Rafiga Haji gizi Akhundova (, ; 7 August 1931 – 6 February 2024) was an Azerbaijani ballet dancer, ballet master and

People's Artiste of the Azerbaijan SSR The People's Artiste of the Azerbaijan SSR () was an honorary title awarded from 1931 to 1991 (and active from 1928 to 1991), it was granted to artistes of the Azerbaijan SSR for their contributions to the development of Azerbaijani culture in th ...

(1970).

Biography

Rafiga Akhundova graduated from Baku Choreography School in 1951 and completed an advanced course at the

Bolshoi Theatre The Bolshoi Theatre ( rus, Большо́й теа́тр, r=Bol'shoy teatr, p=bɐlʲˈʂoj tʲɪˈat(ə)r, t=Grand Theater) is a historic opera house in Moscow, Russia, originally designed by architect Joseph Bové. Before the October Revolutio ...

(1951–1952,

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

). From 1951 to 1971, she was a soloist of the Azerbaijan Opera and Ballet Theater. Beginning in 1971, she was the ballet master of that theater, and from 1990, she was the chief ballet master. Together with her husband, Magsud Mammadov, she staged the ballets "Caspian ballad" (1968, T. Bakikhanov), "Shadows of Gobustan" (1969, F. Garayev), "Yalli" and "Azerbaijan Suite" (1969, R. Hajiyev), " The Path of Thunder" and "

Seven Beauties ''Seven Beauties'' (, "Pasqualino Sevenbeauties") is a 1975 historical black comedy drama Italian film written and directed by Lina Wertmüller and starring Giancarlo Giannini, Fernando Rey, and Shirley Stoler. Written by Wertmüller, the film ...

" (1975, 1978, G. Garayev), " Babek" (1986, A. Alizadeh), "

The Nutcracker ''The Nutcracker'' (, ), Opus number, Op. 71, is an 1892 two-act classical ballet (conceived as a '; ) by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, set on Christmas Eve at the foot of a Christmas tree in a child's imagination featuring a Nutcracker doll. Th ...

" (1988, P. Tchaikovsky) at the Azerbaijan Opera and Ballet Theater, as well as "The Path of Thunder" (1976, G. Garayev) at the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theater. She worked as a teacher-ballet master in

Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

and

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

. "Caspian Ballad", "Shadows of Gobustan" and "Azerbaijani Suite" were presented at the 7th International Dance Festival held in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

in 1969 and were awarded the diploma of the Paris Dance Academy. In 1994, she staged the ballet "Seven Beauties" in

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

(together with

Magsud Mammadov Magsud Davud oghlu Mammadov (, born 30 May 1929) is a Soviet and Azerbaijanis, Azerbaijani ballet dancer and ballet master. People's Artiste of the Azerbaijan SSR (1970). Biography Magsud Mammadov was born on 30 May 1929 in Ganja, Azerbaijan, ...

). On 26 April 1958 she received the honorary title of "

Honored Artist of the Azerbaijan SSR Honored Artist of the Azerbaijan SSR (; ) was an honorary title awarded by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic (Azerbaijan SSR) and was one of the forms of recognition by the state and society of the meri ...

" and, on 21 May 1970, the honorary title of "People's Artiste of the Azerbaijan SSR". On 9 June 1959, she was awarded the

Order of the Badge of Honour The Order of the Badge of Honour () was a civilian award of the Soviet Union. It was established on 25 November 1935, and was conferred on citizens of the USSR for outstanding achievements in sports, production, scientific research and socia ...

, and on 6 August 2021 the

Shohrat Order Shohrat Order (), translated as ''Order of Glory'', is an award presented by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. History and status The order was created by the Decree No. 757 of the President of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev and ratified ...

. Rafiga Akhundova was the wife of ballet master Magsud Mammadov. She died on 6 February 2024, at the age of 92.Xalq artisti Rəfiqə Axundova vəfat edib

References

Sources

* Cabir, S. "Gənc istedadlar" üəllim-aktrisa, "Qızmar günəş altında" kino-filmində Gülpəri rolunu oynayan Sürəyya Qasımova və Opera və Balet Teatrının gənc balet artisti Rəfiqə Axundova haqqında//Ədəbiyyat və incəsənət.- 1957.- 28 dekabr.
Şəhriyar Cəfərov: "Bu ölkədə vətənpərvərlik yad janra çevrilib"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Akhundova, Rafiga 1931 births 2024 deaths 20th-century ballet dancers Artists from Baku Honored Artists of the Azerbaijan SSR People's Artistes of the Azerbaijan SSR Recipients of the Order of the Badge of Honour Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour Recipients of the Shohrat Order Ballet teachers Azerbaijani ballerinas Azerbaijani ballet masters Soviet ballerinas