March 30, 2018

Inauguration of the Maksud Ibrahimbeyov Creativity Centre

Inauguration of the Maksud Ibrahimbeyov Creativity Centre took place in Icherisheher, Baku, March 30.

 

First Vice-president of the Republic of Azerbaijan, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva and Vice-president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva attended the ceremony.

 

Mehriban Aliyeva addressed the opening ceremony:

 

- Dear Anna khanum.

 

Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends.

 

Today, the Creativity Centre of Maksud Ibrahimbeyov - an eminent Azerbaijani writer - is inaugurated in old Icherisheher, in the centre of our beloved capital. This is a very significant event, with its symbolic meaning. It is significant because this Centre immortalizes the memory of a great man, an Azerbaijani writer, who has made significant contributions to the cultural, literary, spiritual, public and political heritage of our country. It carries, at the same time, a symbolic meaning. To explain why, I would like to give you brief information, which is very interesting. Listen: the building in which the Maksud Ibrahimbeyov Creativity Centre is located was constructed in 1914 by renowned architect Ziverbey Ahmadbeyov for the writer’s grandfather Alakbar Mashadibeyov, an oil industrialist. His mother Fatma khanum, one of the seven children of Mashadibeyov, who was executed by shooting in 1924, was born here. Later, the family was resettled from the house. After the revolution, until the 70s of the 20th century, the building was used as a dwelling home with shared apartments. In 1941-1945, during the Great Patriotic War, the building’s basement served as a bomb shelter. Since 1978, the Peace Advocating Committee has located in this building. In 1983-2016, this committee was headed by Maksud Ibrahimbeyov. The committee has dealt with promoting patriotism, charity, and providing support to low-income families, children, and war veterans. Azerbaijan’s PEN Club - a part of the only international organization to have united professional writers of the world - headed by Maksud Ibrahimbeyov, operated in this building. Since 1999, the Assembly of Aristocrats, founded by Maksud Ibrahimbeyov, with support from Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev, has functioned here. The building has been entered on the list of historical monuments of Icherisheher State Reserve since 2001. In 2016-2017, basic repair and restoration works were carried out on the building, with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. By the Resolution of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, dated February 1, 2018, the Maksud Ibrahimbeyov Creativity Centre was established in this building.

 

Dear friends, the building had been constructed for the family by respected Maksud muallim’s family. In over a hundred years, we are inaugurating this building as the Creativity Centre of Maksud Ibrahimbeyov, a great human and eminent writer. I think we all are now witnessing the celebration of an historical justice, and this is very nice. Extraordinarily brilliant, many-branched, extremely talented person– Maksud Ibrahimbeyov is not, unfortunately, among us. He was a true patriot. He was bonded with Azerbaijan, his land, with all his soul. He was a man with courageous civil position. All his life, he has never changed his ideals and principles. His long life he has spent as a sincere man, taking interest in everything, and far from being indifferent. He passed away, however his works, his great literary and spiritual legacy – his books, plays, scripts and essays remain. Each of his works has been in astounding accord with both our present day and the past, and I have no doubt they will be urgent tomorrow too. His every work is alive. Hence, Maksud muallim himself is alive. People – his friends, relatives, those who loved and respected him, who had always been at his side are remaining. The most important person for Maksud muallim – his fairy of inspiration Anna khanum is here. Anna khanum, I want to thank you deeply for your initiative. Because, thanks to your initiative, this Centre is inaugurated today. Over the course of the few years that we have been in close relations with you, I have had a profound respect for you; and I love you very much. While working on the creation of this Centre, I have been amazed at your strength, and your patience. I realize how difficult it is to collect all these personal items, archive materials, and to systemize them. Today is not an easy day for you. You are having double feelings, apparently. On the one hand, you are experiencing the feeling of grief because of the beloved person’s not being beside you, and, on the other, the feeling of joy that this home, this Centre exists.

 

First, I want to thank all who have participated in the creation of this Centre. I want to express my special thanks to employees of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. We all have approached this job with great love and responsibility. This Centre must have been worth of Maksud muallim’s name. We had been wishing and, of course, trying to make sure that, first of all, the atmosphere that Maksud muallim had created in this house was felt, along with restoring the building’s historical picture. As a true human he had being conveying such energy that after having met him once you would almost become enchanted and want to be beside him. I am hopeful this house too will have the same effect. Therefore, I want to once more say that the opening of the Creativity Centre of respected Maksud muallim in this house is quite justified. I would very much like to see here an environment he would have liked, created, and lived. I think this house will be a place where talented youth would hold various meetings, Azerbaijani writers be supported, and literary and artistic evenings would be organized. That is to say, I am hopeful, and I know that Anna khanum will head this Centre. Therefore, I am sure everything will be as Maksud muallim would have wished. May his soul rest in peace!

 

I wish all of you, first of all, you, Anna khanum, happiness and sound health. May you remain healthy and beautiful as today for long years, and realize the ideas and thoughts that you have known better than anybody has and, unfortunately, Maksud muallim did not have time to accomplish. Thank you very much. 


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