Nariman Narimanov
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Nariman Kerbalai Najaf oglu Narimanov (Azeri in full: Nəriman Kərbəlayi Nəcəf oğlu Nərimanov, Russian: Нариман Нариманов; April 2, 1870, Tbilisi - March 19, 1925, Moscow) was an Azerbaijani revolutionary, writer, publicist, politician and statesman. In 1921, Narimanov headed the Soviet government of Azerbaijan, the Council of People's Commissars (May 1921 - 1922). In 1922, he was elected chairman of the Union Council of the Transcaucasian SFSR. He was also Party Chairman of the Central Executive Committee of the Soviet Union from December 30, 1922, until the day of his death. Narimanov translated into Turkic Nikolai Gogol's The Inspector General and wrote a large number of plays, stories, and novels, such as "Bahadur and Sona" (1896). He was also the author of the historical trilogy "Nadir-shah" (1899).
The district in Greater Baku, Azerbaijan Medical University and metro station in Baku are named after him.
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[edit] The Revolutionary
Born April 2 (14), 1870, in Tiflis, in a poor Azerbaijani family. After graduation from the teachers' seminary in the city of Gori, received a position of a teacher in a village of Gizel-Adjal, Tiflis Province, where he became closely acquainted with the hard life of the local peasantry. Later, Narimanov became a teacher in a private pro-gimnasia in Baku, where he founded the first public free-access library and reading hall, which became a cultural center of the entire Transcaucasia. In 1902, at the age of 32, Narimanov entered the Medical Department of Novorossiysk University. During the revolution of 1905-1907, Narimanov took active part in it and led the student movement in Odessa. In 1905, joined RSDRP (Russian Social-Democratic Workers' Party). Upon return to Baku, Narimanov guides the Congress of Transcaucasian Turkic Teachers; under his influence, the Congress adopts a resolution on national self-determination of Transcaucasia. A little later, Nariman Narimanov became one of the organizers of Persian socialist democratic party Isheyun-Asheyun. Soon, Narimanov was exiled to Astrakhan for five years for his activities. After the October revolution of 1917, Nariman Narimanov became the chairman of Azerbaijani social democratic organization Hummet (Endeavor).
[edit] The Statesman
In 1920, Narimanov was named the chairman of Azerbaijani Revolutionary Committee (Azrevkom) and shortly thereaft, the Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars' (Sovnarkom) of the Azerbaijani Soviet Republic. In April and May 1922, took part in Genoese Conference as a member of the Soviet delegation. In 1922, was elected the chairman of the Union Council of Transcaucasian Federation. On December 30, 1922, the first session of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR elected Narimanov one of the four chairpersons of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR. In April 1923, Narimanov was elected a candidate to the members of Central Committee of RKP(b) (Russian Communist Party of Bolsheviks). He clashed with Stalin's close associate Sergo Ordzhonikidze, who led the Communist Party in Transcaucasia. As a result of this conflict, Ordzhonikidze got Narimanov transferred to posts in Moscow to remove him from the scene of action in the Caucasus region. Nariman Narimanov died in Moscow on March 19, 1925, under suspicious circumstances. He was officially declared to have died of a heart attack, but his remains were cremated. His ashes were buried in Red Square.
[edit] The Writer
Narimanov was one of the first activists of young Turkic literature. He translated into Turkic Gogol's Inspector and wrote a large number of plays, stories, and novels; the most well-known among them are the novel Bahadur and Sona (1896) and an historical trilogy Nadir-shah (1899).
[edit] His Political Thought
Narimanov was an ardent marxist-leninist but he was also a moderate azeri nationalist and he always putted the interests of the Azerbaijan SSR before everything else even at his own risk ( he died in Moscow under suspicious circumnstances ). He is viewed in retrospect as a forerunner of "national communism." Narimanov was one of the most popular and charismatic leaders of his country; he was sometimes called "the Lenin of the East".
[edit] References
the Great Soviet encyclopedia, 3d edition. - Moscow, 1970-77.
Altstadt, Audrey. The Azerbaijani Turks: Power and Identity Under Russian Rule (Stanford, 1992)
