BAKU, Azerbaijan, Dec.13
By Fakhri Vakilov-Trend:
At the 14th session of Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of UNESCO in Bogota, the capital of Colombia, Khorezm dance Lazgi was included in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as an element of the cultural heritage of Uzbekistan, Trend reports with reference to Uzbekistan’s Foreign Ministry.
This issue was initiated following an earlier meeting of Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev with UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay.
The delegation of Uzbekistan held a solemn presentation of the Lazgi nomination. It was also emphasized that being a country with a rich history and invaluable cultural heritage, Uzbekistan can offer many more unique elements of the intangible cultural heritage of the Uzbek people for the UNESCO Representative List.
In this context, the Uzbek side has officially announced the promotion of Bakhshi art and ethnic sports for inclusion in this list in the coming years.
According to the Permanent Mission of Uzbekistan to UNESCO, ICH approved the inclusion of Lazgi on the Representative List by broad consensus, without a vote.
Thus, UNESCO is committed to take the necessary measures to preserve, enhance and popularize the Khorezm dance, along with other elements of the Uzbek intangible culture that were previously included in the Representative List - “Shashmakom” and “Cultural Space of the Baysun District” (2008), “Katta Ashula ”(2009),“ Askia ”(2014),“Culture and Traditions of Palov”, and "Navruz" (2016).
Representatives of the ICH Assessment Commission welcomed the nomination of the “Lazgi” dance, which has the right to be on the Representative List for many reasons.
Firstly, the dance has a rich history; its original elements appeared when a person invented fire. Secondly, the elements of "Lazgi" are fundamentally different from other dances in the region. Thirdly, the dance is well known and popular due to its fiery and very energetic nature, said the ministry.
The UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage will continue its work until December 14 and will study the nominations for the elements of cultural heritage of another 39 countries.
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