Yuri Vyazemsky: Ilham Aliyev, told me: "Just smile, Yura, and life will seem better!"

The presenter of the intellectual TV programme for university entrants 'Geniuses and Wits' and the head of the Pan-Russian Intellectual Movement, Yuri Vyazemsky, spoke to Vestnik Kavkaza about the participation of teams from the North Caucasus and Azerbaijan in this movement, as well as shared memories of Ilham Aliyev during his work at MGIMO.

Above all, Yuri Vyazemsky noted that the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania was at the origins of the movement Geniuses and Wits. Now Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Adygea and Karachay-Cherkessia have joined us. I hope that this year Dagestan will join us. The head of the republic, Gadzhimuratovich Abdullatipov Ramadan, promised me," he said.

"As a result, outside of the movement there was only Chechnya, but I think that there are many very important things. The Chechens participate in the program in any case. Just this year, a very good boy from Chechenya participated in the last season. He wasn’t the winner, but he became a prize winner. I hope very much that he will enter MGIMO," the TV presenter said.

Yuri Vyazemsky said that two years ago Azerbaijan bought the rights to hold a similar TV program . "I think there are some problems with the inclusion of Azerbaijan in the movement, as Baku TV officially appealed to me and bought the rights for the broadcasting of Geniuses and Wits. ‘’In my opinion, they created an interesting program. In fact, they have opened their own movement, and I participate in it,’’ Vyazemsky said.

Speaking about Azerbaijan, the presenter recalled how Ilham Aliyev encouraged him in difficult times. "The Azerbaijani President is a graduate and professor of MGIMO. I remember I had a very sad period, I was standing before the Institute, and the man who is now the President of Azerbaijan asked me: "Yuri, why are you so sad? Just smile, and life will seem better!’’ These words were spoken by my wonderful colleague in those days Ilham Aliyev," Yuri Vyazemsky said.