Alexander Chumakov: "Heydar Aliyev is real man and truly historical figure"

The book titled 'Dialogue of cultures and challenges of the modern era', published with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation in Russia under general editorship of director of the ANAS Institute of Philosophy Ilham Mammadzade and the head of Philosophy Department at Financial Academy under the Government of Russia, First Vice-President of the Russian Philosophical Society, PhD, professor Alexander Chumakov, was presented in Moscow yesterday.

The book was prepared on the basis of several joint conferences of Russian and Azerbaijani philosophers, mainly the Baku Forum dedicated to the memory of Heydar Aliyev. The first international conference titled 'Dialogue of cultures in the context of globalization: the Baku Forum', dedicated to the memory of the national leader, was held in 2010. It was organized by the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Philosophy, Sociology and Law Institute of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, the Russian Philosophical Society and the Heydar Aliyev Foundation's Representative Office in Russia. Since then, such forums have discussed the problems of unity and diversity of cultures, the role of east and west in the world cultural process, the development of sustainable development culture and other topics related to deepening the dialogue between the scientific communities of Russia and Azerbaijan.

At the presentation of the book, Alexander Chumakov expressed the opinion that Heydar Aliyev played an important role during a challenging for the Soviet Union period as the first deputy chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, supervising engineering, light industry and transport; as well as cultural and educational spheres. "After the Soviet Union collapsed, Azerbaijan was at the center of very complex events. Resuming his leadership in Azerbaijan in a difficult period for the country, Heydar Aliyev managed to save the republic from chaos and promptly establish relations with other countries, primarily Russia, laying the foundation of modern Russia-Azerbaijan relations. He was a real man and a truly historical figure."

Speaking of 'Dialogue of cultures and the challenges of the modern era', Chumakov said that it's already the fourth such book: “By the end of the 1990s, there was an acute need for reuniting the torn space where we all ended up after 1991. There was an urgent need for cultural interaction in the former Soviet republics. And Azerbaijan, Azerbaijani philosophers were on the forefront of these relations, thanks to publications and participation in conferences. Our meetings resulted in release of serious papers. Of course, we cannot cope with this task ourselves, it requires some support. In this regard, we must pay tribute to the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, which supported us from the very beginning. This was a good example for other republics and a base for a further cooperation in the humanitarian and cultural spheres."