HERALD OF FREEDOM

Ever since his youth his verses were on everyone's lips. They reflected the cry of the soul and the call of the heart in flames of love. Many of his works became heralds of confessions in first love and served as a love letter.

Lyricist and patriot

At first, verses of Baxtiyar Vahabzada decorated the diaries of pupils and students, since in the early days of his career he was more dedicated to fond memories of school and student years in his verses. He recalled those years, school friends and intimate friends of student days with nostalgia.

Later, in the 1990s, the voice of a prominent public figure sounded at the forefront of the national liberation movement and from the rostrum of the parliament. As one of the leaders of the movement for the independence of Azerbaijan, the poet began his activities in the name of this sacred dream in his youth - in 1944. Over time, the range of the topics he raised expanded. When Azerbaijan was part of the Soviet Union, many neglected their native language and considered it prestigious to speak in Russian, sent their children to study in the Russian sector and talked to them in Russian even at home. Having nothing against the Russian language, the poet at the same time was in the ranks of those who guarded the native language. In 1954, he wrote one of his most famous poems "Native Language".

In his works, he called for the defence of national values and the spiritual treasury of Azerbaijan. In the poem "Mugam" the poet rediscovered this treasure trove and lovingly magnified this unique heritage of Azerbaijani culture.

In poetic lines he embodied the feelings that owned his heart - the joy and sorrow of his people, their tragedy and concern for the future. Therefore we can say without exaggeration that Baxtiyar Vahabzada was a national poet long before he was officially awarded this honorary title.

People's Poet

He was born in Saki on 16 August 1925, and his father named him Baxtiyar. Until the end of his life he retained the melodic and mellifluous accent of his native Saki. Baxtiyar grew up in a poor but spiritually very rich family. His father Mahmud Vahabzada was a worker, but a generous and hospitable man. He had his own world. He prayed on time and observed all religious rites. He taught his children to live an honest life.

Baxtiyar Vahabzada was born at a time of hardship. The Bolsheviks had seized power in Azerbaijan only recently, overthrowing the independent national government. The arrival of the 11th Army did not become a holiday for the people, as Soviet history books said. The people rebelled against the Bolsheviks. In Saki, Baxtiyar Vahabzada's father and his brothers were among the rebels. However, a large armed group of Bolsheviks arrived here and suppressed the rebellion. Arrests and killings began. Members of the family of the future poet were also arrested for helping the rebels. Although they were released later, they did not come to terms with the new regime and hated it in their hearts. Baxtiyar Vahabzada grew up seeing and feeling this hatred from childhood...

They did not live very long in the house of their grandfathers. Baxtiyar was still a teenager when his family moved to Baku in 1934. Here he graduated from high school in 1942 and entered the Faculty of Philology at Baku State University. During his studies at the university, he was one of the most active members of the literary circle headed by the outstanding writer and teacher Mir Calal.

He started creative activities during the Second World War. In 1943, Adabiyyat Qazeti published his poem for the first time. As a student, in 1945, on the recommendation of the chairman of the Writers' Union of Azerbaijan, Samad Vurgun, he was accepted into its ranks. In 1947, he graduated from the university and enrolled in a post-graduate course.

His first book "Manim Dostlarim" ("My Friends") was published in 1948. It was followed by the book "Bahar" ("Spring", 1950), "Dostluq Nagmasi" ("Song of Friendship", 1953), "Abadi Hayat" ("Eternal Life"), "Cinar" and "Sada Adamlar" ("Ordinary People", 1954) and "Ayli Gecalar" ("Moonlit Nights", 1958). In 1962, the poet presented the readers with the book "Etiraf" ("Confession") and "Shabi-Hijran" ("Night of Sadness" - Persian), and in 1964 - "Insan va Zaman" ("Man and Time"), which became one of the books that made him famous.

Written in 1959, the poem "Gulistan" reflected the historical tragedy of Azerbaijan divided into two parts and the fight of the motherland languishing under the imperial yoke. He told about the heroism of Sattar Khan, Sheikh Mahammad Khiyabani and Sayyid Jafar Pishavari who fought for the independence of Azerbaijan. The poem "Gulistan" was written at the time of the rampage of Soviet rule. Great courage was required to write such a work at the time. Although the poem was officially banned, its manuscripts went from hand to hand. And Baxtiyar Vahabzada was waiting for his arrest every minute. As he himself admitted later, every time a car stopped in front of his house, he thought that they had come for him. He knew that this work could destroy him, but still wrote it.

