By Vestnik Kavkaza
10 years ago the first issue of the magazine IRS saw the world. Irs is translated from Azerbaijani as heritage. “It is true that independent Azerbaijan has a rich heritage. It includes the magnificent natural landscapes – mountains, valleys, the Caspian coast. There are 12 natural and climatic zones in the world, and the territory of Azerbaijan includes 10 of them. Azerbaijan has very beautiful towns and cities: Gyandzha, Shusha, Agdash, Sheki, and lastly Baku with its architectural complex – the streets and avenues are unique in the world. It has the richest history, a deep and diverse culture which has been created by the Azerbaijani people for centuries. The territory of our country is a place where many powerful states appeared and existed, which influenced heavily the development of several civilizations. We address our magazine to other nations and countries, as we believe Azerbaijan has a right to take a worthy place in the international community, not only due to its economic success and great natural resources, but due to its contribution to the world culture. But we also want our magazine to be popular in Azerbaijan, so that any person has an opportunity to learn about the origin of our people and their historical roots,” Musa Mardzhanly, the editor-in-chief of IRS, says.
Musa Mardzhanly told Vestnik Kavkaza: “We spread the truth about Azerbaijan abroad. In Russia our magazine is published in Russian and is called “Nasledie.” Moreover, we publish the magazine in English in 70 countries of the world. We publish it in Czech, Spanish in Argentina, Japanese, Chinese. In Europe it is published in Germany, Italy, France, as well as in the Arab countries and Turkey. Our main task is propaganda of Azerbaijan; propaganda of not only the Azeri economy, but also our culture, which is a part of the culture of world civilization. We promote the forgotten culture of Azerbaijan abroad. When people talk about Azerbaijan they mean oil. But we have something more – our rich cultural heritage, and we can be proud of it. This is our main task. Next year we plan to publish the magazine in Brazil in Portuguese and in Indonesia, also we will publish it in Poland. Moreover, we will publish a series of books about the Azerbaijani heritage. We gather the series from our articles.”
“I admire the magazine,” the writer Alexander Goryanin says. “It is made to a very high polygraphical and other levels. I don’t know other examples of a former Soviet republic or a former part of the Empire, as they say today, expressing its point of view in Russia in such a clear, sound and reasonable way.”
“Today in the world, in Moscow, and even in Baku, there are many glossy magazines which are full of various advertisements, stories and secrets from Hollywood and local stars’ lives, articles about sex, adventures, and so on,” Polad Byul-Byul Ogly, extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador of Azerbaijan to Russia, says. “It is in this context that a serious magazine is published. It tells about history, remote history or modern history, opens new facts about our history. Of course, it is interesting for a narrow circle of readers and experts.
The history of the Azerbaijani Democratic Republic began in 1918, but our first republic existed only for 22 months, and its democratic development was disturbed by a real invasion. But when we got an opportunity to gain democracy again, I think it was right that our republic was recognized a successor to the first democratic republic which appeared in the 1920s. The magazine IRS tells about many secret pages of history. The magazine is working for future generations rather than for the current one. It is toilsome work in archives. Every issue brings a new vision.”
“Our heritage, irs, enables us to stay Azerbaijanis,” Rustam Arisdzhanov, journalist, publisher, thinks. “You know the phrase “as you name the ship, such will be its fate”. Wise people created a wonderful title for the magazine. Irs is a short and succinct word. “Nasledie,” “heritage” cannot transfer the full sense of this short Azerbaijani word. We have many good short words. Rukh, irs – this is what lives in us. I remember how the magazine was founded. In a few years in Baku very respected people in Azerbaijan told me with surprise and pride about the magazine “IRS.” I heard how professionals praised it. It is brilliant. It opens in us something that we don’t notice. This is the main target of the magazine, rather than reporting facts of today or ancient times. When you read the magazine, you become proud of your country, your nation, learn about people, great poets, great writers, great musicians, political activists. I am happy to belong to Azerbaijan and Azerbaijanis.”
