Ministry of Culture (Azerbaijan)


The Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan Republic is a governmental agency within the Cabinet of Azerbaijan in charge of regulation of the activities and promotion of Azerbaijani culture. The ministry is headed by Anar Kerimov.

General information

The ministry which is located in the capital of the country- Baku is funded mainly from the state budget. The Statute of the Ministry approved by the President determines the main directions, tasks, rights and organization of activity of this state body.
The institutions under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan include 28 theaters, 6308 historical and cultural monuments, 1 circus and 12 concert centers, 3985 libraries, 2708 clubs, 189 museums, 234 children's music schools, art and painting schools, 33 art galleries and exhibition hall, 21 state reserves, 60 cultural and leisure parks, 1 Zoo, a Scientific and Methodological Center for Culture, 4 Leisure Centers, 6 economic organizations, 7 film production studios, 134 city and district cinemas, tate Film Foundation, Republican Library College, newspaper, two magazines, State Tourism Institute, Baku Choreography School, Cultural Staff Development Center, Mingachevir Tourism College, National Culinary Center, 62 cities and ray ten cultural and tourism departments, Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, Baku, Ganja, Sumgayit tourism departments, Sheki Equestrian Center, Baku Tourism Information Center, Lankaran Children's Camp.
The Ministry carries out international cultural programs with the European, Asian and Islamic countries, the United States, as well as Latin America in line with interstate agreements of the Ministry. At the same time it promotes the culture of Azerbaijan through UN, GUAM, the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization, the European Union, the Organization of Islamic Conference, UNESCO, World Tourism Organization, TURKSOY, ISESCO and other international organizations, as well as promotion of world cultural values in Azerbaijan carries out significant programs in the field.
The activities of the Ministry include:
Participating in the formation of uniform state policy in the relevant field and ensures implementation of this policy;
Developing and implementing different programs aimed at the development of the relevant field.

History

The ministry was established in May 1953 with a purpose of preservation, development, promotion of rich Azerbaijani culture and arts. The agency's included implementation of local and international cultural programs, projects and holding events in various countries. The objectives were to preserve and protect historical monuments and real estate, their renovation and use, modernization of libraries and museums, protection and promotion of Azerbaijani folklore, development of cultural clubs, resorts and parks, revitalization of tourism, development of theater, musical and other forms of arts, revitalization of cinema and book publications and so forth.

Organization

The ministry is headed by the minister with three deputy ministers. Main functions of the ministry are implementation of state policies in the tourism sector and promotion of Azerbaijani culture, formulation and implementation of short-, mid- and long-term strategies and programs, increasing activities in cultural sector among the youth, create conditions for every citizen to contribute to the cultural development in Azerbaijan, increase production of Azerbaijani films, etc.

Structure

The structure of the Ministry consists of its apparatus and local and other local departments and together form a single system. The Ministry carries out its activities directly and through these institutions.
The structure of the Ministry is approved by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The Ministry is headed by a minister who is appointed to office and dismissed by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The Minister is personally responsible for the tasks entrusted to the Ministry.
The Ministry has 3 deputy ministers that also appointed and dismissed by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The deputy ministers fulfill the duties entrusted to them by the minister and are personally responsible for them.
The Minister organizes and leads the activities of the Ministry by distributing responsibilities among its deputies, and determining the authorities of  them together with the officials of the ministry, and heads of the institutions included in the structure of the Ministry on cadre, financial, economic and other issues and ensuring the coordination among them;
The structure of the Ministry is composed of following institutions and departments:
State Service for Protection, Development and Restoration of Cultural Heritage is operating under Ministry of Culture. The service established according to the Decree No. 409 of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated 18 December 2014. The service is the executive body exercising state control on usage of immovable historical and cultural monuments that are under state protection, restoration, reconstruction and protection. The Service takes into account the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan, international treaties to which the Republic of Azerbaijan is a party, laws of the Republic of Azerbaijan, decrees and orders of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, decrees and orders of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Regulations on the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, normative legal acts of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, decisions, orders and orders of the Minister of Culture and its Statue while implementing its activities.

The duties of the Ministry

The main duty of the Ministry is to protect of the culture of Azerbaijan. It preserves the all the cultural heritage including the ancient and modern culture, as well as develops them. It fulfills different cultural programs, designs projects covering all the spheres of the culture, contribute cultural state policy, compile and control the activities of the cultural institutions under the Ministry.
The duties of the Ministry are:
The Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan has rights to prepare draft or draft legislation relating to the relevant field or participate in their preparation; to make an initiative to support the relevant international agreements of Azerbaijan. It also may request the state and local self-government bodies, natural persons and legal entities on the relevant information, cooperate with relevant international organizations, relevant state bodies of foreign states in accordance with the legislation, to study relevant experience of foreign states. Analyzing relevant areas, making suggestions, taking measures to train specialists and increase their qualifications in the relevant field, involving independent experts and specialists in the scope of the funds intended for this purpose in the manner prescribed by law, approving the guidelines mandated by physical and legal persons in the cases specified by the legislation, taking measures to bring legal and physical persons to account in the manner prescribed by law for the violation of the rules of protection of historical and cultural monuments in the cases and in the manner prescribed by the legislation and carrying out monitoring in the relevant field are also include the rights of the Ministry.

Institutions included in the Ministry

The Ministry includes the following organizations and institutions: