Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences

On March 16, an international scientific conference titled “Sadig bey Agabayzade – As a Prominent Representative of 20th-Century Oriental Studies,” dedicated to the 160th anniversary of Sadig bey Agabayzade — a renowned Azerbaijani military, political, and statesman, participant of the First World War, major general, and a distinguished Polish orientalist — commenced its work at the Central Scientific Library of ANAS.

The international conference is organized jointly by the Institute of Oriental Studies named after Academician Z.M. Buniyatov of ANAS, the Department of Scientific Heritage of the Presidium Office of ANAS, the Faculty of Oriental and African Studies of the University of Warsaw, and the Center for Azerbaijani Studies of the same faculty.

The conference, dedicated to the multifaceted activities of Sadig bey Agabayzade and to contemporary issues in Oriental studies, brought together 95 scholars from 13 countries with scientific presentations. Twenty foreign researchers represent scientific and educational institutions from Poland, Germany, Sweden, Russia, Ukraine, Türkiye, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, France, Iraq, and Algeria.

At the beginning, participants viewed an exhibition reflecting the life and work of the prominent orientalist. The exhibition featured photographs, rich archival materials, and documents related to Sadig bey Agabayzade preserved in the archives of the Polish Academy of Sciences, the Jagiellonian University (Kraków), the National Archive Administration of Azerbaijan, and the State Archives of Literature and Art of Azerbaijan.

At the opening ceremony of the exhibition, Head of the Department of Scientific Heritage of the Presidium Office of ANAS, Doctor of Historical Sciences Zemfira Hajiyeva; Head of the Center for Azerbaijani Studies at the Faculty of Oriental and African Studies of the University of Warsaw, PhD in Philology Shahla Kazimova; Deputy Director for Scientific Affairs of the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, Doctor of Historical Sciences Eynulla Madatli; and Professor Solmaz Rustamova-Tohidi, Senior Researcher of the Institute of Oriental Studies, spoke about the exhibition, noting that it comprehensively reflects the vivid biography of Sadig bey Agabayzade. It was emphasized that the Department of Scientific Heritage of the Presidium Office of ANAS has created a unified fund of this statesman and scholar by collecting copies of all documents related to Sadig bey Agabayzade preserved in Azerbaijani and Polish archives in a single center.

The international conference began with the performance of the National Anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Opening the event, President of ANAS Academician Isa Habibbeyli noted in his introductory speech that the renowned orientalist, scholar, and socio-political figure Sadig bey Agabayzade is one of the prominent personalities who holds an important place in the history of Azerbaijan’s independence. He emphasized that the memory of this great figure, born on Azerbaijani soil, remains dear to the people.

The head of ANAS noted that Sadig bey Agabayzade’s life path was connected with countries such as Russia, Ukraine, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, and Poland. Regardless of where he lived or what position he held, he remained faithful to his national and moral values, preserving his patriotic spirit and serving the ideology of Azerbaijani identity with dedication.

Academician Isa Habibbeyli stressed that military service played an important role in Sadig bey Agabayzade’s multifaceted activity, noting that his participation in the Second World War demonstrated that he fulfilled his duty not only in science and politics but also in military service to his homeland with dignity. These contributions remain a valuable page in Azerbaijan’s military history.

“At the pinnacle of Sadig bey Agabayzade’s historical achievements stands his active participation in the state-building process during the period of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR). As Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of the ADR, he carried out such critical tasks as strengthening the institutional foundations of the first democratic republic in the East, forming traditions of statehood, and preserving and developing national ideals with great responsibility and principled dedication. His tireless activity in this direction clearly demonstrates the rare combination in his personality of a patriotic statesman and an intellectual with a high level of scholarly thinking,” Academician Isa Habibbeyli added.

The President of ANAS further noted that science played a leading and decisive role in Sadig bey Agabayzade’s life and work. He highlighted that during the period when the scholar worked in Turkmenistan, he deeply studied the folklore, epic heritage, and linguistic features of local peoples, and his fundamental scholarly work “Turkestan Dialects” should be regarded as a significant contribution to Oriental studies. According to him, this research brought Sadig bey Agabayzade recognition in the international scientific community and opened a new stage in the history of Oriental studies as a substantial work based on solid scientific methodology and reflecting real facts.

Academician Isa Habibbeyli also emphasized that one of the important directions of Sadig bey Agabayzade’s scholarly activity was his work related to Poland. During the years he lived and worked in this country, he continued his research consistently and played an invaluable role in the development of the Polish school of Oriental studies.

