The blockade is not a barrier to development in Nakhchivan
(the second part)
The renewal and renaissance in the autonomous republic is not limited to construction activities. In parallel, serious attention is paid to studying and researching the history of Nakhchivan. At the initiative of Chairman of the Supreme Assembly of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic Vasif Talibov the Nakhchivan branch of the Azerbaijani Academy of Sciences was set up, creating the conditions for complex research and study of the Nakhchivan history. The work done to this end is not limited to history. Major work has been done to inform the public of the obtained results. This is vividly illustrated by the publication in two volumes of the Nakhchivan Encyclopaedia, Encyclopaedia of Nakhchivan memorials, Historical Atlas of Nakhchivan, the first volume out of the three of the History of Nakhchivan and other similar books. There used to be a time when even the medieval period of history of it was not studied in depth, but now Nakhchivan puts forth serious scientific arguments to prove it has an urban culture that spans five millennia. The results of the research on the history of Nakhchivan are not limited to the publication of books. Consistent efforts are made to deliver these scientific results to the international community. Starting from 1996 the republic has hosted international symposiums and conferences, which are very important in this regard. Serious attention is paid to the documentation and restoration of historical monuments in Nakhchivan as proof of early settlement and building cities. This and the determination of the Duzdag culture in Nakhchivan as the new scientific area stem from the attention towards proper research of the motherland's history.
The cultural life of the autonomous republic is also busy these days. The conditions created for cultural facilities yield new and new successes. Today the autonomous republic has bands that perform on national and camera instruments. Important decisions were made for development of the Nakhchivan theatre, which has rich traditions. The building of the theatre was refurbished. The sponsorship of the Nakhchivan theatre by Chairman of the Supreme Assembly of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic Vasif Talibov, his direct contact with actors and producers, his valuable advice to them leads to new creative successes for this art. Today the folk theatres and music bands in the autonomous republic play an important part in the productive organization of the people's spare time.
One of the most significant historical achievements of modern Nakhchivan is building here powerful military personnel potential. In order to train young military personnel in the autonomous republic Chairman of the Supreme Assembly of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic Vasif Talibov raised the issue and with the 13 March 1998 directive of the Azerbaijani national leader Heydar Aliyev the High Military School was opened in Nakhchivan. Today it bears the name of Heydar Aliyev and its graduates serve in the Azerbaijani army with honour. The school is generating worthy successors to the Kangarli generals, who were born in Nakhchivan.
In addition to training military personnel, the autonomous republic also takes consistent efforts to strengthen the material and technical basis of the army. During one of his visits to the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic the head of state Ilham Aliyev highly assessed the work done to build up the military here and said: "In terms of building the army a lot of work is being done in Nakhchivan. This military unit can be an example for any military unit in Azerbaijan. The conditions here are up to the highest standards. This is how the Azerbaijani army should be."
The formation of the field army in Nakhchivan is a crucial historic decision that serves to ensure security of the autonomous republic. As the head of state said, now the Nakhchivan army not only ensures reliable defence of the autonomous republic's borders, but is also capable of executing any military task.
As a result of the accomplished work the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic has long broken the blockade. The blockade only exists on paper for Naxcivan, where towns and villages rapidly renew, international events and sports competitions are held, every year 350,000 - 400,000 tourists visit, five-star hotels operate, production facilities that use local raw materials are built, the export capabilities are increasing, all social needs of the population are met. In other words, in the conditions of a blockade it created a renaissance. This is the common view that guests to the autonomous republic have: Nakhchivan is on the path to speedy development. This is a very clean and safe region. It is for these reasons that American journalist Mark Hey dubbed Nakhchivan San-Francisco of the Caucasus; Slovenian journalist Stefano De Francesci described the ancient land as a herald of modern development and progress. The majority of foreign guests to Nakhchivan called it Azerbaijan's Strasbourg.
to be continued
Susanbar Aghamaliyeva
PhD in Philology