“The last time I was in Shusha was just a few days ago when I participated in the “Kharibulbul” festival. I visited our home and also watched the festival. Our house is at the entrance of Shusha. That house has never been empty. It is the house of our lineage, our people, and our community. We have preserved that house just as it was during the time of Kerbalayi Imanqulu bey. It is that same hearth, that same house. I have not yet received an invitation to move to Shusha. This process is carried out in phases. If they call me, I will go. After all, it is our home. Whether I drift away from art or not, I will go. If they invite me to film shoots, I will return to Baku; if they don’t invite me, I won’t come. I am not someone who will stay in art until the end of my life… I will die one day too. But I must confess, at this rate, I have no intention of leaving art.” This was stated by People's Artist Shamil Suleymanli in an interview with Medianews.az.
He later mentioned that he met the President in Shusha and thanked him:
“Do you know what the beauty of Shusha lies in? One moment, you see someone resembling the president passing by near you where you are. When you realize it's really him... a person is glued to the spot. This has happened to me several times. He passes by me… I have thought that people can look so much alike?! It never crossed my mind that this person, casually dressed and standing in front of some building talking to someone, could be the president. When he passes by, suddenly you say, ‘Yes, that was him.’ After knowing for sure, you see he has already moved away. He meets people, exchanges greetings. This is also one of the factors that gives beauty to Shusha. You might think that we haven’t come face to face?! One is left speechless. You can only shake his hand, hug him, and thank him. When the first “Kharibulbul” festival took place in Shusha, I came face to face on Jidir Plain; I was excited and later found out it was the president. I had no idea. I will be 71, and I have never seen anything like this anywhere else—that the president would hold my hand and meet me. I can only embrace the man who returned my grandfather’s city to me.”
Ali Asgar,
Medianews.az