Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences

A scientific conference dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Sabir Rustamkhanli, a prominent public and political figure and People’s Poet of Azerbaijan, was held at the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS). The conference, entitled “Sabir Rustamkhanli: A Thinker, People’s Poet and Fighter for Independence,” was jointly organized by the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology of ANAS, the Nizami Ganjavi Institute of Literature of ANAS, and the Institute of Linguistics named after Nasimi of ANAS.

Opening the conference, President of ANAS, Academician Isa Habibbeyli, stated that the events marking the 80th anniversary of People’s Poet Sabir Rustamkhanli were an expression of high recognition of the poet’s rich literary output and public activities. He emphasized that the awarding of the “Sharaf” Order to Sabir Rustamkhanli by a relevant decree of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev clearly demonstrated the state’s high appreciation of the poet’s contributions to the development of national literature, the formation of public thought, and the promotion of Azerbaijan’s ideals of independence.

Academician Isa Habibbeyli noted that works by Sabir Rustamkhanli, including Ganja Gate, Thank You, My Mother Tongue, Blood Memory, Javad Khan, and The Book of Life, hold an important place in Azerbaijani literature. He emphasized that these works artistically express a deep attachment to national history, the mother tongue, the people’s collective memory, and the ideals of freedom. In particular, he described The Book of Life as a substantial work reflecting the history of the Azerbaijani people and their national self-awareness.

Academician Isa Habibbeyli also spoke about Sabir Rustamkhanli’s public stance during the Karabakh war and his moral support for the struggle to defend Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. He noted that during the Patriotic War, the poet supported the struggle led by President and Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev, expressing his views through poems and journalistic writings. He further stated that Rustamkhanli’s 2020 poem Return to Karabakh reflected the people’s spirit of victory, national solidarity, and the idea of restoring Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.

At the end of his speech, Academician Isa Habibbeyli congratulated People’s Poet Sabir Rustamkhanli on his 80th anniversary on behalf of Azerbaijan’s scientific community and wished him good health and a long life.

Professor Ilham Mammadzadeh, Director of the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology of ANAS, then spoke and shared his memories of Sabir Rustamkhanli. He described The Book of Life, which brings philosophical thought together with national and spiritual values, as a unique work reflecting the historical memory and national identity of the Azerbaijani people.

Professor Ilham Mammadzadeh emphasized that Sabir Rustamkhanli’s literary work and public and political activities complemented one another throughout his life. He described Rustamkhanli not only as a prominent representative of contemporary Azerbaijani literature but also as a thinker who has contributed to the development of national consciousness and public thought. He highly appreciated the attention paid by the state to the poet’s literary work and services and congratulated him on his anniversary.

Professor Nadir Mammadli, Director of the Institute of Linguistics named after Nasimi of ANAS, addressed Sabir Rustamkhanli’s views on language. He noted that the poet had consistently advocated maintaining an appropriate balance between preserving the purity of the Azerbaijani language and incorporating international lexical units into it. He highlighted the importance of the poet’s views on making effective use of the resources of the mother tongue, preserving the leading position of the national language in a multilingual environment, and fostering a love of language among young people.

Professor Nadir Mammadli also noted that, in the process of integration among Turkic peoples, Sabir Rustamkhanli attached particular importance to preserving each people’s own language and independent path of development. He added that, during his service in the Milli Majlis, the poet had consistently focused on the correct use of the state language in legislative acts.

At the scientific conference, Eynulla Madatli, Deputy Director for Scientific Affairs of the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology of ANAS, Doctor of Historical Sciences, delivered a presentation entitled “Historical Azerbaijan and the National Question in Sabir Rustamkhanli’s Works.”

Metanat Shikhieva, PhD in Philosophy, Associate Professor, presented a paper entitled “Sabir Rustamkhanli’s The Book of Life: A Formula for Awakening the National Spirit and Identity.”

Salida Sharifova, Doctor of Philological Sciences, Professor, spoke on “The Reflection of Mythological and Fantastic Elements in Sabir Rustamkhanli’s Novels.”

Radif Mustafayev, a participant in the Patriotic War, PhD in Philosophy, Associate Professor, delivered a presentation entitled “A Philosophical Analysis of the Figure of the ‘Unknown Hero’ in Sabir Rustamkhanli’s Poem Return to Karabakh.”

The conference also featured presentations by Professor Rahid Ulusel, entitled “Sabir Rustamkhanli’s Works and the Philosophy of National Self-Awareness”; Professor Ilham Tahirov, entitled “Sabir Rustamkhanli’s Language as an Exemplary Corpus in Azerbaijani Linguistics”; Faig Alakbarli, PhD in Philosophy, Associate Professor, entitled “Sabir Rustamkhanli: A Prominent Poet and Thinker of the Turkic World”; and poet Asya Ahmadova, entitled “The Cry of Khojaly and the Call to Resist Occupation in Sabir Rustamkhanli’s Poetry.”

In his concluding remarks, People’s Poet Sabir Rustamkhanli thanked the organizers and participants for arranging the anniversary event.

As part of the conference, a presentation was also held for Professor Ilham Tahirov’s book entitled A Frequency Dictionary of Sabir Rustamkhanli’s Language. Based on corpus materials, the book analyzes the frequency-statistical model of Rustamkhanli’s language, its lexico-semantic fields, metaphorical system, and idiolectal features.

Published by decision of the Academic Council of the Institute of Linguistics, the book’s academic consultant is President of ANAS, Academician Isa Habibbeyli, and its scientific editor is Professor Nadir Mammadli, Director of the Institute of Linguistics.

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

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