POET AND NONCONFORMIST: YESTERDAY, TODAY, TOMORROW

In an honourable line

The charity project, instigated by Xalq Bank and given the name "Xalq Amanati" ("National Heritage"), which began in 2010, includes the compilation and publication of works of art, academic works and albums of the reproductions of well-known exponents of Azerbaijani literature and art. Beautifully designed and published to the highest standards, the bank donates the books and albums in the "Xalq Amanati" series to higher and secondary educational establishments, children's homes and libraries and offers them to various foundations, state institutions and foreign embassies and legations in Azerbaijan, Azerbaijani embassies and consulates abroad and also distributes them among lovers of Azerbaijani culture.

Art albums have been published and exhibitions organized of the works of people's artists Beyukaga Mirzazada, Maral Rahmanzada, Sattar Bahlulzada, Mikayil Abdullayev, Xalida Safarova and Mahmud Tagiyev as part of this project. The album "Artists of Ganca" was presented and an exhibition of the works of Xalida Safarova, Fazil Aliyev, Gennadiy Brizhatyuk, Rza Mammadov and Qorxmaz Sucaddinov organized in Ganca. The collected essays of Mammad Araz, Huseyn Arif and Mikayil Musfiq, as well as a paper "Coins of Azerbaijan" by the eminent numismatist, Professor Ali Racabli, have also been published. The latest publication in the "Xalq Amanati" project - a collection of the works of X.R. Uluturk - may be obtained absolutely free of charge by all devotees of his work; all one needs to do is apply for the book at Xalq Bank's head office.

The voice of freedom

Since he was a young man Xalil Rza Uluturk had been known as a poet and orator, a humanist and man of letters and an ardent fighter for Azerbaijan's freedom. One of his earliest works, which embodied his beliefs about life and work, was the poem "Voice of Africa", which he wrote in the 1960s. At first glance it had been created on the wave of the defeat of colonialism throughout the world, which was popular in the Soviet Union in the middle of the last century. However, the true meaning of this work is much broader - the poet was able to express in a general way man's desire for freedom: 

Azadlığı istəmirəm zərrə-zərrə, 

qram-qram,

Qolumdakı zəncirləri qıram gərək, 

qıram! 

Qıram!

I don't want freedom by the speck,

By the gramme,

I want to break my chains,

Break them!

Break them!

The ragged rhythm is like the frantic pulse of a man who is up for the fight. The alliteration of "qram" and "qiram" ["break" in Azeri] is like the beating of drums calling for battle…It was then, immediately after he wrote this poem, that its meaning was perceived much broader in Azerbaijan than the struggle of the black population of Africa for their freedom. The reader in our republic extended the ideas expressed by the poet to the age-old political problem of the Azerbaijani people - the "two shores" separated by the Araz [river]. However, as time passed, the course of history showed that the meaning of philosophical generalization in this poem has another political undertone: a desire for freedom from the chains of the Soviet empire… But by that time other "staple" poems, some of which can be found in the new book, had already emerged in the poetical heritage of the tireless poet.

The book includes not only the author's works over different years, but also translations of literature. After all, people's poet Xalil Rza Uluturk is well known in the history of our culture not only as a poet, but also as an academic, translator, publicist and chronicler. He wrote 36 poetical works and 15 collections of translations, 13 academic works and 7 books of memoirs.

In the 20 years since the poet's death his wife Firangiz xanim, with the constant support of the state, which she gratefully acknowledged at the presentation, published over 50 collections of her husband's poetry. The current collection, published by Xalq Bank, will, she said, be a valuable gift for connoisseurs of Xalil Rza Uluturk's work.

"The best flowers are on the mountain peaks"

The team working on the book have produced a truly monumental work, selecting works from Xalil Rza's social poetry, his love poetry, and also poetry for children and translations. It should be noted that not only the quantity but also the sheer variety of the translations in the book shows the broadness of Uluturk's interests as a translator - it includes works from European, Russian, Turkish, Iranian, Uzbek and Angolan poetry.

