Muscat: The Russian writer, Sergey Plekhanov, who authored A Reformer on the Throne: Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said, has died at 74 in the Wilayat of Salalah after a battle with cancer, his wife, Julia, informed the Observer in a message.
Sergey has been a regular contributor to the Observer with his last article published on December 03, 2023.
On His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said:
Speaking during a panel discussion at the Muscat International Book Fair in 2020, Plekhanov highlighted the unique personality of Sultan Qaboos.
He added: “I sat with him when he received me at Saih Al Barakat. I asked him many questions regarding my book about him. He talked to me about his childhood and his encounter with his grandfather in Mumbai. I was impressed greatly when he told me about his early passion for music and his rich knowledge of musicology. He told me about well-known Western musicians and their symphonies. He loved the indigenous music of India, Andalusia, and Africa and he knew a lot about Arabian music.”
He added, “The late Sultan told me about his visions regarding democracy and how he was planning to gradually engage his people in the decision-making process. He used to say that a parliament without a solid foundation is prone to failure. Thus, he laid down the foundations of Shura so that he could realize his objective of engaging the Omani people in decision-making,” Plekhanov said.
The Observer will recall the unforgettable quotes he made during his interaction with community-related issues as he said in a separate interview with the Observer, "The meet the people program by His Majesty represented a unique practice that cemented the relations between the leader and his subjects. He spared no effort for the comfort and prosperity of citizens, and provided them an opportunity to directly communicate with the leader about their concerns in an open democratic environment."
“He did not wait for the people to come to him. On the contrary, he went to them, listened to their grievances, answered their queries, and also found solutions to them,” Plekhanov said.
On what inspired him to author a book on His Majesty, Oman, and the people, he said, “I was inspired not only by my political inclinations but also by my admiration for the beauty of Oman’s use of its past,” he said.
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