The "Sounds of the Dutar" festival confirms its importance year after year as a significant cultural event that contributes to the strengthening of cultural and humanitarian relations between Turkmenistan and the Russian Federation. This was reported on the website of the Embassy of Turkmenistan in Moscow.
This year, the Festival is timed to coincide with the International Year of Peace and Trust, as well as the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.
On November 3, a gala concert and awards ceremony for the festival's laureates took place at the Zurab Tsereteli Art Gallery, Museum and Exhibition Complex of the Russian Academy of Arts, within the framework of the IX Moscow International Arts Festival "Sounds of the Dutar" named after Nury Halmamedov. Representatives of the Embassy of Turkmenistan in the Russian Federation, Russian creative and academic intellectuals, students from secondary, specialized, and higher educational institutions, numerous Moscow residents and visitors, and media representatives participated in the gala event.

In his welcoming address, Turkmenistan's Ambassador to the Russian Federation E. Aydogdyev emphasized that in the hands of a musician, the dutar becomes more than just an instrument, but a conduit for peace, conveying the message that music can overcome any obstacle. This is especially symbolic during the International Year of Peace and Trust, which marks the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan's permanent neutrality and the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.
More than 100 applications were received from Turkmenistan, the Russian Federation, the People's Republic of China, Uzbekistan, and Guatemala to participate in the festival's competitions.
Participants from Turkmenistan at the festival included students from children's art schools, the Danatar Ovezov Turkmen State Specialized Music School, students from the Maya Kuliyeva Turkmen National Conservatory, and musicians from the State Symphony Orchestra of Turkmenistan.
Within the framework of the festival, an international scientific and practical conference, "The Face of War in the Mirror of Art," was held in a hybrid format at the Russian State Library on October 27. Music auditions and a recitation competition, "The Universe of Words," were held on October 29 and 30. This section of the program emphasized the performance of classical music rooted in ethnocultural traditions.
The series of events will conclude from November 6–14 with the art exhibition "Palette of the World" at the Center for Oriental Literature of the Russian State Library.
