There are a lot to see in the neighbouring country

One of the leading Russian media outlets “Literaturnaya Gazeta” published an article of Alexander Tsuganov, Russian writer and the Chairman of the Writers’ Union in Volgograd. The article is devoted to Azerbaijan. 

Eurasia Diary shares the article with its audience.

On September 27, the leaders of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Azerbaijan attended the 9th Russia-Azerbaijan Interregional Forum that was held in Baku. In Azerbaijan, there are more than 700 jointly work companies. Russia exports agricultural products, cars, equipment, as well as products for the chemical industry, metals and wood to Azerbaijan, and at the same time, it imports goods, textile products and metals from Azerbaijan. Approximately 341 Russian-language secondary schools operate in Azerbaijan. But somehow it happened that we know more about New York or Paris, and remember about Baku only when we buy tomatoes, potato or sweets like pakhlava. So, how do our neighbors live?

The Flame Towers, 120-160 meters-high buildings which symbolize a fire, take the second place in terms of architectural prospects. This shamrock is original not only for its height, but also for its unusual lining in the form of LED screens that reflect the movement of fire and creates a visual effect of a gigantic flame. According to many specialists in urbanistics, the lighting of the “Flame Towers” is recognized as the best in world practice.

The young architects from Volgograd and those who have visited many cities and countries, are scattered around viewing platforms and are trying to capture their delight with the help of cameras. Below is the uncovered winding ribbon of a modern, well-groomed embankment with a variety of rides, cafes and restaurants. It has its own “Small Venice” with gondolas brought from Italy, a unique building of a carpet center, an elite restaurant in the form of white lotus on the water and, of course, oil rocking. It is also a symbol of the city, like the smell of fuel oil.

The old part of the city is called Icheri Sheher which is listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Site. On these ancient narrow streets, scenes of several Soviet films have been filmed. There is also an abundance of food and souvenir shops.

Not only oil

The architectural appearance of the cities and the quality of the roads is also an element of culture, as it is a presence of sewage. Clean streets. And with this, Baku is in full order. Even the fences are fascinating!

We are going with Umud Mirzayev, President of the International Eurasia Press Fund, to Gabala region. Right and left there are small villages with a lot of private houses. The fences are made by stone or metal. I do not know, maybe, under the gun, the owners were forced to put things in order, maybe they were given the money or it was made by the municipality? We went seven hundred kilometers and we didn’t see any garbage in the streets ....

The Gabala high-mountain resort begins with an excellent access road and a cascade water boulevard, which is nice to watch from a bird's-eye view. Three cable car segments with observation platforms, a five-star hotel, a mountain village. Ten Manats (Azerbaijani currency) and you are on the hill. Nothing to complain about, everything is up to five balls. Throwing back my head, I watch paragliders circling over the gorge, announcing the neighborhood with a joyful cry. You can envy their courage and insolence.

In the city of Ismayilli there is a pointer to Ivanovka. A very remarkable village of local Molokans (Dukhobors). They have lived here for 200 years in peace and harmony with the local population because they do not steal, do not eat pork and sausage, honor the commandments and, oddly enough, kept the collective farm, club, school. “Spiritual Christianity” is that the Molokans deny rites and ecclesiastical ordinances, like most other Protestants. In prayers and in the performance of religious demands, they do not resort to external attributes; they do not recognize holy places, the church hierarchy, or the priesthood. They do not even put candles in front of icons that they don’t have at all. They have prayer houses without ornaments and bell towers. During the time of Ivan the Terrible, such apostates were executed. Even later, such apostates were in every way oppressed. So they wandered off to different ways.

And I have nothing to answer to my friend. Me, who used to live among the Tatars, I am pleased to plunge into the local speech with endless "Yakshi, Saol, Salam ...". Forgotten Turkic words pop up. I can find the common language even with Chukchi, even with Bedouin, and I cannot understand why the politicians bleed us among themselves, by dividing into “clean and unclean”?

We will share our impressions about an unusual trip to Azerbaijan when we drink wonderful long leaf tea from Nakhchivan from the crystal pear-shaped cups.