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About Union

Members of Union

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Chairpersons

Azer Pasha Nematov

Azer Pasha Nematov

(1947 - 2023)

Azer Pasha Nematov was born on August 13th, 1947 in Baku, in the family of an outstanding theater director and honored art worker Zafar Nematov. 

In 1970, he graduated from the Azerbaijan State Institute of Arts named after M.Aliyev, to the "Theater Director" faculty, a course of People's Artist of the USSR Mehdi Mammadov.

 He began his creative activity at the Azerbaijan State Theater for Young Spectators in 1972, where he worked for many years as an assistant director, stage director, chief director and artistic director.

Aliyev Rafiq

 Aliyev Rafiq

(1949 - 2020)

Theater and film actor, director, People's Artist of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Rafiq Aliyev was born on November 14, 1949 in the village of Merdinli of the Fizuli region. In 1957, he entered the first grade of secondary school No.58 in Baku, and after graduating from it in 1968 he studied on the culture and enlightenment faculty with a degree in directing at the Institute of Culture in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg). 

Sultan Majid Ganizade

Sultan Majid Ganizade

(1866-1937)

Educator, teacher, writer, translator, journalist, author of several dictionaries, textbooks, literature works, satirical articles.

Sultan Majid Ganizade was born in April 1866 in the family of merchant Haji Murtuza -Ali.

A number of dictionaries prepared by him can be considered one of the first steps in this field.  

Lutfiyar Imanov

Lutfiyar Imanov

(17.04.1929 - 21.01.2008)

Opera singer. The teacher. People’s Artist of the USSR

In 1986-91 he was a chairman of the Union of Theatre Workers of Azerbaijan.

Lutfiyar Imanov was born on April 17, 1929 in the Sabirabad region. He played the first role in 1943 on the stage of the Sabirabad State Musical Theatre in the play “The Bride for Five Manats”. At the age of 18 he organized a theatre group. In 1957 he graduated from the Azerbaijan State Conservatory in the class of A. Milovanov, worked in the State Variety Orchestra, and then in the Theatre of Musical Comedy. 

Shamsi Badalbeyli

Shamsi Badalbeyli

(1911 - 1987)

Director, People’s Artist of Azerbaijan.

In 1976-86 he was chairman of the Azerbaijan Theatre Society.

Famous Azerbaijani director Shamsi Badalbey oglu Badalbeyli was born on February 23, 1911 in a family of intellectuals of Shusha. His father Badal bey Badalbeyli and his uncle Ahmed Agdamski (Badalbeyli) did a great job in reviving the national drama and musical theatre. Badal bey was also a teacher and actor, performing in operettas, operas and theatrical productions.

Jabir Safarov

Jabir Safarov

(1924-1990)

Born in 1924. In his youth, he played in the crowd scenes of the best performances, worked with the most prominent actors of that time, including Sidgi Ruhulla, Mirzaaga Aliyev, Agasadyg Geraybeyli, Marziyya Davudova, Fatma Gadri, Ismayil Osmanly and many others, learned from these outstanding artists, also he was interested in history, theory of theatre and theatre criticism. Jabir Safarov, who participated in the Great Patriotic War, was accepted into the theatre studies department of the Azerbaijan State Theatre Institute in 1948 and graduated in 1953.

Mehdi Mammadov

Mehdi Mammadov

(1918 - 1985)

Theatre director, actor, theatre theorist. Doctor of Arts, Professor, People’s Artist of the USSR, laureate of the State Prize.

In 1969-1976 he was chairman of the Azerbaijan Theatre Society.

In the performances staged by Mehdi Mamedov, who occupied a special place in the school of national direction, the power of reason was transmitted to the audience, combined with tenderness and emotions, lyricism with psychological undertones. 

Zafar Nematov

Zafar Nematov

(1917 - 1971)

He was born on June 6, 1917 in Baku. He studied at the Azerbaijan State Theatre College and the Azerbaijan State Institute of Arts. He completed an internship in directing in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

From 1943 he worked as a director at the Azerbaijan State Theatre of Young Spectators, and since 1954 he worked there as a chief director. He made productions in the Azerbaijani and Russian branches of this theatre, such as “Black girl”, “How the steel was tempered”, “The Snow Queen”, “Greedy”, “Yashar”, “King for a day”, “Mommy”, “Little Red Devils”, “Romeo and Juliet”, “Inspector”, “The Steel Ring”, “Le Médecin malgré lui”, “Cinderella” and others.

Mustafa Mardanov

Mustafa Mardanov

(1894 - 1968)

People’s Artist of the Azerbaijan Republic.

In 1962-1969 he was chairman of the Azerbaijan Theatre Society.

