The National Writers' Union of Ukraine hosted a presentation of I Have Set Myself on the Road of Truth (“І шляхом І стини постав я сам...”), a book in Ukrainian to mark the 650th birth anniversary of Azerbaijan’s great poet Imadaddin Nasimi.

The event brought together notable Ukrainian writers and poets, scholars, Azerbaijani Embassy staff in Ukraine, mass media representatives, and the public.

In his opening remarks, Dmitro Chistyak, Secretary of the European Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters (AESAL) said that under the Decree of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, 2019 was declared Nasimi’s Year in Azerbaijan, calling it as a remarkable event in the literary world. “The edition “І шляхом І стини постав я сам...” is an important step towards promoting Nasimi’s literary activity worldwide,” he underlined. 

In turn, Yashar Aliyev, Head of the Information Department at the Azerbaijan State Translation Centre (AzSTC), said that Nasimi was skinned alive in Aleppo city in Syria 602 years ago (in 1417). “Nasimi was born in 1369, Shamakhy, a city in Azerbaijan. Nowadays his compatriots celebrate his 650 anniversary in his native city as a national public holiday,” he noted.

“The anniversary of this outstanding poet became the celebration of poetry. A poet’s date of birth and the date of death. But does a real poet die?  Doesn’t matter, whether in blood, skinned alive, or in coffin covered with flowers... Nasimi’s fate proves that a poet never dies. Never!!!  You can kill a poet, but to berry his words are impossible. A poet’s words are eternal. Those who issued a fatwa on his killing stated that his poems were full of blasphemy, he insulted God. But in reality Nasimi’s poems are full of everlasting love to God. At the same time, Nasimi loved people that created God.”  

Kamal Khalilov, the Adviser at the Azerbaijan Embassy in Kyiv, highly appreciated the Decree of President Ilham Aliyev, in connection with ‘Nasimi’s Year’ in Azerbaijan. “By the support and at the initiative of the Azerbaijan Embassy to Ukraine, a monument to Nasimi was erected in the Ukrainian capital, with the foundation of a multifunctional building under his name being laid and certain events on the poet’s anniversary launched in Ukraine,” the diplomat added.

Etimad Bashkechid, Head of the  Science, Education and Culture Office at AzSTC; Pusta Akhundova, a literary translator; Maria Morozenko, Head of  the Kyiv Writers’ Branch of the National Writers' Union of Ukraine; Vasili Dovzhik, Honoured Art Worker of Ukraine and a playwright; Vladimir Guba, People's Artist of Ukraine; and Marina Goncharuk, the Project Executive Secretary in their speeches centered at Nasimi’s poetry calling it as the ‘human beauty, praise of dignity and the victory of the human’s spirit over the death.’ Just these peculiarities made the people love his poetry, earned him many followers across many countries, including non-Muslim countries. Because despite poets create their poems in various languages, but they are of kindred spirits. It was underlined that it is true that people whose honest is as clear as crystal, spirit is free as a bird are stronger than death. This thought that belonged to Gregory Skovoroda, a notable Ukrainian poet, is the assertion of the fates and poems of the poet himself and Nasimi, the great Azerbaijani poet.

In conclusion, Ravlo Movchan, Dmitro Chistyak, the Ukrainian translators, Ivan Stepuren, the publisher and Marina Goncharuk, the Project Executive Secretary were awarded with AzSTC’s Certificate of Appreciation for the translation of Nasimi’s work into Ukrainian.

The book was published by Kyiv-based “Samit -Kniqa” publishing house. It is the first meeting of Nasimi with Ukrainian readers. 

The book includes about 200 ghazals and rubais, accompanied by explanations and commentaries on phrases difficult to understand.

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