The head of ANAS recalled that one of the strongest and most systematic centers of Oriental studies in Europe was formed in Poland, and Sadig bey Agabayzade is recognized as one of the leading figures who contributed to the expansion of this school’s scientific directions and the emergence of a new stage of research in the early 20th century. His name is still held in high esteem in Polish academic circles, and his scholarly legacy serves as an important bridge between Azerbaijani scientific thought and European Orientalist traditions.

Speaking about research conducted in ANAS institutions on Sadig bey Agabayzade’s rich legacy, Academician Isa Habibbeyli emphasized the importance of systematically studying and promoting the scientific and social heritage of such personalities. He noted that Sadig bey Agabayzade’s legacy is still not sufficiently known in Azerbaijan, and there is a strong need for in-depth scientific research into his work.

He also noted that archival documents related to Sadig bey Agabayzade have been preserved in Azerbaijani archives for several years, and Azerbaijani scholars have conducted research in Poland, delivered presentations, and organized scientific events related to this prominent figure. However, he added, the wider public and scientific community still lack comprehensive and systematic information about him.

Academician Isa Habibbeyli stressed that the international event is of special importance in several respects, as it presents the rich scientific, social, and political legacy of Sadig bey Agabayzade to the public in a comprehensive and systematic manner for the first time. He stated that the conference lays the foundation for a new and promising stage in the development of Azerbaijani–Polish scientific and cultural relations.

Concluding his speech, the President of ANAS noted that today’s event is not only commemorative in nature but also creates a solid foundation for the deep, comprehensive, and scientific study of Sadig bey Agabayzade’s legacy.

“Systematic research to be conducted in this direction will contribute to ensuring that the legacy of this prominent scholar occupies its rightful place in national scientific thought, while also being presented more fully and objectively to the international scientific community,” Academician Isa Habibbeyli concluded.

Next, Acting Vice-President of ANAS and Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies, Academician Gohar Bakhshaliyeva, stated that Sadig bey Agabayzade had lived a complex and eventful life. She noted that he emigrated to Türkiye, where he lived in the house of his cousin Ali bey Huseynzade. In early 1921, he moved to Paris and taught Persian and Turkish languages at the Sorbonne for two years. From 1927, he settled in Lviv, where he taught Oriental languages at the university while also learning Polish and Ukrainian. A significant part of his life was spent in Poland, and many prominent Polish Turkologists were among his students.

Academician Gohar Bakhshaliyeva emphasized that Sadig bey Agabayzade, a participant of the First World War, major general, and prominent statesman of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, stood out for his socio-political activity. In addition to being a specialist in Arabic, Persian, and Turkish languages, he left a lasting mark on Polish Oriental studies and gained recognition as one of the founders of the Lviv scientific school.

She also noted that Sadig bey Agabayzade worked in Turkmenistan for a certain period, where, as an orientalist, he collected folk tales, epics, and legends. As a result of his extensive work, he published the textbook “Turkmen Dialect,” which served as an important resource for Russian officials to learn the Turkmen language.

Following this, Professor Agata Bereja Starzynska, Dean of the Faculty of Oriental and African Studies at the University of Warsaw, presented her report on “Continuity of Scientific Traditions – Sadig bey Agabayzade, Wladyslaw Kotwicz, and Marian Lewicki.”

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Azerbaijan to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Doctor of Philology Vilayat Guliyev, in his video presentation titled “The Unattended Grave of Sadig bey Agabayzade,” shared information about the discovery and restoration of Sadig bey’s unmarked grave in Lviv.

At the conference, Professor Eva-Maria Auch of Humboldt University of Berlin delivered a presentation titled “The Study of Azerbaijani History as Part of German Oriental Studies,” while Professor Solmaz Rustamova-Tohidi, Senior Researcher at the Institute of Oriental Studies named after Academician Z.M. Buniyatov of ANAS, presented on “Pages of Life in Letters: Based on Letters Addressed to Ali bey Huseynzade (1921–1939).”

The conference continued its work with panel sessions.

During panel sessions titled “Oriental Studies as a Field of Political and Scientific Activity: Prominent Orientalist Scholars and Figures,” “Sadig bey Agabayzade as a Political-Military Figure and Orientalist Scholar,” “Orientalism and Occidentalism as Contemporary Issues of Oriental Studies in the Context of Political Problems: East and West,” “Oriental Languages and Literature,” “Religion and Philosophy,” “Turkology. The First Turkological Congress,” and “The Object of Oriental Studies – the Historical, Political, Social, and Cultural Life of Eastern Peoples. Source Studies,” presentations were delivered on relevant topics covering various directions of Oriental studies, followed by extensive scientific discussions.

It is noted that the international conference will conclude its work on March 17.

Translation by Gulhane Aghayeva, Department of Public Relations, Press, and Information, Presidium of ANAS.

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