The compiler and editor of the work, scholar and television journalist, connoisseur and enthusiast of Xalil Rza's work, who was his friend for many long years, Dr of Philosophy and Philology Yusuf Gunaydin, spoke about this at the presentation:

"Selecting outstanding examples from the poet's creative heritage was a difficult task, because Xalil Rza was one of the most prolific writers of the last century. His academic and artistic legacy is incredibly rich, profound and diverse. For example, the number of pages he has translated from other languages is 1,120. What a figure! These are published translations, but how many manuscripts are still waiting to be published? In compiling this book, we were guided by the principle 'cream of the cream', because Xalil Rza himself used to say that the best jewels are at the bottom of the sea and the best flowers on the mountain peaks…"

Milli Maclis deputy, academician Nizami Cafarov described the publication of Xalil Rza Uluturk's works as part of the "Xalq Amanati" project as a manifestation of true citizenship. The bank, by implementing the "Xalq Amanati" project, shows itself to be a reliable keeper of the spiritual treasures of our people who, after a while, return to it in its original form, investing considerable sums and promoting shining examples of literature and art.

"Xalil Rza is the shining light of modern Azerbaijani literature," Nizami Cafarov said. "The poet conveyed his high ideals through all hardships and difficulties and remained true to them in the prisons of the KGB which failed to break his indomitable spirit. Xalil Rza's poetry is an event in the Azeri language, for the purity of which he fought devoutly. There was something of the great Nasimi in it and his poetical thinking was distinguished by its global nature, its breadth, pathos and lofty sentiments. Whatever Xalil Rza wrote, whatever subject he turned to, his work was always poetic, of a high quality and a rare standard."

"Xalil" means "friend"

Dignitaries from the world of the arts and science, MPs and public figures and representatives from business circles came to pay their respects to the tireless fighter for Azerbaijan's independence and to once again enter his turbulent world of poetry and struggle. The guests shared with great reverence and love their memories of the poet, comparing him with the popular heroes and world geniuses of literature.

Academician Teymur Karimli, Director of the M. Fuzuli Institute of Manuscripts of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan, recalled that Xalil Rza's poetry was shaped by the time in which he lived:

"'Xalil' means 'friend'. Xalil was a friend of his people, but he remained ruthless and uncompromising towards his enemies. He devoted his whole life to his people not only as a poet, but also as a public figure, promoting the ideas of Azerbaijani life and culture. It was for these values that he devoted what was most dear to him - his freedom, his son and his life. While Azerbaijan still has enemies, for so long as our country wilts under the enemy's jackboot, Xalil Rza's ideas and work will be topical and in demand. Perhaps he was born to become another Fizuli or a Virgil, but life made him a poet and nonconformist…

Azerbaijani People's Poet Zalimxan Yaqub noted the global significance of Xalil Rza's poetry:

"The poetry of Xalil Rza Uluturk created a generation of heroes in Azerbaijan, embracing the ideas of the martyrdom in the name of the freedom of their Homeland. He was obsessed by the ideas of Turkism and dreamed of a great and united Azerbaijan. He was a devoted son of his people and he belongs to all freedom-loving and independent nations. For Xalil Rza the people were a lofty banner and today the Azerbaijani people exalt him like a banner and glorify the poet and his work.

Aydin Azimov, professor of the Uzeyir Hacibayov Baku Academy of Music, Merited Artiste and composer, remembered Xalil Rza not just as a fine poet, but also as a man with a strong outlook on life:

"We are all patriots and we love our country, but to Xalil Rza love had another quality - it was like a seething volcano, restless, vivid. Time and subsequent events proved that his uncompromising attitude was the right one. Xalil Rza was, without doubt, an outstanding individual of our time, an exposed nerve of our country, the conscience of a nation…"

At the presentation, which turned out to be a real evening of memories, one could hear not only the voices of those who knew the poet well, but his own voice, too. This was an audio recording of the poem "I return again to Azerbaijan", written by the poet in 1990 in Lefortovo Prison, where he was confined after "Black January" as an active member of the national movement. And an exhibition of archive photographs and manuscripts of the poet to the accompaniment of poignant music by the celebrated jazz pianist and composer Salman Qambarov was organized in Xalq Bank's arts gallery.