In accordance with the action plan derived from the Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, dated February 23, 2026, on the celebration of the 120^th anniversary of the People’s Poet Samad Vurgun, a literary and artistic event entitled “Science, Literature and Social Life” (Physics and Lyrics – IX) was held at the Samad Vurgun Health and Recreation Center. The event was jointly organized by the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS), the Azerbaijan Trade Unions Confederation, the Azerbaijan Writers’ Union and the Free Trade Union of ANAS.

A group of researchers from the ANAS Institute of Folklore also took part in the event.

The event was moderated by PhD in Philology, Associate Professor Ilhama Gasabova, the leading researcher at the Department of Mythology of the Institute of Folklore. At the conclusion of the event, she also made a presentation entitled “Samad Vurgun and ashiq creativity”.

In her presentation, she mentioned that Samad Vurgun was one of the most distinguished figures in Azerbaijani literature, creating a spiritual and aesthetic bridge between classical poetry and folk creativity. The ashiq tradition, the saz and oral poetic heritage, the worldview embedded in folk culture played a significant role in shaping his poetic vision. Vurgun regarded ashiq creativity not merely as a form of folklore, but as an essential bearer of national cultural memory, historical consciousness and the system of spiritual values.

As part of the event, Doctor of Sciences in Philology, Associate Professor Shakir Albaliyev, leading researcher at the Department of Mythology of the Institute of Folklore gave an artistic recitation of the poet’s poem.