Rasul Rza (real name Rasul Ibrahim oghlu Rzayev – az, Rəsul İbrahim oğlu Rzayev) (1910 – 1981 in Baku), was an Azerbaijani writer, Hero of Socialist Labour (1980), People's Poet of Azerbaijan, Laureate of

Soviet State Award The USSR State Prize (russian: links=no, Государственная премия СССР, Gosudarstvennaya premiya SSSR) was the Soviet Union's state honor. It was established on 9 September 1966. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, t ...

and the Chairman of the Writers' Union of

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...

. He was the husband of Azerbaijani writer Nigar Rafibeyli and the father of writer

Anar Rzayev Anar Rasul oghlu Rzayev ( az, Anar Rəsul oğlu Rzayev), known as Anar (born 14 March 1938, Baku), is Azerbaijani writer, dramatist, film director, and the Chairman of the Writers' Union of Azerbaijan. Anar is primarily a novelist and short-sto ...

Life and writings

Rasul Rza was born Rasul Ibrahim oglu Rzayev on May 19, 1910 in Goychay. He studied in Transcaucasus Communist University, Azerbaijan Scientific Research Institute and Soviet Cinematography Institute. Rasul Rza was Chairman of Writers' Union of Azerbaijan in 1939, minister of Azerbaijani Cinematography (1945–48), chief editor of the

Azerbaijani Soviet Encyclopedia The ''Azerbaijani Soviet Encyclopedia'' (in Azerbaijani language, Azerbaijani: Azərbaycan Sovet Ensiklopediyası, Cyrillic: Азәрбајҹан Совет Енсиклопедијасы) is a ten volume universal encyclopedia published in Baku, ...

(1966–75), member of board of directors of USSR Union of Writers (from 1964). With start of his career he adopted a shortened name Rasul Rza. His first poem was called ''Bu gün'' (''Today''), published in

Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Kura River with a population of approximately 1.5 million p ...

. His serious multidimensional writings began in the 1930s. During the

Great Patriotic War The Eastern Front of World War II was a Theater (warfare), theatre of conflict between the European Axis powers against the Soviet Union (USSR), Polish Armed Forces in the East, Poland and other Allies of World War II, Allies, which encom ...

, he published many novels calling for patriotic spirit. He also wrote a poem about

Lenin Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov. ( 1870 – 21 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin,. was a Russian revolutionary, politician, and political theorist. He served as the first and founding head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 to 19 ...

. In the 60s, he began writing in more philosophical tone relating his novels to intellectual themes, analytical thinking, philosophical approach to daily life and so forth. The lyrical poems, dramas, proses he wrote hinted to sustained and subtle criticism of the Soviet regime, for which was banned to write for a period of time.Aesopian literary dimensions of Azerbaijani literature of the Soviet period. Maliheh S. Tyrrell, page 47
/ref> Additionally, he began composing songs to his poems. He died in Baku on April 1, 1981 and was buried in

Fakhri Khiyaban The Alley of Honor ( az, Fəxri Xiyaban, Honorary ''Allée'') is a public cemetery and memorial in Baku, Azerbaijan. The Alley includes burials of famed Azerbaijanis and Azerbaijan-affiliated expatriates, including several Presidents, scientists a ...

. A commemoration ceremony was held in his honor in

Ankara Ankara ( , ; ), historically known as Ancyra and Angora, is the capital of Turkey. Located in the central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5.1 million in its urban center and over 5.7 million in Ankara Province, mak ...

in 2010. The writers of Azerbaijan started a Rasul Rza Foundation and present awards to successful writers. It is chaired by

Fikrat Goja Fikrat Goja ( az, Fikrət Qoca, 25 August 1935 – 5 May 2021) was an Azerbaijani poet. He was honored as a People's Poet of Azerbaijan in 1998. Early life and education Goja was born in Agdash. He attended Maxim Gorky Literature Institute ...

References

External links

Mark with depiction of Rasul Rza's portrait in honor of 90th anniversary
1910 births 1981 deaths People from Goychay District Azerbaijani writers Soviet writers Soviet translators Soviet dramatists and playwrights Azerbaijani translators Translators to Azerbaijani Azerbaijani atheists 20th-century Azerbaijani dramatists and playwrights Honored Art Workers of the Azerbaijan SSR {{Azerbaijan-translator-stub