Alisher Navoi, icon of Uzbek literature, honoured with statue unveiling in Hungary – photos

A statue honouring Alisher Navoi, one of the most significant figures in Uzbek literature and culture, has been erected in Hungary. The statue, sculpted in bronze by Györgyi Lantos, was unveiled in a ceremony attended by several dignitaries.

Péter Sztáray, Minister of State for Security Policy, Avazkhan Tadjikhanov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Aybek Shakhavdinov, Ambassador of the Republic of Uzbekistan to Hungary, and Sándor Lezsák, Vice President of the Hungarian Parliament and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the People’s College Foundation, unveiled the statue on Saturday at the Hungarikum Liget in Lakitelek.

Following the unveiling of the statute honouring Alisher Navoi, host Sándor Lezsák remarked that the Hungarikum Liget (formerly known as Lakitelek Folk High School) has completed the Christian Pantheon in front of the St Stephen’s Chapel, which commemorates martyrs and heroes of faith, including the martyred high priests of the 20th century. In front of Kölcsey House, the National Pantheon pays tribute to those who have greatly contributed to the development of Hungarikum Island. The Pantheon of Hun-Turkic-related peoples has now been enriched by the addition of a statue of Alisher Navoi, the Uzbek polymath, poet, historian, scientist, and founder of Uzbek literature.

Cultural significance and Uzbek-Hungarian relations

Sándor Lezsák also highlighted the establishment of the Central Asian Department at János Neumann University, under the direction of Dávid Kara Somfai and Ernő Keskeny. One of its aims will be to foster links with other universities around the world and to promote the culture and economy of related Turkic nations, which, according to him, are “a nobler currency than the euro or dollar,” BAON reported.

Péter Sztáray, State Secretary for Security Policy, emphasised the success of Hungary’s “Eastern Opening” policy, which has resulted in increased trade, meetings, and visits between Hungary and the Turkic states. He noted that in the case of Uzbekistan, the Hungarian government’s Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship programme allows 170 Uzbek students to pursue higher education in Hungary each year.

The legacy of Alisher Navoi and Uzbekistan’s initiatives

Avazkhan Tadjikhanov, First Deputy Minister of Culture and head of the Uzbek delegation, described Alisher Navoi as a great poet, thinker, and statesman, whose invaluable creative and scientific legacy holds a special place not only in Uzbek literature but also in world literature. He stressed that

the recent initiatives led by Uzbekistan’s President, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, aim to deepen the study of Navoi’s rich creative heritage and promote his timeless works both in Uzbekistan and abroad.