In celebration of Turkmenistan’s upcoming Independence Day, a cultural program has begun in Kyiv. One of the key events was an art gathering titled “Sounds of the Dutar”, hosted at the Magtymguly Library.

The event highlighted Turkmen musical heritage, focusing on traditional instruments and the ancient art of bakhshi. Attendees included teachers and students from music schools, representatives of the Sviatoshyn District administration and library network, as well as Turkmen youth living in Ukraine.

The library director, also the event’s host, shared the history of the institution and its attached Magtymguly museum. A diplomat from the Embassy of Turkmenistan spoke about the origins and development of the national composer school, the cultural role of instruments like dutar and gidjak, and the importance of preserving these traditions.

He emphasized that dutar craftsmanship, its musical performance, and the art of bakhshi were inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity — a global recognition of Turkmen culture.

Citations from President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and National Leader Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov were featured, underlining the dutar as a symbol of independence, neutrality, peace, and the soul of the Turkmen people.

A musical highlight of the evening was a performance by Serdar Derekov, a dutarist from the Turkmen diaspora in Ukraine. Ukrainian students also presented musical numbers including a piano duet, a guitar trio, and bandura performances.

Guests toured the Magtymguly museum, where items of traditional Turkmen craftsmanship and instruments — gifted by Turkmenistan’s Ministry of Culture during the poet’s 300th anniversary — were on display.

The event, held near both Turkmenistan's Independence Day and the International Day of Music, fostered cultural appreciation and strengthened ties between nations through the power of music.