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Guardians of Folklore: Winners of the Regional Stage of 'Çalsana, bagşy!' Contest Announced in Balkan Velayat
26 May. 06:01The Balkanabat State Drama Theater named after Saparmurat Turkmenbashi hosted the grand regional finale of the prestigious national creative contest "Çalsana, bagşy!". Designed to safeguard, systematically preserve, and pass on the ancient traditions of the Turkmen bakhshi (folk singers) and sazanda (musicians) to the next generation, the festival became a vibrant celebration of local heritage. The event drew massive attention from cultural figures, folk art scholars, and classical music enthusiasts.
The regional competition featured exceptional young performers aged 18 to 35, who had previously triumphed in the preliminary municipal selection rounds across various districts of the Balkan province. The participants were evaluated on their vocal authenticity, command of traditional instruments like the dutar, knowledge of historical destans (epic poems), and overall stage presence, proving that the younger generation holds a deep reverence for ancestral musical metrics.
Following a meticulous review by an expert jury panel, four highly promising individual artists—consisting of two folk singers and two traditional instrumentalists—were crowned champions of the provincial stage. In the vocal category, top honors were claimed by Guychberdi Gulov (a 2nd-year student) and Guljemal Chakanova (a 5th-year student), both pursuing specialized degrees within the Faculty of Folk Music at the Maya Kuliyeva Turkmen National Conservatory.
The instrumental categories witnessed identical triumphs by next-generation virtuosos. Ovezgeldi Gutlyyev, a 3rd-year student specializing in classical folk instruments at the national conservatory, and Gulovser Nurtaganova, a 4th-year student from the Department of Turkmen National Musical Instruments at the Balkan Velayat Special School of Arts, secured their places at the top of the charts. These four brilliant winners have officially qualified to represent the western region at the grand national finale of the "Çalsana, bagşy!" championship.
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Modern Maternal and Child Healthcare Center Opens Its Doors in Balkanabat
Today in 08:38In celebration of the National Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Industry Workers' Day, a state-of-the-art Maternal and Child Healthcare Center was officially inaugurated in the city of Balkanabat. The landmark event gathered regional and municipal officials, members of the Halk Maslahaty and Parliament, healthcare professionals, and community leaders. The opening ceremony featured festive cultural performances, musical numbers, and traditional Kushtdepdi dances.
The newly constructed medical complex consists of four- and five-story buildings designed to accommodate up to 305 patients. The center houses comprehensive maternity and postnatal wards, a gynecology division, pediatric units, and diagnostic consultation departments. The facility is equipped with advanced medical technology, including MRI, CT scanners, digital mammography, and fluorography units.
Notably, the center features the region's first 10-bed neonatal intensive care unit, fully outfitted with "Medicor" incubators from Hungary and high-precision German monitoring systems. These technologies allow medical staff to continuously monitor vital stats, body temperature, oxygen saturation, and respiratory functions of newborns.
During the ceremony, outstanding builders from the "Shadiyan Gurlushyk" enterprise were honored with gifts on behalf of the President of Turkmenistan, who also donated a new fleet of vehicles to support the medical center's operations.