Elshan Muradov says that those who don't suffer from being displaced from Shusha can't understand what it is. He says over these years, it was his father's Gaval (tambourine) that most reminded him the days when he was in Shusha. He notes that does not know the financial value, maybe it is expensive, but its moral value is irreplaceable for him.

Father keepsake

The production date of this gaval is unknown. But we have had it for 70 years. In the 1950s, Flora Karimova's grandfather, the late Abush, created the "Shur" ensemble in Shusha. One of his first students was my father Imran Muradov, the others were Uncle Kamil, the son of Mashadi Beylar, and Khalfali Misir from the village of Khalfali in Shusha was called Uncle Misir. My father has a beautiful voice. Since his father did not return from the war, the whole burden of the family fell on him, so he could not pursue art. This gaval is also a keepsake from my father. An expert can determine the exact date of the gaval. During the time of forced displacement, we were in very hot places. Don't think it was forgotten. No, I just had a lot of worries, I didn't have time to open the container and look. When I opened it, it seemed as if someone had cut the skin.

"It's as if Gaval has also felt displacement during these years"

This gaval was used to the atmosphere of Shusha. In Shusha, such musical instruments will never wear out or rot. But since we changed our places often, the gaval was separated from Shusha's atmosphere, as well as care. As if Gaval has also felt displacement during these years. I have applied professionals in order to restore the gaval, but I cannot find pure leather. It seems to me that this gaval was left over from the time of Mashadi Isi, son of the goatherd Muhammad.

"An Iranian offered a lot of money to gaval..."

There were many people who wanted to buy this gaval. In the first years of displacement, we needed money. Even an Iranian offered a lot of money. For a moment, I imagined the gaval in another country, in the hands of other people, and I said "no". I have no regrets. We have the father keepsake gaval. The cover is made of fish skin, the edges are made of black horn, and the wood is celtis tree. You know that Celtis tree is a place of faith for us. They visit, it is eye-catching, they hang over the child.

Holy wish...

God willing, when I return to Shusha, I am thinking of handing over the gaval to the History Museum. Let the future generations see it... This troubled gaval, after all, is the history of Shusha...