Nadjaf-bek Vezirov Azerbaijani playwright, publicist, theater figure Date of Birth: 17.02.1854 Country: Azerbaijan

Biography of Najaf-bek Vezirov

Najaf-bek Vezirov was an Azerbaijani playwright, publicist, and theatrical figure. He was one of the founders of Azerbaijani theater. Vezirov was born in 1854 in Shusha, Azerbaijan. He attended school and continued his education at a real gymnasium in Baku. It was here that he met Gasanbek Zardabi, who was teaching at the same gymnasium. Seeing his student's interest in theater, G. Zardabi involved Vezirov in the staging of M.F. Akhundov's comedy "Haji Kara." During his years of study, Vezirov, showing an interest in literary creativity, worked as a tutor. After graduating from the gymnasium with a silver medal, he continued his education in Russia, first in St. Petersburg and then, after falling ill, moved to Moscow and enrolled in the Petrovsko-Razumovsky Agricultural Academy. Vezirov's years of study left a significant impact on his creative development. Within the walls of the Petrovsko-Razumovsky Academy, which was a hotbed of revolutionary ideas among students, he became imbued with emancipatory ideas and moods, and he became close with progressive youth. It was during this time that his friendship with V.G. Korolenko (1853-1921), who later became a famous Russian writer, began. While studying at the academy, Vezirov collaborated with Gasanbek Zardabi, sending various articles and essays to his newspaper "Ekinchi." After completing his studies in Moscow, Vezirov worked as a forester in Dilijan for a while, but due to the closure of the Petrovsko-Razumovsky Academy because of the unreliability and revolutionary nature of its students, he was relieved of his position as a forester as a graduate. Upon arriving in Baku, Vezirov took the bar exam and began serving as a defender of the poor and disadvantaged in the city court, where he had the opportunity to closely observe the bureaucracy of officials, social and domestic conflicts of urban society, which enriched his experience as a playwright and publicist. Najaf-bek Vezirov passed away in 1926 in Chukhuryurd, and he was buried in Baku. Vezirov wrote about 15 dramatic works, realistically depicting the life and customs of Azerbaijani landlords, merchants, and bourgeois entrepreneurs at the end of the 19th and early 20th centuries. In his comedies "Meat for You, Bones for Me" (1873) and "A Picture of Domestic Education" (1875), Vezirov sharply criticized the old school and the principles of patriarchal upbringing. In the play "Unfortunate" (1874), he showed the powerless position of Azerbaijani women and called for a fight against backwardness and stagnation, for the enlightenment of the people. In his youth plays, Vezirov denounced the backward Azerbaijani way of life and opposed lack of culture and the humiliation of human dignity. The plays he wrote between 1890 and 1905 took on an even deeper social meaning. One of Vezirov's best comedies, "Only One Name Remains" (1891), demonstrated the economic and moral decay of the nobility. The character of a self-righteous merchant (Haji Gambar) was depicted in the comedy "From Rain to Downpour" (1895). In the comedy "Heroes of Our Days" (1898), Vezirov was the first in Azerbaijani literature to portray an entrepreneur who became rich through speculation in oil-rich lands, which he bought at a very low price from peasants. Vezirov wrote the first tragedy in Azerbaijani drama, "The Misfortune of Fahreddin" (1896), in which he created the image of a young liberal nobleman who protested against feudal order, aimed at transforming the patriarchal way of life, and spreading culture. Among Vezirov's other comedies are "A Stone Thrown in Pursuit Hits the Heel" and "Late Repentance Bears No Fruit." Vezirov's plays were first performed in amateur performances in Baku and Shusha. They became part of the repertoire of all Azerbaijani theaters in the 20th century. From 1873 to 1912, Vezirov served as an organizer of performances and director in the Baku troupe. After the establishment of Soviet power in Azerbaijan, he wrote the play "The Beginning of a New Century," in which he warmly welcomed the power of the working class. As a successor to the realistic traditions of M.F. Akhundov, Vezirov portrayed the "dark kingdom" of Azerbaijani noble idlers, self-righteous merchants, and capitalist entrepreneurs in his works. His works are marked by the fidelity of everyday life, the vividness of characterizations, and the richness of the language of the people. Vezirov raised timely questions in his plays but believed that customs could be changed through the spread of enlightenment. Russian literature, especially the drama of A.N. Ostrovsky, had a great influence on Vezirov's work.