On November 3, 2025, a gala concert and awards ceremony for the festival’s laureates took place at the Zurab Tsereteli Art Gallery, a museum and exhibition complex of the Russian Academy of Arts, as part of the IX Moscow International Arts Festival “Sounds of Dutar” named after Nury Halmammedov.
The festival commemorates the International Year of Peace and Trust and the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.
The gala event was attended by representatives of the Embassy of Turkmenistan in the Russian Federation, Russian creative and scientific intelligentsia, students from secondary, specialized, and higher educational institutions, numerous residents and guests of Moscow, as well as representatives of the media.
In his welcoming address, the Ambassador of Turkmenistan to the Russian Federation E. Aydogdyev emphasized the special symbolism of holding the IX Moscow International Arts Festival “Sounds of Dutar” during the International Year of Peace and Trust, which marks the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s permanent neutrality and the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. In the hands of a musician, the dutar becomes not just an instrument, but a conduit for peace, conveying the message that through music, any obstacle can be overcome. It’s no wonder that, speaking of the peacemaking power of music, the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, writes in his book, “Music of Peace, Music of Friendship and Brotherhood” that “Today, in a politically difficult time, we act in the world as a nation, in which the notion has long been entrenched in its mind that art prevails over conflict, and dutar prevails over weapons. That is why, when I say the word “neutrality,” the image of a skilled Shukur-bahshy with a dutar in his hands comes to life before my eyes”.
The jury, chaired by the festival’s art director, composer M.Guseinov, included experts in the following categories: “Vocal Art”, “Piano”, “Wind Instruments”, “String Instruments, Guitar, and Folk Orchestra Instruments”.
This year, over 100 applications were received from Turkmenistan, the Russian Federation, the People’s Republic of China, Uzbekistan, and Guatemala.
Participants from Turkmenistan at the festival included students from children’s art schools, the Turkmen state specialized music school named after Danatar Ovezov, students from the Turkmen National Conservatory named after Maya Kulieva, and musicians from the State Symphony Orchestra of Turkmenistan.
The audience greeted the festival’s laureates with thunderous applause. The winners were presented with diplomas and commemorative gifts.
As part of the festival, the International Scientific and Practical Conference “The Face of War in the Mirror of Art” was held in a hybrid format at the Russian State Library on October 27. The forum brought together faculty from leading Russian art universities, as well as representatives from the Turkmen National Conservatory named after Maya Kulieva and the Turkmen State Institute of Culture. The conference focused on preserving historical memory for future generations and developing fundamentally new approaches to shaping concepts such as heroism, patriotism, and friendship.
On October 29 and 30, musician auditions and the “Universe of Words” recitation competition were held. This section of the program focused on the performance of classical music rooted in ethnocultural traditions.
The series of events will conclude with the art exhibition “Palette of the World” from November 6 to 14 at the Center for Oriental Literature of the Russian State Library.
The “Sounds of Dutar” festival confirms its importance year after year as a significant cultural event that contributes to the strengthening of cultural and humanitarian relations between Turkmenistan and the Russian Federation.