On the 25th of November the scientific session on the topic “Lachin: traces of cultural memory visible in folklore” was held at the Main Building of ANAS, dedicated to the declaration of the city of Lachin as the cultural capital of the CIS in 2025. The event, jointly organized by the Department of Humanities of ANAS and the Institute of Folklore, was attended by employees of the Institutes of History and Ethnology, Folklore and Manuscripts, volunteers of the Central Scientific Library, students and members of the media.

Opening the scientific session with an introductory speech, Academician Teymur Karimli, Deputy Chairman of the Scientific Council of the Department of Humanities, recalled that by the decision of the CIS Humanitarian Cooperation Council dated October 8, 2024, the city of Lachin in the East Zangezur region of Azerbaijan was declared “The Cultural Capital of the CIS” in 2025. He mentioned that this decision opens new opportunities for Lachin’s cultural revival, active participation in the humanitarian cooperation space and international cultural integration. He noted that this initiative was of great importance not only for Azerbaijan, but also for the entire region.

Director of the Institute of Folklore of ANAS, Doctor of Sciences in Philology Hikmat Guliyev made a speech and pointed out that the restoration and reconstruction processes carried out in Karabakh and the Eastern Zangezur were not limited to infrastructure projects, but rather serve to revive the cultural and spiritual life of the region. The scientist noted that the fact that the event was held simultaneously with the 5th anniversary of the Glorious Victory had additional symbolic meaning. He noted that five years ago, Azerbaijan not only liberated its lands, but also saved its cultural heritage and identity memory, which had been formed in these lands for hundreds of years, from occupation. The declaration of Lachin as the cultural capital of the CIS in 2025 was evaluated as both a strategic and cultural event from this perspective. He mentioned that the folklore environment of Lachin and the surrounding regions, including sacred sites, ancient belief systems and ashiq creativity, had a unique place on the cultural map of the Caucasus.

At the event, leading researcher of the Institute of Folklore of ANAS, Doctor of Philology, Associate Professor Shakir Albaliyev delivered a report on the topic “Traces of folklore in Zangezur toponyms”. Later, poet and publicist Ilham Gahramanov presented his report on the theme “The Life and Creativity of the Sari Ashiq”. At the scientific session, Konul Mammadova, a doctoral student at the Institute of Folklore, delivered a report on the topic “Jinas in Sari Ashiq’s activity”.

The event also included a presentation of the reprinted edition of Salman Mumtaz’s book “Ashiq Abdulla”, transcribed by the leading researcher at the Institute of Folklore, Doctor of Philosophy in Philology, Associate Professor Rza Khalilov.

At the end of the scientific session a short film titled “Lachin: From Destruction to Revival” prepared by the Folklore Studio of the Folklore Institute was shown.