Yesterday after overhaul and reconstruction, the Baku Palace of Happiness opened. The famous architect Joseph Ploshko, commissioned by the millionaire Murtuza Mukhtarov, designed this building in the early twentieth century. The oil tycoon decided to donate the house to his wife Lisa Tuganova, who enjoyed a similar building in the Gothic style in Venice.
When the Bolsheviks came to expropriate the building, Murtuza Bey demanded that the Red Army soldiers not stain the parquet floor with their dirty boots. This remark caused a skirmish, during which Murtuza Mukhtarov was shot by the Bolsheviks.
In the Soviet period, this building was used as the Palace of Wedding Parties. In 2007 the building was closed for repairs. The general restoration and reconstruction of the building were carried out under a project with French and Italian experts.
As stated in the official report, the restoration included dividing the building into two parts. The first part is intended for business meetings and official receptions, and the second one is for the organization of wedding ceremonies. However, it is unclear who will conduct official meetings and to whose balance the building was transferred. It is also unknown how much money was spent on the repairs and from what sources it came from. We only know that all the repair work was directed by the Ministry of Youth and Sports. -02D-
Culture
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In a world increasingly marred by the effects of climate change, art has emerged as an unexpected, yet powerful, platform for raising awareness and sparking conversations on environmental responsibility. One such endeavor is the exhibition "A Different Kind of Climate," currently on display at Kapellhaus with support from the Goethe-Institut. The timing of this exhibition is no coincidence, aligning with the upcoming COP29, the UN Climate Change Conference to be held in Baku from November 11 to 22. The exhibition seeks to engage audiences on pressing ecological issues, blending local and international perspectives.
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Amid the urban hustle and the cacophony of modern life, it is easy to forget that nature too has a voice. But artist Elnara Nasirli, with her latest exhibition "Whisper of the Forest - The Magic of Sound," seeks to remind us of nature's pulse — and its message. Now showing at the Gazelli Art House, Nasirli’s multidisciplinary showcase brings the audience closer to the heart of the forest, where every rustle, every whisper, seems to echo with life.
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Global oil prices "would have hit the roof" if big importer India had not bought oil from Russia following the Ukraine war, India's oil minister said, adding that prices would determine where the country buys oil from.
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In a world marked by pressing environmental challenges, the protection of natural resources has emerged as a unifying value across nations. Environmental stewardship, once merely a topic of discourse, now commands attention and priority in nearly every global gathering.
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