The history of the creation of the monument to Uzeyir Hajibeyli

Uzeyir Hajibeyli is an outstanding Azerbaijani composer, musicologist, publicist, playwright, teacher and public figure. About the monument

On April 30, 1960, a monument to the outstanding Azerbaijani composer Uzeyir Hajibeyli was solemnly opened in Baku in front of the building of the Conservatory. Sculptor Tokay Mamedov, architect G. Mukhtarov.

The height of the bronze sculpture is 2.9 meters, the height of the granite pedestal is 3.1 meters. The maestro sits in an armchair in deep creative thought. The score is on his lap.

The bronze figure of the composer was cast in the foundry of the Art Fund of the Azerbaijan SSR and installed on a pink granite pedestal with a dark brownish tint. On the pediment of the pedestal there is an inscription made in gold paint in block letters in Azerbaijani: “Uzeyir Hajibeyov, 1885-1948”.

Creation of the monument

The creation of the monumental monument to Uzeyir Hajibeyli was entrusted to the sculptor Tokay Mammadov and the architect G. Mukhtarov. Tokay Mammadov started work on the monument in 1957. He created a portrait of the composer, reflecting the individual expressiveness of the composer. The texture of the portrait, executed in bronze, is alive and tactile. The facial features are not detailed, but worked out energetically, the inner spiritual strength is visible. We feel the calmness of the figure sitting in the chair.

For the sculptor T. Mamedov, who created the image of a luminary, the gesture of a hand raised to the chin and emphasizing the state of deep thought plays an important role, and the right hand with a pencil clutched in it rests on the notes lying on his knees.

The strict beauty of plastic forms, the compactness of the composition of the seated figure help the sculptor to create a certain mood, to reveal the structure of character and the state of the image. The pedestal was also successfully solved by the architect G. Mukhtarov, whose smoothed rounded lines are in harmony with the entire figurative structure of the monumental monument. A clear silhouette, expressive gesture, subtlety and grace of modeling enrich the composition of the sculpture.

The monument looks good against the background of the six-column aivan portico of the conservatory building.

The statue captivates with the completeness, the integrity of the plastic generalization, revealing the living originality of nature. And the marches of two stone stairs, the first one is in front, at the entrance from the street to the Hajibeyli monument and creates the illusion of a pedestal rising, and the other already behind it, at the exit from the platform, in front of the portico, the front entrance of the conservatory there are favorable conditions for the viewer to see the monument.

The very same site around the monument and the adjoining territory, as time has shown, has repeatedly become an orchestral platform for concerts and a venue for various events.