Art

Along with achievements attained in 2016, in the cultural and literary life of Azerbaijan and the world, there were also big losses. Days are left before we bid farewell to the year 2016. Who are the great names this present year took away from us? Let’s remember our losses…

9th January. People’s poet of Azerbaijan, public figure Zalimkhan Yagub passed away after a long battle with kidney failiure.

Zalimkhan Yagub was born on January 21, 1950 in Kapanakchi village of Bolnisi region of Georgia. In 1967, he graduated from secondary school in the village. In 1972, he graduated from the faculty of bibliology at Azerbaijan State University. In the years 1995 to 2005, he was a member of the Azerbaijani Parliament. On August 29, 2008, he was elected chairman of the Union of Ashugs at the Fifth Congress of Ashugs. Zalimkhan Yagub was buried in the First Alley of Honors.

29th January. People's artist of Azerbaijan, well-known composer Musa Mirzayev died aged 82 after suffering from micro-stroke.

He was born in Baku in 1993. He is the author of “Polyphonic Symphony” for camera orchestra, “Romantic Poem” for violin and piano, “Sad Melody” for piano, etc. He was awarded the Order of Shohrat (Glory) and presidential stipend. He was buried in the Second Alley of Honor.

15th February. Critic and publicist Gulrukh Alibeyli died.

In the years 1964 to 1965 he served as Deputy Minister of Culture and acting minister. He is the author of books “Searches and finds,” “Always on the way,” “Our thinking world,” “Our fluttering world,” “Change, our world,” “Our collapsing world,” etc. He was buried in the Yasamal cemetery.

25th February. Azerbaijani people's artist Ilhama Guliyeva died.

Guliyeva was born on August 17, 1943 in Baku. She graduated from Azerbaijan State University in 1964. She was a soloist of Estrada Orchestra of State TV and Radio Broadcasting Company in 1965-1970, and the Azerbaijan State Philharmonic Hall in 1970-1980. Since 1980, she has been a soloist of ("Azconcert"). Guliyeva was the daughter of singer Tukezban Ismayilova. She was buried in the Second Alley of Honor.

7th March. Famous actor and film director Arif Gasimov died.

He was born in 1950. Gasimov worked for the “Children and youth” editorial office of Azerbaijan State Television. He has performed different roles in the movies “National bomb,” “Istanbul flight,” “Between heaven and earth”, etc.

8th March. Film director Fikrat Aliyev died after suffering from cancer for a long time.

He directed films such as “Baladadash’s first love,” “Gold ravine,” “Dream,” etc.

22nd March. People’s writer of Azerbaijan Maksud Ibrahimbeyov died aged 81 after a long battle with heart disease.

Writer, screenwriter, film director Maksud Ibrahimbeyov was born on May 11, 1935 in Baku. He was awarded the title of “People's Writer” in 1998. In the years 1995 to 2005, he was a member of the Azerbaijani Parliament. Ibrahimbeyov was awarded the Order of Shohrat (Glory) in 1995 and the Order of Istiqlal (Independence) in 2005. His books titled "Accident", "A little bit of joy", “A song I haven’t heard” and “Let him stay with us” were published in large numbers by publishing houses in Moscow.

9th April. Literary scholar, professor Imamverdi Abilov died at the age of 89.

Abilov was born in Goltug village of Neftchala district in 1927. He served as the second secretary of Neftchala District Party Committee till 1955. He is the author of more than 800 articles. He is the fater of Azer Turan, chief editor of newspaper Literature.

4th May. People’s writer of Azerbaijan Sohrab Tahir died.

He was born in the Iranian city of Astara on August 6, 1926. The writer was awarded the Order of Shohrat (Glory) by the order of Azerbaijan’s president in 2006. He was honored with the international order of Vladimir Vladimirovich Mayakovsky under the decision of the Union of Russian Writers and its Writer-Translators Union in 2010.

19th September. Film-director Alakbar Kazimovski died of heart attack during the 55th birthday jubilee of actress Nahida Orujova in a restaurant.

He shot the films titled ‘Lonely crane’s flight’, ‘Last love’, ‘Cute nightingale’. He is the son of film-director Rauf Kazimovski.

16th November. Poet Fikrat Sadig died aged 86.

Sadigov Fikrat Abbas oglu was born in Shamakhi district on May 30, 1930. He became a member of Azerbaijan Writers' Union in 1963. He was awarded the title of ‘Honored Culture Worker’ (1986), became laureate of the Azerbaijani State award (1990).

19th November. People's artist of Azerbaijan, conductor Nariman Azimov died aged 80 after a long battle with heart failure.

Azimov long time served as the artistic director and chief conductor of the Azerbaijan State Orchestra of Folk Musical Instruments named after Said Rustamov. In 1982, he was awarded the Certificate of Merit of the Supreme Council of the Azerbaijan SSR. In 1991, he was awarded the honorary title of People's Artist of Azerbaijan.

11th December. Honored artist of Azerbaijan Ismayil Mammadov died aged 68.

The artist was born in Baku on March 31, 1948. He graduated from I. Repin St. Petersburg State Academy Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. He became a senior artist of Azerbaijan State Theatre of Musical Comedy in 1998. Ismayil Mammadov was awarded the title of “Honored artist” on May 30, 2002.

Foreign celebrities who died in 2016

20th February: Well-known Italian novelist, literary critic and philosopher Umberto Eco died at the age of 84.

He was the author of books “The Name of the Rose”, “Foucault's Pendulum”, “The Island of the Day Before”, etc. The writer’s last novel “Numero Zero” was published in 2015. Umberto Eco was born on January 5, 1932 in the city of Alessandria, Italy. In 2003, Eco became a Chevalier of France’s National Order of the Legion of Honor. He was awarded many times.

31st March. World-renowned architect Zaha Hadid died of a heart attack at her 65 in a Miami hospital, where she was being treated for bronchitis.

She had several notable projects, including the London aquatics centre for the 2012 Olympic Games (2011), the Heydar Aliyev centre in Baku (2013).

5th July. Famous Iranian film director, screenwriter, photographer and film producer Abbas Kiarostami died at 76 in Paris.

He was born in Tehran in 1940. An active film-maker from 1970, Kiarostami had been involved in over forty films. His “Taste of Cherry” (1997) was awarded the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival that year. His films “Where Is the Friend's Home?”, “Taste of Cherry”, “Through the Olive Trees” are among the best films of Iran. Kiarostami was one of the few directors who remained in Iran after the 1979 revolution, when many of his peers fled the country.

16th September. A legendary Turkish film actor Tarik Akan died aged 66 after a brief battle with cancer.

Akan, who's real name was Tahsin Tarık Üregil, was born in Istanbul on Dec. 13, 1949. Tarik Akan was the only men actor who won Golden Orange Award for Best Actor seven times. He starred in many films, including "Hababam Sınıfı" (Chaos Class), “Yol” (Road) "Bizim Aile" (Our Family) "Mavi Boncuk" (Blue Bead) and others.

3rd November. Well-known Soviet Russian clown and circus artist Oleg Popov died from a cardiac arrest while on tour at the age of 86.

He was born on July 31, 1930 in Moscow. Since 1991, he lived and worked in Germany. After 24 years, he for the first time visited Russia in 2015 and died in Rostov-on-Don.

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