KHOROG, July 17, 2009, Asia-Plus — Of 402 cultural facilities functioning in Gorno Badakhshan, 70 are now in a very poor state and more than 180 others require major repairs, according to Muhiddin Payshanbiyev, the head of the GBAO culture directorate.
However, it is not the only problem facing the cultural sector in the region. Cultural facilities functioning in Gorno Badakhshan are experiencing an acute shortage of specialists, he said.
“Of 798 people working with the cultural specialists here, only 199 have higher education, 291 others have special secondary education and 201 persons have secondary education,” Payshanbiyev said, noting that people do not want to work with cultural facilities because of low wages. Specialists work for the cultural facilities at an average monthly wage of 60 somoni.
Payshanbiyev noted that only 30 students from Gorno Badakhshan had studied at educational facilities of the country’s system of culture until last year. “With support of the Ministry of Culture, more than 20 students from the region were sent last year to study at Tajik Institute of Art and the College of Arts,” he said, “This year, we intend to send another 50 students to study various culture disciplines; ten of them will study acting. Only three professional actors currently work with the Khorog theatre, you know.”
