QUEEN OF PAINTING

Vaciya's father, the future artist of Azerbaijan, Karbalai Ali was an Azerbaijani from Kars. Together with his brother, he moved from Kars to Iravan and later, to Baku. Her mother, Rubaba, came here with her family from the city of Qom in Iran. After meeting in magical Icarisahar in Baku, Ali and Rubaba decided to start a family.

They had several children, but only two daughters - Vaciha and Solmaz - survived. Karbalai Ali was a pastry chef and Rubaba - a housewife. Both loved music and art. Karbalai Ali played the tar very well. And when he felt melancholic, he began to sing sad Kars songs and Turkish-Kerkuk motives. His melodious voice captivated listeners. His daughter grew up listening to these songs.

Vaciha thought that the tunes sung by her father completed the mysterious appearance of Icarisahar, where she was born in 1924, and regarded this place as the focus of beauty. To express her feelings, she took up brushes and coloured pencils. Seeing her young daughter's passion for drawing, Karbalai Ali gladly bought her drawing paper, coloured pencils and books with reproductions of works of famous artists kept at museums around the world. Vaciya's parents were pleased with her desire to continue her studies at Azim Azimzada Art College after finishing the 7th grade at school.

The first woman painter

She did not feel bored at the new college. She soon became friends with the guys and won the respect of teachers. Academically Vaciha stood out for her colour sensation, talent as a painter and hard work, and studied it with great pleasure and diligence, seeking to understand the secrets of her beloved profession.

At the college, the beauty of this shy, charming, gentle and kind girl attracted special attention from the teacher Latif Feyzullayev. At that time, Vaciha Samadova wanted to continue her education in Moscow - at Surikov Art Institute. And Latif Feyzullayev entered this institute in 1939. After 2 years, the Great Patriotic War began. Since there were very few Azerbaijanis who received higher education in Moscow, they were all exempted from the draft, including Latif Feyzullayev. During the war, the Art Institute was evacuated from Moscow to Alma-Ata (now Almaty). And Latif Feyzullayev, who failed to complete his studies because of this, returned to Baku and began teaching at Azimzada Art College. That's when he met Vaciya.

After graduating from college in 1944, Vaciha went to Moscow and entered the Art Institute. In the same year, she started a family with Latif Feyzullayev. In 1945, their first child was born - son Nicat. Interrupting her studies for a year, Vaciha Samadova started looking after her son. Latif Feyzullayev went to Moscow in December - two months after the start of classes. Due to his late arrival, he had problems with continuing his studies. Then he went to the composer Uzeyir Hacibayov, who was in Moscow at that time. He called the rector and had Latif Feyzullayev reinstated at the institute.

When her son turned one, Vaciha returned to Moscow to continue her studies and the couple began to study together. In 1949, Feyzullayev graduated from the institute and returned to Baku. And Vaciha remained in Moscow and continued her studies. Her teachers were such famous artists as Yakovlev, Korin...

In 1951, Samadova wrote her thesis "Uzeyir Hacibayov among Azerbaijani composers". Her teachers appreciated this work. At the insistence of Pavel Korin, Vaciha enrolled in a graduate course, after which she received an offer to teach at the Art Institute. But she no longer wanted to be away from home. She returned to Baku - to her family and son, who was 7 years old. The first woman painter of Azerbaijan, Vaciha Samadova, became involved in creative activities and teaching at Azim Azimzada Art College.

"Worthless work" at the museum

1957-1963 were the most fruitful in the Samadova's activity. She created such interesting works as "Wedding in Lankaran", "Preparing for a Wedding" and "Song". In 1962, she went on a creative trip to Bulgaria, and her impressions from the trip were reflected in the works "Old Bulgarian Women", "Bazaar in Sofia", "Rainy Day", "Houses on the Rocks" and others.

Vaciha Samadova devoted many works to her relatives: "Portrait of My Sister", "Architect Solmaz Samadova" and "Before the Exam" - to her beloved sister Solmaz, and "Portrait of My Daughter," "Little Fatima", "Student" and "The Little Violinist" - to her children. Samadova also drew a portrait of her mother who was very proud of her.

