On September 14, the city of Kokand played host to the inaugural ceremony of the first International Festival of Folk Applied Arts.

In his opening remarks, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev cordially congratulated the participants and expressed gratitude to foreign guests for their attention and respect for our country, for the festival.

“An integral part of the universal human culture, folk applied arts occupy a special place in the life of every nation, in the formation of its mindset and values. Indeed, the emergence of crafts was an important historic step towards civilization,” the head of state noted.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev quoted our great ancestor – the saint and artisan Bahouddin Naqshband. The President noted that the work of masters of applied arts is highly appreciated in Uzbekistan, there are great opportunities for young people to master the handicrafts, and this festival will ultimately prove instrumental in the further development of this artistic industry.

“I believe this international festival is an outstanding celebration not only for the multiethnic people of Uzbekistan, but also for artisans and craftspeople around the world. This is a forum of genuine friendship and cooperation, a medium that harmoniously combines the distant past and present, traditions and values of a great diversity of nations, that unites hearts close in spirit,” Shavkat Mirziyoyev pointed out.

The festival is organized in accordance with a presidential resolution signed November 1, 2018. In anticipation of this holiday of applied arts, an important event took place in the life of Kokand – the World Crafts Council (WCC International) awarded it the high status of the World City of Artisans.

Rosy Greenlees, OBE, President of WCC International, also delivered a speech at the ceremony.

The square where the festival takes place is decorated accordingly. Exhibitions of artisans from Karakalpakstan and all regions of Uzbekistan are organized here.

After the opening ceremony, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev walked through with these expositions, talked with artisans.

The International Festival of Folk Applied Arts will be held every two years. The event is attended by over 370 craftspeople, art historians and journalists from 78 countries.