The latest issue of Miras, the quarterly popular science magazine, published by the Magtymguly Institute of Language, Literature and National Manuscripts of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan, has been published. Addressed to a wide range of readers, the issue continues a series of publications on discoveries and research results of the spiritual heritage of our people. 

The year 2024, which passed under the motto “The Fount of Wisdom of Magtymguly Fragi”, provided an opportunity to re-evaluate national cultural and historical values from the perspective of the modern era.

The front pages contain the Addresses of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov on the occasion of the International Day of Older Persons, the Turkmen Alabai Holiday, the International Day of Neutrality and the New Year.

The traditional section “New Scientific Discoveries” presents the article “Literary and Spiritual Values”, which tells about the national heritage and manuscript monuments – an inexhaustible source of spiritual and moral strength of the Turkmen society.

As the author of the publication notes, the country attaches great importance to the preservation and study of manuscripts, their collection among the population, scientific trips and expeditions are organized around Turkmenistan. Currently, the Manuscript Fund of the Institute contains more than ten thousand rare oriental manuscripts, about three thousand lithographic books, as well as those recorded from the words of local residents, which make up a rich heritage fund. This entire unique collection in Turkmen, Arabic and Persian is of interest to both domestic and foreign specialists.

In the same section – material about Magtymguly Fragi, dedicated to the analysis of scientific commentaries on the manuscripts of the great poet and thinker, where interesting facts and notes of scientists are given.  

It should be noted that Magtymguly’s own handwritten poems have not reached us, but a manuscript by Dovletmammet Azadi, dated 1747, has been preserved and is kept at the Magtymguly Institute of Language, Literature and National Manuscripts. It is written in Arabic with elements of Turkmen and Persian and contains notes in a different handwriting. 

Assumptions that the notes in the margins of the text were made by Magtymguly himself have been confirmed in the research of famous literary scholars, professors and orientalists. 

There are handwritten copies of Fragi’s works created during his lifetime. Turkmen textual critics have prepared scholarly commentaries for a significant part of these manuscripts. According to scientists, a comparative analysis of the handwriting and linguistic features of these notes can shed new light on the creative process and worldview of the outstanding master of words. 

The National Leader of the Turkmen people Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov gave a high assessment to the literary heritage of the classic of world poetry in his work “The Unquenchable Light in the Crown of the Soul”. The book notes that the wise poet, based on the achievements of science, culture and literature of his time, created works that absorbed the best traditions of humanity and entered the treasury of world literature.

The publication “Medieval Literary Traditions in the Works of Magtymguly” is also presented to the readers’ attention. As the author notes, in the works of the poet, who developed and improved the traditions of medieval literature in his work, a large place is occupied by instructions on noble and high moral qualities, calls for humanism, patriotism, mutual assistance, generosity, modesty, in a word, all those principles that take their origins in the depths of centuries. 

The thoughts about the formation of a perfect person, put forward in the work of the medieval thinker Yahya ibn Khalil “Futuvvet-name” (Book on the principles of perfection), run like a red thread through all of Magtymguly’s work. 

The section “Interaction of Cultures, Peoples and Civilizations” contains an article by the senior research fellow of the Institute of Uzbek Language, Literature and Folklore of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, candidate of philological sciences E. Ochilov “The literary influence of Navoi in the works of Magtymguly”. 

Magtymguly and Navoi are a topic that provides material for large-scale research. The personality and work of Navoi played a major role in the formation and creative maturation of Fragi as a poet. We can see vivid traces of this inspiring influence in many of his poems.

As the author notes, when comparatively studying their works, one can see common creative themes, interpretations of similar images, and a unique new expression of traditional symbols. Their views on the Universe and man, human values, phenomena and events, nature and society, life and creativity have much in common. 

The publication of the same section “Movlyana, Meshrep and Magtymguly” tells about the literary influence of the masters of words – the predecessors of the great thinker and classical poet of the East – on the work of Magtymguly.

Several scientific articles have been written about the closeness of the worldviews of Meshrep and Magtymguly.

Thus, the historian A. Karpov, discussing the uniqueness of the poetic world of Magtymguly, his artistic techniques, also draws attention to the influence of Meshrep on his work.

The scientist M. Annamuhamedova in the book “Magtymguly, There is a Secret in Your Soul”, as well as in the article “The Legacy of Meshrep and Magtymguly” emphasizes the closeness of the worldviews of two outstanding masters of words, ideological integrity, community, revealing the traditions of literary influence.

The author, referring to the studied sources, notes that Magtymguly became acquainted with the works of Movlan Rumi through the literary heritage of Meshrep, emphasizing the important role of literary interaction.

The issue concludes with the “Chronicle of Scientific and Cultural Life” for the fourth quarter of last year, which reflects the current events of the year “Fount of the Wisdom of Magtymguly Fragi”, demonstrating the consistency of the progressive peacekeeping course pursued by the head of state Serdar Berdimuhamedov, the successful implementation of socially oriented policies.

Numerous photo illustrations serve as an excellent addition to the articles of the authors of the Miras magazine, published in Turkmen, English and Russian, which makes it accessible to a wide readership in many countries of the world.