A large-scale forum, initiated by President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov and annually timed to coincide with Cultural and Art Workers Day, is aimed to preserve, deeply explore and widely popularize our people’s spiritual wealth, encourage professional growth of creative workers, and find new talents. First organized in the “Avaza” National Tourist Zone in 2013, the Culture Week has been held in turn in every velayat since then and has celebrated the regions’ diverse historical-cultural heritage. At the same time, the annual event showcases vibrant modern Turkmen culture, reflecting all national arts – opera, music, songs, cinematography, theater, fine arts, decorative and applied arts, literature and folk art. Ashgabat, the country’s cultural center, has brought together creative workers from all the regions for a few days. Delegations that arrived in Ashgabat to participate in the Culture Week include renowned theater actors, pop and folk singers, museum professionals, librarians, artists, poets, professional musical ensembles, popular folk dance and song groups. Organized as part of the Culture Week, concerts given by young singers and musicians; exhibitions of paintings, works of decorative and applied arts, printed products, museum pieces, and photographs; film screenings, poetry readings present Turkmen culture in all its diversity. An opening ceremony for the Culture Week-2017 took place at the Mukam Palace of the State Cultural Center. Among the ceremony attendees were government members, senior officials and representatives of the Ministry of Culture and departments, institutes of the Academy of Sciences, the country’s artistic higher education institutions, the mass media, cultural and art workers, and students. The Mukam Palace hosted a big concert given by performing artists and our country’s popular creative groups. Stage design and scenery with the wide application of modern technical equipment and visual imagery highlighted the rich content of performances. This enabled to create narrative mini stage plays, united by a common theme – the revival of national culture and art. By the well-established tradition, performing artists staged new performances in honor of their professional holiday. The concert program included folk and modern melodies, songs, classical music, choreographic and folk performances. Many styles and genres are typical of some regions of the country; together they compose rich and diverse national culture. The performance of fragments from the folk epic poems, “Gerogly” and “Zohre and Tahir” on stage emphasized the continuation of artistic traditions in Turkmen art. Pop songs were also in the concert program. “Asiada” song, a hymn to the big sporting event to be held in Ashgabat in the running year’s September, was one of the most spectacular and dynamic highlights of the concert. Accompanied by an informative video and a performance given by a dance group with elements of sport dance, it expressed the people’s enthusiasm for the Asian Games. The lively and energetic “kushdepdi” dance, which embodies harmony and spiritual power of the national culture, was a traditional and integral part of the festive program. In the afternoon, events in honor of the Culture Week-2017 continued at “Turkmenistan” Cinema and Concert Hall, which hosted a meeting with film-makers of “At-myrat” (the film has been released this year). It tells about world-known Akhalteke horses that have been globally recognized as priceless treasures of humanity. In the evening, the Mukam Palace opened its doors to lovers of classical music, performed by the State Symphony Orchestra. Festive concerts were also held for residents of “Tyaze Zaman” residential area in Rukhabat etrap, Ashgabat. At the same time, connoisseurs and lovers of poetry gathered together in the capital’s “Ylkham” Park. A thematic event brought together both distinguished and novice poets. As part of the Culture Week, tomorrow, an exhibition of fine, decorative and applied arts will open in the Museum of Fine Arts; the Turkmen State Puppet Theater will host a performance given by young talents; “Vatan” Cinema and Concert Hall will host a meeting with filmmakers of “Magtymguly” and the film screening. Admirers of theater arts will have a chance to watch a new theatrical performance at the Alp Arslan National Drama Theather – “Gerogly and Agayunus”.