Theater Museum celebrates 125th anniversary of prominent playwright

Azerbaijan State Theater Museum has organized an event dedicated to outstanding playwright and poet Jafar Jabbarli, Azernews reports.

Co-organized by the Azerbaijan State Theater Museum and the Jafar Jabbarli House-Museum, the event was timed to the 125th anniversary of the birth of a prominent figure, who significantly enriched the Azerbaijani literature.

Director of the museum, Honored Culture Worker Sevinj Mikayilova welcomed the guests of the event.

She spoke about Jafar Jabbarli's legacy and his contribution to the Azerbaijani culture.

Then a video was shown, reflecting the life and creativity of Jafar Jabbarli, made on the basis of materials preserved in the Theater Museum's fund. The event continued with reports about the playwright's creativity.

Later, actress of the Azerbaijan State Academic National Drama Theater, Honored Artist Mesma Aghaverdiyeva and actor of the Baku Municipal Theater Togrul Rza recited Jafar Jabbarli's poems like "Oh star", "Convicted to the East" and "Azerbaijani Flag".

The guests also listened to Jafar Jabbarli's song "I was a free bird" performed by Honored Artist Rashad Ilyasov.

Jabbar Jabbarli takes a prominent place in Azerbaijani culture as a playwright, poet, theater director, translator, and screenwriter.

Jabbarli started writing at an early age. His first poem was published in 1911, in the local newspaper Hagigat-i Afkar. In the following years, he penned over 20 plays, as well as stories, poems, essays, and articles.

He also translated European classics, such as Shakespeare's Othello and Hamlet, Pierre Beaumarchais's The Marriage of Figaro, etc.

The writer's focus was on the theater, where he achieved huge success. His plays Baku War, Devoted Sariyya, or Laughter Through Tears, Shah Nasraddin, Bride of Fire, Sevil, and Almaz gained widespread popularity.

In his plays, Jabbarli was keen on women's freedom, the elimination of gender inequality, and the solution to problems pertaining to mass ignorance among women.

Two of his plays, Sevil and Almaz, both written in 1928, focused on women's role and their struggle against patriarchy.

In 1929, the film "Sevil" was shot based on the play of the same name. It was the first domestic film against gender inequality.

In this play, Jabbarli describes two women, Sevil, a beautiful woman, who obeyed her husband unquestioningly, and Dilbar, Balash's mistress, and a man named Balash, who disliked his past, repudiated traditions and customs, and turned away from his own father.

Inspired by the success of the play Sevil, Jafar Jabbarli started to work on a screenplay for the Almaz film. Unfortunately, he could not finish it amid health issues. His friends and colleagues continued his cinematographic activities and completed the shooting of the film that was released after Jabbarli's death. The film tells about Almaz, who was not scared to come across a "kulak" - a wealthy peasant called Haji Ahmad. She fought against kulaks, sparked a revolution in the village, led her struggle, and won.

After so many years, Jabbarli's legacy still continues to inspire people. The museum named after him was established in 1934. Over 137,000 exhibits are stored at the Jafar Jabbarli Theater Museum.

The Jafar Jabbarli State Theater Museum systematically holds events dedicated to prominent theatrical figures, lectures, and exhibitions.

In 2004, the Union of Theater Workers awarded the museum the Golden Dervish Award for the acquisition and storage of materials on the history of the theater.