CONNOISSEUR, FRIEND AND PATRON

"In my youth, I felt the power that lies in music. Without it, people are poor. Music immeasurably enriches, straightens the souls and gives them extraordinary power. If human life is illuminated by music, it comes to life as dry land on which godsend rain has fallen..."

Heydar ALIYEV

The culture of Azerbaijan, like its nature, is rich and diverse. This is primarily due to its ancient history and geographic location at the crossroads of East and West, favourable natural conditions, the riches of this region, as well as the multi-ethnic composition of the population. And although each art form in itself has travelled quite a long and complicated path of development, they represent a single whole and make it possible to get a full picture of Azerbaijani art and culture.

Of course, great achievements in the development and promotion of intangible heritage belong to prominent figures of art, culture and literature. However, support from the state is important too. It is no accident, for example, that Azerbaijani mugam has been listed by UNESCO as cultural heritage of mankind, and Azerbaijan itself is recognized as a centre for global dialogue among cultures and civilizations.

The foundations of today's policy of the Azerbaijani state in the field of culture were laid in the early 1970s by Heydar Aliyev, a politician of world renown. This year, in anticipation of the Eurovision Song Contest, which will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan marked the 89th anniversary of his birth - Heydar Aliyev was born on 10 May 1923 in Naxcivan.

His leadership of Azerbaijan back in Soviet times went down in the country's history as a period of upsurge in the development of all spheres, including the revival of national culture. Heydar Aliyev had repeatedly emphasized: "We have wonderful art, culture, amazing folk music and modern professional music that grew on its basis." On the personal initiative of Heydar Aliyev, the Palace of the Republic (now the palace is named after its founder), Gulistan Palace, concert, exhibition and sport complexes, an opera studio and a ballet school were built in Baku, the buildings of the Opera and Ballet Theatre and Rasid Behbudov Song Theatre were renovated, the old Theatre of Musical Comedy founded by the Azerbaijani millionaire and oilman Haci Zeynalabdin Tagiyev at the dawn of the century was rebuilt. Heydar Aliyev also initiated the opening of the home museums of the outstanding Azerbaijani playwright Cafar Cabbarli, the founder of the Azerbaijani opera, composer Uzeyir Hacibayov, poet and playwright Huseyn Cavid and others. Under his leadership, monuments were erected to many prominent figures of science and culture of Azerbaijan.

As noted, his first coming to power in 1969 is considered the beginning of the Renaissance in all spheres of life in Azerbaijan. Rich in oil and gas, Azerbaijan, which was previously considered a raw materials appendage of the Soviet Union, turned into one of the most developed republics of the Soviet Union. In Baku, Sumqayit, Ganca, Naxcivan and other cities and regions, new industrial enterprises, universities, museums, theatres and libraries were opened.

A true connoisseur of culture

Azerbaijan has given the world many scientists and artists. Heydar Aliyev made every effort to present their services to the people and the world community and to immortalize their names. It was after 1969 that it became a tradition to celebrate the anniversaries of famous personalities, centres of science, culture and education.

On orders from Heydar Aliyev, the 600th anniversary of Imadaddin Nasimi, the 100th anniversary of the Azerbaijan Drama Theatre, the 50th anniversary of the Azerbaijan State Russian Drama Theatre, the anniversaries of Muslim Maqomayev, Samad Vurgun, Cafar Cabbarli, Mahammad Said Ordubadi, Asiq Alasgar and many other representatives of culture and of art were marked.

Heydar Aliyev's love and respect for Azerbaijani music and its representatives deserve special attention. "In my youth, I felt the power that lies in music. Without it, people are poor. Music immeasurably enriches, straightens the souls and gives them extraordinary power. If human life is illuminated by music, it comes to life as dry land on which godsend rain has fallen...," Heydar Aliyev said. He spoke of the great Azerbaijani composer and author of the first opera in the East, Uzeyir Hacibayov, with deep respect and love: "There is a popular expression: Such people are born once in a century. A century has passed - Uzeyir Hacibayov was born in 1885 - it is the second century since his birth, but the people - a whole new generation - do not forget this composer. I am sure that future generations will remember and honour the creator of extraordinary, truly revolutionary cultural works! That's what genius is!"

Heydar Aliyev's permanent care and attention was also felt by another Azerbaijani luminary Rasid Behbudov. It was on the initiative of Heydar Aliyev that Behbudov received a building for opening a song theatre, and after that, Behbudov promised him to hold concerts even in small mountain villages and showed the beauty and sophistication of Azerbaijani music not only in the Soviet Union, but throughout the world.

In the 1960s, major Soviet newspapers began to publish articles ruthlessly criticizing the prominent Azerbaijani composer Qara Qarayev. The reason was that Qarayev's works were performed around the world - from Africa to the United States. He was often invited to the West, and his ballet "The Path of Thunder" "rumbled" everywhere. According to the well-known Turkish newspaper IL, it was at this time that Heydar Aliyev stood up for Qara Qarayev in the Kremlin, noting his role in the development of not only Soviet but also world culture. In the end, the persecution of Qarayev was stopped. "Had it not been for Heydar Aliyev, I don't know what would have happened to me," his close friend, Professor Aflatun Neymatzada, recalls the words of the great composer.

Despite the tremendous amount of work in other areas, Heydar Aliyev always inquired about the problems of art and even tried to reconcile artists and musicians when there were disagreements between them. He personally maintained a relationship and was friends with Niyazi, composer Fikrat Amirov, painters Sattar Bahlulzada and Tahir Salahov.

Today the whole world knows about Heydar Aliyev's friendship with Mstislav Rostropovich and his paternal care about Muslim Maqomayev. Many rightly call the friendship between Heydar Aliyev and Mstislav Rostropovich "the friendship of the two titans". The great political leader Heydar Aliyev and the great musician Mstislav Rostropovich were bonded by many things - love for Azerbaijani culture and true human values.

Back in the late 1960s when Mstislav Rostropovich was persecuted because of his support for the disgraced Solzhenitsyn, Heydar Aliyev, in turn, supported Rostropovich himself by inviting him to hold concerts in Baku. That's when Rostropovich wanted to find his former Baku apartment for the first time. In 1996, Heydar Aliyev invited the maestro to celebrate his 70th birthday in Baku.

Also in 1996, the flat, in which Rostropovich's family lived in 1925-1931, was established. President Aliyev issued a decree to set up a home museum in Rostropovich's old apartment. And since then, Rostropovich came to Azerbaijan every year despite a very busy schedule. He gave concerts and master classes, and certainly met with President Heydar Aliyev with whom he had a long-standing sincere friendship.

Heydar Aliyev's attention to the legendary Azerbaijani singer of world renown, Muslim Maqomayev, can also be considered truly men's friendship and even paternal care. In his memoirs, Maqomayev repeatedly mentions that the national leader defended and protected him during the difficult moments in the 1960s and later when the Soviet intelligence services had fabricated a case against him. Heydar Aliyev always took care of him as his own son and rejoiced at all his successes.

After 1982, when Heydar Aliyev was appointed first deputy chairman of the USSR Council of Ministers, in addition to engineering, light industry and transport, he also oversaw the cultural and educational spheres, which allowed him to continue supporting Azerbaijani art and culture.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s when the country had only gained independence, Azerbaijani art and culture experienced difficult times. The aggressive war imposed by Armenia and the domestic political chaos adversely affected figures of culture and artists who turned out to be in disgrace. However, after returning to power in 1993, despite the difficult political and economic situation in the country which was at war, Heydar Aliyev was able to mobilize all forces for the development and promotion of cultural and spiritual values of the Azerbaijani people.