Mustafa Hashim oglu Mardanov was born in 1894 in South Azerbaijan - in Marand. But when he was a child, his family moved to Tiflis, and lived here until 1924. The cultural environment of Tiflis has shaped his worldview since childhood. The acting school of Azerbaijan has also become a special experience for Mustafa Mardanov. What he learned from Abbas Mirza Sharifzade, Sidgi Ruhulla, Agasadyg Geraybeyli and dozens of leading figures determined the path of development of the actor, inspired him to new creative searches. 

Marziyya Davudova

Marziyya Davudova

(1901 - 1962)

Theatre actress. People’s Artist of the USSR. Laureate of the State Prize.

In 1956-61 she was the chairman of the Azerbaijan Theatre Society.

One of the first professional theatre actresses of Azerbaijan, the skillful performer of the tragic, heroic and dramatic roles of Marziyya Yusif gizi Davudova (in fact, Dautova) was considered the most influential actress of the Azerbaijani theatre.

Rza Tahmasib

Rza Tahmasib

(1894 - 1980)

Azerbaijani film director, actor and tutor.

Rza Tahmasib was one of the leaders of Azerbaijani theatre and cinema. The merits of this great master in the development and formation of our national theatre are invaluable. His large-scale directorial, acting activity constitutes unforgettable pages of the history of arts of the whole century.

In 1952-56, he was a chairman of the Azerbaijan Theatre Society.

Shovkat Mammadova

Shovkat Mammadova

(1897  –  1981)

Vocalist (lyric-coloratura soprano), teacher, musician, first professional singer, People's Artist of the USSR (1938).

In 1948-52 she was the chairman of the Azerbaijan Theatre Society.

Shovkat Mammadova was born in Tbilisi, Georgia, in the family of a shoemaker. His father, felt his daughter's desire for music and sent her to Baku in 1910 with the help of millionaire H.Z. Tagiyev.

Abbas Mirza Sharifzade

Abbas Mirza Sharifzade

(1891 - 1938)

The most worthy successor of the Huseyn Arablinsky’s Romantic Style of Acting is an outstanding tragic actor, a great director, Abbas Mirza Sharifzade, who played a crucial role in the development of our cinema. He was born on March 9, 1891 in Shemakha, and when he was two years old, his family moved to Baku. His father Mirza Rasul Sharifzade worked as a teacher, and his mother Farrukhbeyim was a housewife.

Uzeyir Hajibeyli

Uzeyir Hajibeyli

(1885 – 1948) 

(September 18, 1885, Shusha (Agjabadi) - November 23, 1948, Baku) - world-famous composer, distinguished music expert, journalist, playwright, teacher and public figure, founder of modern Azerbaijani professional musical art and national opera, Honoured Art Figure of Azerbaijan ( 1935), People’s Artist of the USSR (1938), Stalin Prize winner (1941), academician of the Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan (1945), professor (1940), Chairman in the Union of Composers of Azerbaijan (1938-1948), rector of the Azerbaijan State Conservatory (1928-1929),

Zulfugar Hajibeyov

Zulfugar Hajibeyov

(1884 - 1950)

A talented composer, a public figure, Honored Artist of the Azerbaijan Republic Zulfugar Hajibeyov played an important role in the formation and development of musical theatre in Azerbaijan.

Zulfugar Abdulhuseyn oglu Hajibeyov was born on April 17, 1884 in the town of Shusha. Although he did not receive a musical education, Zulfugar learned to play on tar.

In 1908, Zulfugar Hajibeyov took an active part in the search for the stage incarnation of the opera “Leyli and Mejnun”.

Habib Bey Mahmudbeyov

Habib Bey Mahmudbeyov

(1864 - 1928)

Lecturer, graduate of the Alexander Pedagogical Institute.

Habib Bey Mahmudbeyov was born in 1864 in the city of Shamakhi.

In 1883, together with Sultan Majid Ganizade, he went to Tiflis and entered the Alexander Pedagogical Institute. They opened their first private Russian-Muslim school in 1887. It becomes a big event in Azerbaijan and determines the direction of the future development of education. 

Abdurrahim bey Hagverdiyev

Abdurrahim bey Hagverdiyev

(1870- 1933)

Writer, playwright, teacher, literary critic, Honored Figure in Arts (1932).

He was born on May 17, 1870 in the village of Agbulag near the town of Shusha of Azerbaijan. He received his primary education in 1880 in the temporary summer school of Yusif bey in Shusha, then he studied in the real school of the city of Shusha (1881–1890).

Hasanaga Turabov

Hasanaga Turabov

(1938 - 2003)

Outstanding actor of theatre and cinema, People’s Artist of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Laureate of the State Prize. Professor. In 1991-2003, he was the president of the Union of Theatre Workers of Azerbaijan.

Hasanaga Sattar oglu Turabov was born on April 24, 1938 in Baku. In 1960, he graduated from the Azerbaijan Theatre Institute. Since then, he worked as an actor in the Azerbaijan Drama Theatre until his death. He entered the history of the Azerbaijani acting school as one of the founders of the lyrical-psychological style.