This is a new initiative called Weekly Overview where some cultural, social or sport events will be summarized and presented. This week I decided to start with culture events.

Let me start off with good news. Kyrgyzstan took part in Eurasia TV’s “I am a Person” contest of social movies and programs for youth that was held in Orenburg, Russian Federation. Russian, Belarussian, Kazakhstani and many other television companies presented 50 movies. Kyrgyzstan’s Arpa Media Group was nominated for the prize of best TV with a music program “Magical Country”. The country became a winner in the category “TV Show” (full list of winners in Russian here). Good job!

Today “Let me go” [scroll down for details], an exhibition of modern art was opened at the Bishkek art center where modern photo and video art works aredisplayed. The works and the project “Do not kill animals” of Talant Ogobayev, a famous Kyrgyz artist, reflect the name of the exhibition, the idea of which is to live without violence.

The seventh of November saw the marking of the 90th anniversary of the Great October Revolution and was celebrated in the old square of Bishkek. About 200 supporters of the Communist parties of Kyrgyzstan united and hold different posters saying “Communists for people’s power”, “All power to the Soviets”, “Communism is humankind’s future”. However, as a voxpop from 24.kg shows (RUS), not everyone is sure what is marked on this day: since 1993 in Kyrgyzstan the 7th of November is also Press and Information Day… For other people though, associations with the October Revolution are far from positive: the 7th also saw the commemoration of the victims of the Stalinist repressions at Chong-Tash near Bishkek (link in Russian), led by human rights activist Aziza Abdirasulova.

Finally, some information for those interested in Japanese culture. The Kyrgyz-Japanese Centre for Human Development and the Japanese Embassy in Bishkek are organizing the Autumn Leaves Festival on the 10 November.

Visitors can try on colorful traditional Japanese kimonos and take some photos in the Japanese kimono section. There are also ikebana and origami section where visitors will learn how to arrange flowers and create animals and figures out of paper. For those wishing to try Japanese tea, there will be a tea ceremony corner at the festival.