ASTANA: The Kurmangazy Center for Children’s Creative Development is a humanitarian gift from the Kazakh people to the brotherly people of Azerbaijan, said President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at the center’s opening ceremony in Fuzuli on March 12.
The modern innovation center, established at Tokayev’s initiative, was built by Kazakhstan’s BI Group company with the assistance of Kazakhstan’s Agency of International Development (KazAID).
Unveiling the center, Tokayev expressed hope that this facility will serve to strengthen comprehensive ties between two countries.
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, who also attended the ceremony, thanked Tokayev and the Kazakh people for this initiative.
“This will not only be a center for children’s creativity, it will be a center for friendship and brotherhood of Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan,” he underscored.
The construction of the center, with an area of 1.5 hectares, commenced with laying the first stone in March 2023. Completed in just nine months, the two-story building has extensive facilities for extracurricular education, accommodating up to 600 children in two shifts.
The center offers a lecture hall, chess class, cooking class, art and sculpture studio, choreography hall and gym, sound recording room, music and vocal class, photo-video editing, web design and robotics rooms, assembly hall, and 3D modeling class. Special attention is paid to IT startups and the national culture of Azerbaijan, including the art of carpet weaving.
Tokayev presented the center staff with a replica of the Kurmangazy dombra, and a bus for student transportation.
Naming the center after Kurmangazy, an outstanding figure in Kazakh music and a cherished symbol of Turkic culture, has a special significance.
“Indeed, Kurmangazy is a titan of Kazakh music, one might even say, an integral part of Turkic culture. It is difficult to imagine Kazakh music without the name Kurmangazy. His music is very dynamic and modern. Until now, his famous kui “Saryarka” is listened to with great excitement,” noted Tokayev.
The presidents jointly inspected the destroyed places in Fuzuli and acquainted themselves with the city’s master plan for development, exploring ongoing large-scale construction and restoration efforts.
Beyond Azerbaijan, KazAID’s projects contributed to empowering women in Afghanistan, enhancing medical education, digitizing public services in Tajikistan, and promoting ethical standards among civil servants in the Kyrgyz Republic.
