On 27 November 2020, a solemn award ceremony for the winners of the Commonwealth Stars and the Commonwealth Debuts Prizes was held. Both prizes were established by the Intergovernmental Foundation for Educational, Scientific and Cultural Cooperation (IFESCCO) and the CIS Council for Humanitarian Cooperation.

The Commonwealth Star Prize is the main award of the Commonwealth of Independent States for highest achievements in the humanitarian realm. This year, there are nine laureates of the award: Director of the National Museum of History of Azerbaijan Nail Velikhanov (Azerbaijan), music teacher and conductor Svetlana Navasardyan (Armenia), cardiologist Alexander Mrochek (Belarus), Art Director of the Kazakh State Academic Drama Theater Talgat Temenov (Kazakhstan), Professor of the Department at the Kyrgyz National University, chemist Adylbek Moldoshev (Kyrgyzstan), Director of the youth theatre “From Rose Street” Yuri Kharmelin (Moldova), writer Guzel Yakhina (Russia), writer Timur Zulfikarov (Tajikistan), Art Director of the band “Yalla” Farrukh Zokirov (Uzbekistan).

The Commonwealth Debut Prize of this year was presented to young specialists for their activities in the fields of books and reading promotion. The laureates are poet Saida Salaeva (Azerbaijan), librarian Ekaterina Rovdo (Belarus), journalist Erlan Dzhunusov (Kazakhstan), student Bakay Akylbek-Uulu (Kyrgyzstan), translators Diana Zhalbe (Moldova) and Evgenia Baranova (Russia) designer Mukhammadnosir Abdulloev (Tajikistan).

The awards were presented online. The laureates were welcomed by IFESCCO Chairman of the Board, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Russia Polad Bulbuloglu, Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Foundation, special representative of the President of Russia for international cultural cooperation Mikhail Shvydkoy, IFESCCO Executive Director Anatoly Iksanov. “Simultaneous presentation of awards to outstanding masters and novice specialists is very symbolic,” Mikhail Shvydkoy noted in his welcoming speech. “It highlights the main goal of both prizes: cultural interaction and continuity of generations.”

Laureates regarded their awards not only as recognition of their personal merits. Uzbek musician Farrukh Zokirov called these prizes “a tribute to the peoples of the Commonwealth, a sign of support of good traditions and enduring values.”

The CIS Youth Symphony Orchestra conducted by people’s artist of Russia Sergey Skripka prepared a special festive concert for the laureates. The Orchestra united talented young musicians, winners of prestigious shows and competitions. The venue for the performance of the orchestra was the Cultural Centre “Mir” of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna. JINR is an IFESCCO long-standing partner. It annually holds training programmes for young scientists from the CIS countries. The Institute also provided technical support to the Foundation in holding the awarding ceremony. Thanks to modern technologies, participants from the Commonwealth states managed to join the main orchestra band online.

Based on information by IFESCCO press-office