According to the resolution of the Mejlis (Parliament) of Turkmenistan, approved by the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov, the year 2024 has officially declared in Turkmenistan as “The Year of The Fount of the Wisdom of Magtymguly Fragi” - the great thinker and classical poet of the Turkmen nation and all the East. The decision is also influenced by the poem “Pähim-paýhas ummany Magtymguly Fragi,” crafted by the insightful talent and wisdom of the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.
The decision aligns with the comprehensive efforts aimed at studying and promoting the rich literary legacy of Magtymguly Fragi, a revered Eastern classical poet and thinker, whose contributions have become a treasury of global spiritual culture.
First of all, Magtymguly Fragi is the founder of the Turkmen classical language and literature, the National image of the great Turkmen, who became a goodwill envoy of the Turkmen people in establishing humanitarian relations with the people of the world. Magtymguly Fragi is a poet who has made a significant contribution to the eventual formation of the Turkmens and left an indispensable legacy to our nation. As is astutely conveyed in his poem,
When souls, hearts and minds of tribes are united,
Their troops when gathered will melt stones and ground
on their way,
When Turkmen gather around one table to share a meal,
The destiny of Turkmen will rise high.
Magtymguly Fragi occupies an important place in the life of the Turkmen people. His works are recognized as a national school of education, fostering high morality, humanistic values, and patriotic sentiments among the people. His creative heritage is not only a national treasure, but also part of treasure of the world culture. Magtymguly shows such enduring values as love for the Motherland, the people and all mankind. Today, the high philosophical and humanistic principles of the great poet, which are the basis of modern Turkmen statehood, are an endless source of inspiration in the life of our people and country, having found their embodiment in the domestic and foreign policy of Turkmenistan, successfully implemented under the leadership of the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov.
The philosophy of the great Turkmen poet and thinker, based on the principles of peace, good neighborliness, humanism and justice, is being studied in various countries. Magtymguly Fragi is also well known in Central Asia and most of the Eastern countries. Among those nations Magtymguly Fragi is considered as a poet who lived not only in books but also in hearts. His words are valuable for every person living in this world, because his lines contain the spirit that is the main virtue of our philosophy of life, not to lose hope at any moment, and to look to the future with confidence. Because he is a poet who decorates every word with meaning and takes a place in hearts.
At the core of the thoughts of the master of words in his poems is the problem of educating a perfect person. The immortality of the poet’s creativity lies in the fact that he exalted the dignity of humanity, raised it to a higher level, and tied his fate with them. A wise poet artistically expresses in his poetic lines that the human soul should be rich in feelings of love and affection, that life will be beautiful if people live in harmony with each other.
By the decision of the Head of Turkmenistan on the large-scale celebration of the 300th anniversary of the birth of the outstanding classic of the Turkmen literature, poet and philosopher of the East, Turkmenistan continues preparations for celebration of this event. The significant date will be celebrated this year, also declared at the suggestion of Turkmenistan by the International Organization of Turkic Culture (TURKSOY) «The Year of the great poet and philosopher of the Turkic World – Magtymguly Fragi».
Meanwhile, on November 21, 2023, within the framework of the plenary session of the 42nd session of the General Conference of UNESCO, a resolution was adopted according to which Turkmenistan’s proposal to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the birth of the poet Magtymguly Fragi was included in the List of significant dates for joint celebration with UNESCO in 2024-2025.
This event is another striking evidence of international recognition of the role and significance in world literature and in the context of the development of cultural and humanitarian cooperation of the work of the great Turkmen classical poet and thinker Magtymguly Fragi.
Given the huge contribution of Magtymguly Fragi to the treasury of universal spiritual values, the anniversary celebrations in honor of this significant date include scientific, cultural and other events that already started holding in 2023 and planned to be held during the current year both in Turkmenistan and in various countries of the world at the highest organizational level.
Based on the high level of bilateral relations between Turkmenistan and the Republic of Korea, special attention is also paid to the development of cooperation in the field of culture, including mutual study of the cultural heritage of the peoples of two friendly countries.
Thus, the Embassy of Turkmenistan in the Republic of Korea, with the assistance of the Korean side, held a number of cultural events in the Republic of Korea in 2023 to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the birth of the outstanding classic of the Turkmen literature, poet and philosopher of the East Magtymguly Fragi. Among them, the international conference on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the birth of the Magtymguly Fragi opened the events held in Seoul as part of the Culture Days of Turkmenistan hold on March 2023 in Seoul.
The conference, organized at the site of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Korea, brought together representatives of government agencies, embassies accredited in the country, members of the scientific community, representatives of the Friendship Association between the Republic of Korea and the countries of Central Asia, as well as Turkmen students studying in Korean universities.
Furthermore, on June 9, 2023 the Embassy of Turkmenistan in the Republic of Korea organized a joint Turkmen-Korean international scientific and creative online conference titled "Magtymguly Fragi and the world values", devoted to the 300th anniversary of the birth of the classical poet Magtymguly Fragi.
Speakers at the conference noted that the classical poet Magtymguly Fragi was a good-will representative of the Turkmen nation in establishing humanitarian relations, as well as the founder of the Turkmen national literature.
It was emphasized that the creative legacy of the great poet of the East Magtymguly Fragi brought together the ideas of the poets and researchers before him and gave these ideas a new character. The participants of the conference also noted that the translation of the collection of the poet’s poems into the Korean language and other languages of the world, will greatly assist the international academic research community in their study of the Turkmen history and literature.
This complex of events became the beginning of a huge and wide-ranging celebration of the 300th anniversary of the great poet and philosopher of the East in a current year. The upcoming events will serve as another important step towards better familiarizing the world community with the cultural heritage of the Turkmen nation through familiarization with the great works of the prominent Turkmen classical poet, great thinker and philosopher of the East Magtymguly Fragi.
The article and the photos were provided by the Embassy of Turkmenistan in the Republic of Korea