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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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Specialists at the International Science and Technology Park of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan, led by Durdymyrat Gadamov and Altyn Rahmanova, have developed a new-generation bio-agent designed to neutralize soil methane emissions. The solution utilizes local bacteria adapted to the regional climate, which harness methane monooxygenase to convert methane into carbon dioxide and water.
Methane is a major contributor to global warming, with a heat-trapping capacity in the atmosphere significantly higher than that of carbon dioxide. The newly developed bio-agent features high efficiency in industrially congested areas, cost-effectiveness through the use of local raw materials, and complete safety for human health and the environment.
This scientific breakthrough aligns with Turkmenistan's sustainable development strategy, supporting its commitments under the Global Methane Pledge to enhance environmental oversight in the energy sector.