Roads in art are not always smooth. In 1953, in order to write the "Portrait of Leyla Badirbayli", she had to visit the actress's apartment many times, make dozens of sketches and invest a lot of effort in this picture. But she was brought to a point where she cut up the canvas with a palette knife, which she used to scrape paint from the canvas. Aware of the value of this painting, one artist said, "Worthless work". This hurt Vaciha Samadova very much. Ranked among the 100 most beautiful examples of Azerbaijani painting, the "Portrait of Leyla Badirbayli" has been demonstrated in the Museum of Art for 59 years now.

Her closest friend and art adviser was always her husband. The house of the two artists was a real centre of art. Friends like Tahir Salahov, Mikayil Abdullayev, Omar Eldarov, Alibay Rzaquliyev, Tokay Mammadov and others often gathered here.

Unfortunately, financial difficulties in the family continued after their return to Baku. Having no apartment of their own, they stayed in the house of Vaciha Samadova's father in Icarisahar for some time. In 1958, the construction of the house of artists was completed, where they were given a flat. Their studio was in the same building. One for two. They had to work in turns.

Finally, in 1962 Vaciha Samadova was given a separate studio. However, she was no longer fated to realize all her ideas in a normal creative environment. A merciless disease caught her when they had just settled in the new apartment and the problem with the workshop was resolved. Her daughter Fatima was only 5 years old. Since her parents had too little time, she lived with her grandmother. Fatima did not understand what was happening then. And Nicat, who was 10 years older, realized the trouble that befell them and was struck in the same way as his father, grandmother and aunt.

Immortalized name

Vaciha Samadova has a picture called "Waiting for News". It was drawn in 1963. It is the last work of the artist. The picture was successfully demonstrated at the exhibition "Our Contemporary" held in Baku in 1963 along with several other works of the author. Vaciha Samadova's son Nicat says that he can never look at this painting without emotion. The painting depicts people crowded on the beach and waiting for news about fishermen. One can feel the tension that precedes accidents. This is most clearly seen on the face of a woman standing in the foreground. Nicat Feyzullayev says that it is an image of his mother - she painted this picture, already aware of her heavy and incurable disease: "Like in the composition she created, she herself was in a painful wait. She was waiting for the diagnosis of her illness to find out how many years she still could live."

The doctor's decision shocked Vaciha Samadova. She was offered surgery. And they said that she would not be able to move her arm after that. The doctor's verdict presented her with a choice - to prolong her life, she had to give up life in art. She did not give consent to surgery. "What's the point? If I can't work, I won't be able to live," she said. After all, to create and manage big things, one needs physical strength too.

Her husband took her to Moscow for treatment. And before that, at the insistence of the surgeon Mursal Qarayev, she had the surgery. Although the operation was successful, it was too late.

After a course of treatment in a Moscow hospital, she returned to Baku. Her family calmed down a bit. But in autumn, the disease flared up again. Vaciha Samadova died in 1965, a month before she would turn 41. The Central Committee came to the decision to allocate a place for her burial in the Alley of Honour. However, Latif Feyzullayev fulfilled the will of his wife. Vaciha Samadova was buried in a Muslim cemetery. And next to the grave of his beloved wife, he left a place for himself. Rubaba outlived her beloved daughter by only six months...

Shortly after the death of Vaciha Samadova, her name was immortalized - it was given to the exhibition hall of the Union of Artists of Azerbaijan.

... When Latif Feyzullayev's wife died, he was 45 years old. He lived 22 years after her. He did not marry. It was unbearably hard for him to stand separation. He became hypertensive and was constantly ill. In the paintings "Old Cemetery", "Lonely Grave", "Portrait of Artist Vaciha Samadova" and "Morning", he reflected his love for his wife and his longing for her. Latif Feyzullayev passed away in 1987. He was buried next to her, Vaciha Samadova, the first woman painter of Azerbaijan.