The harsh conditions of the time could not make him give up the main idea of his work. Baxtiyar Vahabzada did not belong to a secret organization and was not involved in political activities, he only tried to protect the rights of his people and fought for their future, for which he had to face a lot of pressure. For the poem "Gulistan" he was labelled as a "Turkophobe" and expelled from Baku State University. Only 2 years later, was he able to return to work.

In 1951, Baxtiyar Vahabzada defended his thesis on "The lyrics of Samad Vurgun", and the theme of his doctoral work, which he defended in 1964, was the "Life and Work of Samad Vurgun". Receiving the degree of Doctor of Philology, he explored Azerbaijani folklore and classical and modern literature, and wrote valuable scientific articles.

His critical and journalistic articles were collected in six books. One of the main topics of journalistic works of Baxtiyar Vahabzada was the lack of research into our history. Many collections of poems, dramas and journalistic writings of Baxtiyar Vahabzada were translated into English, French, German, Persian, Turkish, Polish, Spanish, Hungarian and the languages of the peoples of the former Soviet Union.

He is the author of more than 20 major poems on historical and contemporary themes. Productions of his works "Ikinci Sas" ("Second Voice"), "Vicdan" ("Conscience"), "Yagisdan Sonra" ("After the Rain"), "Yollara Iz Dusur" ("Traces Remain on the Roads") "Hara Gedir Bu Dunya?" ("Where is the world going?"), "Faryad" ("Scream"), "Cazasiz Gunah" ("Guilty without Punishment"), "Dar Agaci" ("Gallows") and others enjoyed great success.

In parallel with literary and scientific work, Vahabzada engaged in teaching activity. He gave no less than 40 years to teaching at Baku State University, where he was a professor. He retired in 1990. Baxtiyar Vahabzada was also an active member of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan.

In 1974, Vahabzada was awarded the honorary title of Honoured Artist, and in 1975, he was awarded the State Prize of Azerbaijan and in 1984 - of the USSR. In 1985, he was awarded the title of "People's Poet". In 1995, he became one of the first masters of the pen awarded by President Heydar Aliyev the Order of Istiqlal of independent Azerbaijan.

Fighter for independence

Baxtiyar Vahabzada engaged in social and political activities a lot and actively. He was a member of the Azerbaijani Supreme Council and Milli Maclis (Parliament) of several convocations. He became one of the activists of the popular movement that started in Azerbaijan in the late 1980s. And the poem "Martyrs" written in connection with the bloody tragedy organized in Baku on 20 January 1990 was a poetic monument to the heroic sons of Azerbaijan who sacrificed their lives for independence.

Speaking at a rally in front of the current presidential administration the day after the massacre carried out by the Soviet army against the civilian population, Baxtiyar Vahabzada publicly threw his party card out. From there he went to the TV studio, where there were a lot of people in the courtyard. There were also director Nazim Abbasov, poet Habil and writer Ismayil Sixli, who told him about the explosion at the supply unit of the TV station. Approaching a Soviet general surrounded by several men in the courtyard, Baxtiyar Vahabzada spat in his face and asked what they wanted from the people: "Why do you expose people to such troubles?" The general was taken aback and reached for his pistol. But director Nazim Abbasov managed to grab him by the arm and tell him who was standing in front of him.

The poet was put in a car and taken to the radio station. From there, he urged the deputies to convene a session. It was his personal initiative. In the morning, all the deputies convened and a 10-hour session began its work. The head of the Supreme Soviet, Elmira Qafarova, refused to conduct the session, and the poet himself opened it. Then, due to lack of experience in this business, he asked Ismayil Sixli for help, and he led the session until the end. It adopted decisions for the benefit of the people, which caused alarm among the leaders of the Soviet state.

He believed that the day will come when the nation will regain its independence and achieve freedom. It is with this belief that he became one of the tireless fighters for the independence of Azerbaijan. He burned like a candle in the struggle for the freedom of his people.

Azerbaijan lost the great poet on 13 February 2009 when he left us at the age of 84. Based on a decree by President Ilham Aliyev, the 90th anniversary of the birth of Baxtiyar Vahabzada will be marked at the state level this year. And the poet himself will live forever in the people's memory with his immortal works.