― 16 мая 2025 г.
Secretary General Raev attended the Premiere of Sándor Lezsák's play “Breath for Life”in Azerbaijan
TURKSOY Secretary General Sultan Raev attended the Premiere of the play “Yaşam Üçün Nəfəs” (Breath for Life), written by the world-renowned author and playwright Sándor Lezsák, at the Nakhchivan State University in Azerbaijan.
The play, which was staged in Azerbaijan for the first time, was prepared by the “Theater and Cultural Studies” department within the Faculty of Fine Arts at Nakhchivan State University. The play vividly portrayed the social pressures experienced during Hungary's communist era, the effects of war on individuals, unfulfilled dreams, and harsh living conditions through an impactful theatrical language. At the end of the performance, artists received standing ovations from the audience.
The performance was attended by the play's author, Sándor Lezsák, as well as Hungary's Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Tamaş Torma, the Rector of the John von Neumann University and the University of Languages of Azerbaijan, Prof. Dr. Kemal Abdulla and the Member of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan, Prof. Dr. Rafiq Aliyev, along with numerous authors, scholars, faculty members, and students of the university.
In his statement following the performance, TURKSOY Secretary General Sultan Raev emphasized the power of art in building cultural bridges between peoples and noted that this premiere in Nakhchivan made a meaningful contribution to the cultural rapprochement between the Turkic World and Hungary.
The Rector of the Nakhchivan State University Prof. Dr. Elbrus İsayev, in his speech, thanked Şandor Lezsák for accepting the invitation and honoring the university with his presence, and described the play as a successful example of literary and cultural interaction between Azerbaijan and Hungary. The Rector also extended his greetings to Azerbaijan's Ambassador to Hungary, Tahir Tağızadə, for his contributions to this collaboration.
The author Sándor Lezsák recalled that the play was first staged in 1987 and described this special performance in Nakhchivan as “one of the most original and professional stagings to date.” He also stated that the academic cooperation between John von Neumann University and Nakhchivan State University will continue to grow stronger.
The play was directed by Azerbaijan's veteran cultural worker Gülxarə Əhmədova, with Kamran Quliyev, a People's Artist of Azerbaijan, serving as consultant. The play was adapted by Tofiq Seyidov, with stage design by Cavid İsmayılov, music by Mübariz Əsgərov, and set and costume design by Arzu Novruzov. The roles in the play were portrayed by Veteran Artist Nurbəniz Niftəliyeva and Yusif Rzayev, a second-year student from the “Theater and Cultural Studies” department.
The event ended with group photographs taken as a remembrance of the day.
