Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva: the Former UNESCO Ambassador

In a long and distinguished career championing important causes, it is difficult to say which of Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva’s accomplishments are the best. She has helped scores of Uzbek children have better lives through promoting education and health, she has drawn attention to environmental issues, and she has promoted Uzbekistan culture abroad and at home.

Arguably, and most notably, she was for ten years a UNESCO ambassador.

UNESCO and Uzbekistan 

Uzbekistan is blessed with cultural wonders, and since regaining independence from the former Soviet Union, the country realized that it had many cultural wonders and some of the finest collection of Islamic architecture in the world. UNESCO was quick in listing these sites as World Heritage sites, and you can see this in cities such as Tashkent and Bukhara.

As Uzbekistan’s Envoy to UNESCO, Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva has been instrumental in promoting all aspects of Uzbek culture.

The Work of Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva and Timur Tillyaev 

To help promote Uzbek culture and arts, Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva and Timur Tillyaev have either created or backed several projects. This includes the following which also featured UNESCO involvement.

The Man Who Unlocked the Universe 

Until the 2017 release of the docudrama ‘The Man Who Unlocked the Universe’ few outside of Uzbekistan had heard of the scientific and cultural achievements of Ulugh Beg.

Ulugh Beg lived in the 15th century in what was then Samarkand which is today’s Uzbekistan. He became Emperor of Samarkand, and unlike many rulers of his time, he was more obsessed with culture and science than conquering and expansion.

As such, 150 years before Galileo had invented the telescope, he had accurately charted almost 1000 stars. He worked out a sidereal year to within two seconds of accuracy. This, together with his other achievements and indeed exciting life was brought to the world in the film.

Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva played a major role in bringing the film alive. It received positive critical reviews and won awards at several film festivals.

She commented, “This is the first time my husband Timur Tillyaev and I have taken on the role of film producers. We are delighted to be so actively involved in this documentary about the remarkable life and work of the renowned fifteenth-century philosopher and scientist, Ulugh Beg.”

The Renaissance of Uzbek Silk 

Another exciting project that brought Uzbek’s achievements to life was the publication of “The Renaissance of Uzbek Silk”. The book showed the traditional weaving traditions of the country based on Ikat techniques. The work focused on the mystical origins of silk in the country and ran through the centuries up until today’s masters who still use the fabric often creating silk garments in traditional ways. The book was beautifully illustrated and showcased silk traditions from the country well. Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva stepped down in 2018 from her position as Uzbekistan’s Envoy to UNESCO. Her time as Envoy has led to a lasting positive legacy for the country.