ONE HOUSE — WHOLE WORLD

The House of Photography recently opened in Icherisheher (Old City or Inner City) became a surprising event for professionals, amateurs, citizens and guests of our city. The bright, warm, and hospitable house billed as the Chained House even before the Soviet times is situated opposite the Gosha Gala Gapisi (Double Gates). We should thank the administration of the Icherisheher State Historical and Architectural Reserve for such a wonderful present to Baku.

What is so special about the House in Baku? First, it is important to ensure continuity of long-standing tradition of chronicling the life of Baku and Azerbaijan through the photography. Secondly, it will serve as a centre promoting modern world art photography through various educational programs. Finally, it can change the attitude toward photography pushing it from a tool fixing momentary life to a form of art on par with paintings.

Past days

First photo studios in Azerbaijan appeared at the end of the 19^th century. In 1910, there were 45 professional studios only in Baku! The number of amateur photographers was a little more, of course. We can learn from Manaf Suleymanov's The Past Days that the most popular photographers among the oil producers, landowners, wealthy merchants, ship-owners, and top officials of those days were Guliyev, Kokovikhin and Rostomian. The grandmother of my distant relative Sergey Feyzulin, Maria Vladimirovna Tolstaya, used to tell me about a photo studio of Azizbala Mammadali oglu Hajiyev popular in the 1920s. Her mother used to take Maria Vladimirovna and her sister to the studio occasionally — an episode which would become embedded in the family gallery as a marvellous photo of two young ladies dressed in Art Deco. Directory of Russian Photographers: 1839-1930 by A. Popov is another interesting source of information about the popularity of photography in Azerbaijan.

Inner City

The opening day of the House of Photography was marked with a remarkable event —creative exhibition called Inner City. This is how Icherisheher sounds in English, albeit incomprehensibly unfamiliar to the guests of our city. A very precise and conceptual title invented by Sanan Aleskerov, manager of the House, artistic director of creative programs. It is the best way to highlight the idea of continuity between generations, as the past and present of the Inner City are the fixed moments of reality that have become part of the history on photo paper. On one photo taken in the early 20^th century is the dilapidated entrance to the Shirvanshah Palace, on the other one — the same palace today. A narrow curved street with wooden balconies as it looked in the end of the 19^th century, and the same street as it looks today… One can roam around the halls of the exhibition for hours trying to guess the places on photographs and camera angles, going back to photos again, recalling the historical past of the city and country, sharing own information about the intriguing mystery of objects, learning something new about a particular object that had long disappeared in Baku. The exhibition is teeming with photo memories about the oil producers, patrons of art, who had given Baku a good number of beautiful and unique mansions that make the city unforgettable. That is why everyone who has ever been to Baku dreams of returning here again!

Looking from above

Old photos taken from a bird's eye view caused hot discussions. Who did make them and, most importantly, how? One young man suggested that they could have been taken from an airplane. The controversial assumption gave rise to debates, which took half an hour! Adults and teenagers advanced their versions, referring to information gathered from various sources. I am sure everybody in the hall was happy to be part of such a lovely discussion, taking place in a new place in our city where we can communicate and share information, albeit informally, enjoying the pleasure of communicating with each other! The fact that the creativity of artist, collector and researcher of photography, Bahruz Huseynzade, came across the managerial talent of photographer Sanan Aleskerov was not a mere coincidence! The exhibition in fact is a collection of old photos taken by Bahruz Huseynzade, who has been collecting them for fifteen years. One can find here hundreds of original photographs of the late 19^th-early 20^th century.

As for Sanan Aleskerov, he has been fixing the reflection of Time on the architectural appearance of Icherisheher for forty years. One of the numerous series of the exhibition is called Inner City in the 21^st Century.

About the House of Photography

The house will definitely become a hotspot for creative people, yet another chance to develop and promote photography in Azerbaijan. It will attract those who have always dreamed about looking at the world through the lenses, but not simply relying on capabilities of their state-of-the-art cameras, but on own opinion, vision, and talent to see the world differently. This place will also attract those who just start learning the secrets of seeing the world through a camera, those who need to be trained by the masters of modern photography. It is planned to hold informational lectures, master classes for professionals and, of course, various photo exhibitions here. Participants will include not only Azerbaijani photographers, but also the renowned and internationally recognised masters of photography. This will definitely add value to the educational component of the House. The House of Photography in Baku intends to make Azerbaijan more popular and famous using affordable methods through the reflection of our present and past, as well as our life through the promotion of modern Azerbaijani culture. Big plans indeed! But the implementation of these plans and dreams requires material support. We have people who, like Zeynalabdin Taghiyev, Musa Naghiyev or Isabey Hajinsky, do care about their country and people. Like their predecessors, they are interested in supporting talents who can glorify Azerbaijan by all available means.