinkhasov, the only Russian maestro working at “Magnum Fotos” Agency, described Baku as very nice, sunny and lovely city and he tried to convince all of this. The world-famous photographer said: “I am very happy if I have achieved it”. He mentioned he for short time worked in Baku that he visited first in 1976. Georgi Pinkhasov said: “It was quite short time in May, lasting 10 days. I was very nervous that I would not be able to realize what I thought. But as you see we have the result and this success belongs not only to me. I want to express my gratitude to “Baku” magazine, its Editor-in-Chief Leila Aliyeva, who found courage to launch the project, and all those having participated in this project”. 

The exhibition features 60 works dedicated to spring in Baku, which will be posted on “Baku” magazine, too.

Cultural program of the event included performance by naghara player Natig Shiraliyev.

The exhibition will last until December 13.