A solemn flower-laying ceremony took place at the monument to Alexander Pushkin in Ashgabat on an International Russian Language Day, which is traditionally celebrated on June 6—the birthday of the great poet. This was reported by an online newspaper «Turkmenistan: Golden age». The event was attended by representatives of the diplomatic missions of Russia, Belarus, Iran, China, and Tajikistan, as well as teachers and students of a Joint Turkmen-Russian Secondary School named after A.S. Pushkin, and residents of the Turkmen capital. «Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin raised Russian literature to a very high level, set the standard for the richness of the Russian language, and mastered the art of revealing the most diverse themes and nuances of our life through his verse», said Alexander Vasiliev, Minister-Counselor of the Russian Embassy in Turkmenistan, during the event. As part of the festive program, schoolchildren recited the poet's verses and performed a literary and musical composition.