DUSHANBE, January 6, 2014, Asia-Plus – Tajik composer Khurshed Niyozi has been awarded the Order of Catherine the Great.

The order was bestowed on Khurshed Niyozi in St. Petersburg on December 15 last year.  He also became member of the Russian Interregional Association of Writers.

Instituted by the St. Petersburg Academy of Russian Language and Literature named after Derzhavin, the Order of Catherine the Great is reportedly awarded to Russians and foreigners for contributions toward humanitarian efforts and the preservation of cultural heritage.

In 2012, Khurshed Niyozi was awarded the Sergey Yesenin Gold Medal for the music written to the movie “The Lonely Soul” and became a permanent member of the St. Petersburg-based Academy of Russian Language and Literature.