Uzbekistan Expands Promotion of Farrukh Zakirov’s Work

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbekistan has approved a presidential decree titled “On the wide promotion of the creative work of People’s Artist of the Republic of Uzbekistan Farrukh Zakirov and its transmission to the younger generation,” introducing a comprehensive set of measures aimed at developing music education and supporting young performers.

Under the document, Secondary Music and Art School No. 7 in the Yashnabad district of Tashkent will be named after Farrukh Zakirov.

On the basis of the institution, a children’s ensemble “Yalla” will be established, along with the launch of a creative laboratory for youth and a school of performance mastery in the pop music direction, built on the mentor–apprentice tradition.

It is envisaged that mentors and teachers of the performance school, selected by the artistic and pedagogical council, will receive monthly incentive payments from the state budget equivalent to five times the minimum wage.

Within the creative laboratory framework, starting from the 2026/2027 academic year, groups will be formed from the most talented students of children’s music and art schools. Each group will include three students from the Republic of Karakalpakstan, the regions, and the city of Tashkent.

During school holidays, students will participate in summer workshops and receive free training in pop vocal performance programs.

Before the start of the 2026/2027 academic year, a modern recording and video production studio will be established at the school, equipped with stage infrastructure and costumes. Students’ creative works and summer program participants’ performances are planned to be broadcast on television and international online platforms.

The decree also introduces experimental incentive measures for 2026–2027. Students of the school and summer programs who win international competitions, as well as their teachers and accompanists, will receive one-time cash rewards.

For Grand Prix and first place, awards are set at 30 million soums for students and 20 million soums for teachers; second place — 20 million and 10 million soums respectively; third place — 10 million and 5 million soums.

Additionally, talented students and creative groups will be involved in artistic programs of national holidays and international forums.

A special provision also introduces a quota-based admission system allowing up to 10 top-performing students to enter specialized arts schools and cultural boarding schools under the Ministry of Culture without exams, based on the decision of the artistic and pedagogical council.