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).
In 1971 he was drafted into the Red Banner Black Sea Fleet and served there for 3 years. In 1974 he entered the faculty of acting with a degree in musical comedy of the Azerbaijan State Institute of Arts, from which he graduated in 1970. In 1976 he was invited to work at the Azerbaijan State Theater of Young Spectators.
During his more than 30 years of work in the theater, Rafiq Aliyev has played many interesting roles. Among them are Bumbarash in “Bumbarash”, Aramis in “The Three Musketeers”, Andrey in “Contact”, Hatemkhan Agha in “Monsieur Jordan and Dervish Mastali Shah”, Karabas-Barabas in “Buratino”, Gena in “The Prom”, Dobchinsky in “The Inspector”, Suleiman in “The Final Night of Last Year”, Akif in “The Well” and others. The character Akif, played by the actor, was voted as the best theatrical character in the season of 1966. In addition to his work in the theater field, Rafiq Aliyev starred in more than 20 feature films produced by the Azerbaijanfilm studio. Among them are: a reporter in "Our grandfather's grandfather", Suleiman in "The Final Night of Last Year", Ali Teregulov in "Life of Uzeyir", Governor General in "Window of Sorrow", astrophysicist and psychiatrist in "Connection", Komsomol member in "Latifa" etc. Particularly prominent are such characters as the Middle Brother from "Boring Story", Garif from "Family Circle", Ramiz from "Such a Wonderful World" and the English Professor Louis in "Hotel Room". Rafiq Aliyev also brought to life many interesting characters on television screens. Vivid examples of this are such characters as Stalin in the film about M.A.Rasulzade, Karim in "Punishment" and the Man in "Mirage".
Since 1994, Aliyev has been working as a stage director at the Theater of the Young Spectators. Such performances as "Blaise", "The Snow Maiden and the Seven Dwarfs", "Once Upon a Time in Brazil", "The Extraordinary Adventures of Donald", "Nasreddin", "How Sarykoynek Brought the Sun", "Indian Fantasy", "City Bridegroom", "Crocodile Gena’s Vacation","Dreams come true","Mystery","Mrs. Chimnaz is asleep" staged under his direction were highly appreciated by the audience.
"Like a Lion" at the Ibrus Theater, "Hamlet" at the Academic National Drama Theater, "Like a Lion" at the Istanbul Municipal Theater and "Flame" at the Gazakh State Drama Theater are just a few of the performances successfully staged by Rafiq Aliyev.
Rafiq Aliyev, who has great potential in a number of creative disciplines, has also participated in several international film projects as a co-director and casting director. Besides, R. Aliyev managed to be remembered by the audience thanks to his numerous roles on the big screen. Ali Omarov in "The Moment of Truth" directed by R.Fataliev, the head of the prison in "Count Krestovsky", Captain Vanya in "The Destiny of the Ruler", the President in the film "The Hat" by Orhan Fikretoglu, "Sentenced to Execution" by Mehriban Alekbarzade are some of the beautiful roles acted out by him throughout many years of work in the field of filmmaking.
Rafiq Aliyev, who rendered all kinds of assistance to cultural institutions such as the Ibrus theater and the Uns creative stage, thanks to his rich experience in the theatrical field became the author of a new type of creative activity in the country. He masterfully played such characters as Nazim in "Farewell to the southern city", Guest in the "Helpline" on the stage of the Ibrus theater, as well as the Venusian in the play "Shakespeare" on the "Uns" creative stage.
Rafiq Aliyev also took an active part in theater festivals in Azerbaijan and abroad. The director participated in the I and II International Theater Festivals "Young Theaters of Russia" in Omsk, in the festival "Baltic House" in St. Petersburg, and was also the chairman of the organizing committee of the festivals "Fullness of Empty Space" and "New Theater" in Azerbaijan.
R. Aliyev also tried himself as a producer in such projects as staging the ritual tragedy of Gurban Said "Ali and Nino" in 2007 on the stage of the Creative Youth Center of the Union of Theater Workers of Azerbaijan.
Along with theatrical and cinematographic activities, Rafiq Aliyev worked for many years as a teacher at the faculty of acting and musical theater of the Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts, sharing his experience with the younger generation. For his services to the theatrical art of Azerbaijan, Rafiq Aliyev was awarded with the title of Honored Artist in 1990 and People's Artist in 2007.
R. Aliyev was awarded the prize of the Union of Theater Workers of Azerbaijan "Golden Dervish". In 2005 he received the Humay State Prize.
On July 31, 2017, he was awarded a personal pension of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan for services in favor of the development of Azerbaijani cinema.
From May 2004 and until the very end of his life, the director held the post of deputy chairman of the Union of Theater Workers of Azerbaijan on creative issues.
Aliyev Rafiq passed away on April 16, 2020 in Baku.