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Sculptor: I felt compelled to erect a statue of an important figure like Nizami in China

23 April 2025 10:41 (UTC +04:00)

"Nizami Ganjavi is one of the most important figures in world culture. That's why I felt compelled to erect his statue," Yuan Xikun, Director of the JinTai Art Museum, professor and sculptor - the creator of the bust of the great Azerbaijani poet installed in Beijing's Chaoyang Park, told APA.

He noted that although Nizami Ganjavi lived 104 years after his compatriot, poet Su Dongpo, their worldviews and sensibilities share many common features.

"Nizami wrote his works with a singular purpose and vision. Su Dongpo also lived a simple life - he neither smoked nor indulged in unnecessary habits. Healthy living was his philosophy. In these qualities, he closely resembled Nizami Ganjavi."

The sculptor emphasized that humanity's progressive ideas have never belonged to any single nation - they are the common heritage of all mankind: "That's precisely why I erected statues of these sages in Chaoyang Park. I want Chinese children to understand that advanced ideas don't belong to one nation, but to all humanity. We must learn from these wise figures."

Note that Nizami Ganjavi's bust was installed in 2012. In 2021, sculptor Yuan Xikun was awarded Azerbaijan's "Friendship" Order by Presidential Decree.