Monument to Avicenna was unveiled at the IAPM
From black earth and to celestial bodies
I have unraveled the mystery of the wisest words and deeds.
I have avoided perfidies, undone all knots,
I have only failed to undo the death knot.
On August 22, the Interregional Academy of Personnel Management unveiled a monument to commemorate, on the day of his birth, Abū Alī al-Husayn ibn Abd Allāh ibn Sīnā, more commonly known in Europe as Avicenna, who was a great Persian polymath, philosopher, physician, chemist, astronomer, theologian, and poet.
Abū Alī al-Ḥusayn ibn Abd Allāh ibn Sīnā
The ceremony of unveiling the monument to Avicenna began with a formal meeting dedicated to the monument inauguration and involved IAPM’s authorities and professorate, the Scientific Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Ukraine, representatives of Ukrainian entities and organizations, diplomatic envoys of foreign states.
Ihor Slavovych Piliayev, IAPM’s Provost for International Relations, Doctor of Political Science and Professor, opened the solemn meeting.
“Avicenna ranges with such multidimensional individuals as Aristotle, Leonardo da Vinci, and Mikhailo Lomonosov. The list of sciences, to which Avicenna made his tremendous contribution, includes tens of names. These are liberal arts, as well as philosophy, physics, chemistry, Islamic theology, and poetics. Avicenna is considered the most influential polymath of the Islamic Golden Age. The monument to Avicenna will inspire all of us to develop in all branches of knowledge, seek knowledge and conquest of new peaks,” – Ihor Piliayev said.
Anatoliy Mykolaiovych Podoliaka, IAPM’s Chancellor, Doctor of Law and Professor, delivered a welcome address. Expressing his gratitude to “selfless efforts of Scientific Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Ukraine and Belarus Ali Bakui, thanks to whom a monument to great Avicenna was inaugurated for the first time in the history of Ukrainian independence,” he voiced a hope “that this event will serve as a shining example of effective cultural and educational cooperation between Ukraine and Iran, between Ukraine and other states of the Islamic East, will serve the cause of all-round enhancement and development of scientific, educational ties and joint projects of the Academy with institutions, scientific and teaching communities and students of the countries represented here, at the conference.”
At the conference on the occasion of unveiling the monument to Abū Alī al-Husayn ibn Abd Allāh ibn Sīnā, the Academy’s Chancellor read out a greeting letter from the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine to the participants of the solemn ceremony of inaugurating a bust of great Persian scientist, physician and philosopher Avicenna that points to the significance of the figure of this great artist and expert for our age, wishes to all participants in the function inexhaustible spiritual inspiration, new weighty creative successes and discoveries for the benefit of society and their people.
Then the floor was given to Ali Bakui, Scientific Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Ukraine and Belarus, who delivered a small scientific paper on the importance of Avicenna’s creative work and activities. He expressed his thanks to the Academy’s authorities for the opportunity to hold such an event, as well as to all in attendance in the hall for their attention to Avicenna’s figure.
Ali Bakui told those present about the course of life and creative career of the great Iranian thinker. He thanked the IAPM University once again for direct participation in implementation of this project.
After him, the floor was turned over to IAPM’s Provost for Research professor Mykola Fedorovych Holovatyi, who greeted the ceremonial meeting participants associated with the unveiling of the monument to Avicenna. Mykola Holovatyi accorded a thank to all representatives of the Muslim world attending the conference and emphasized that the inauguration of a monument directly at the Academy, which is a training scientific unit, is rather symbolic.
Denys Serhiyovych Martyshyn, Head of the Ukrainian Orthodoxy and Theology Subdepartment, Doctor of Theology, assistant professor of the Kyiv Ecclesiastical Academy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, who spoke just after Mykola Holovatyi, laid a strong emphasis on the importance to unveil this monument as a symbol of strengthening and amalgamation of spiritual and moral values of the Christian and Muslim communities.
Mr. Abu Abbasi Khotbeh Sara, Deputy Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran also delivered a welcome speech to Ukraine. He extended his gratitude to all participants in and organizers of the function on account of the inauguration of the monument to Abū Alī al-Husayn ibn Abd Allāh ibn Sīnā.
Avicenna’s contribution to social development of mankind cannot be exaggerated. His tractates are among the outstanding works that have enriched the treasure-house of world culture. The world inherited a mass of his works on philosophy, astrology, logic, music, mathematics, psychology, theology and many other sciences, but of course, these are primarily his famous works in the area of medicine – “The Canon of Medicine,” “The Book of Healing,” as well as “The Book of Knowledge.”
The inauguration of a monument to great Persian scholar Abū Alī al-Husayn ibn Abd Allāh ibn Sīnā on the IAPM’s campus represents a high-profile event in cultural life of whole Ukraine.
Yulia Tsesarenko