Ahmad Javad

Ahmad Javad Akhundzade was born on May 5, 1892, in the village Seyfali of Shamkir rayon. He got his primary education at home, learnt Turkish, Persian, Arabic languages and Eastern literature. In 1912, after graduating from religious seminary in Ganja, he worked as a Teacher and took part in the literary and socio-political life of the city.

In 1916, a collection of Ahmad Javad's poems "Goshma" and in 1919, "Dalga" (Wave) were published.The period Ahmad Javad's activity, who was famed as the poet of independence is related to Mammed Amin Rasulzade. On the proposal of Rasulzade, the poet joined the party "Musavat". The peak of poet's poetry is related to ADR. Ahmad Javad welcomed the declaration of ADR in the poem "Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan!". He glorifies three-coloured flag of Azerbaijan in the poem "To Azerbaijan's flag". After the declaration of ADR the poet continued teaching and helped the minister of ADR-Nasib bey Yusifbeyli in the enlightenment of cultural sphere. He actively took part in the establishment of Azerbaijan University. In the poem "O, soldier!" he glorified Turkish Army, which came to the aid of Azerbaijani people in 1918. After the establishment of Soviet authority Ahmad Javad continued pedagogical activity. In 1920, he worked as the school headmaster and the Teacher of Russian and Azeri languages in the village Khulug of Gusar rayon, but from 1920 to 1922 he was Quba rayon's public education branch's manager.

In 1922–1927 he studied in the history and philology department of Azerbaijan's Pedagogic Institute, and simultaneously taught at the technical scholl named after Nariman Narimanov.

In 1924–1926 he worked as the senior secretary of the Union of Soviet Writers of Azerbaijan. In 1925, Ahmad Javad was arrested for the poem "Goygol".

In 1930 he moved to Ganja. From 1930 to 1933 he was a Teacher, then the associate professor and the head of a chair of Russian and Azerbaijani languages of Ganja Agricultural Institute. In 1933, Ahmad Javad was conferred on the tytle of professor. Afterwards he headed a literary department of Ganja Drama Theatre.

In 1934, Ahmad Javad returned to Baku, worked as an Editor of translation department of "Azernashr" Publishing House. In 1935–1936, he headed the department of documentary films at "Azerbaijanfilm" film studio. In March 1937 Ahmad Javad was awarded the first premium for translation of Shota Rustaveli's "The Knight in Tiger Skin" into Azerbaijani language. Such works had been translated by Ahmad Javad into Azerbaijani language: A.S.Pushkin's "Copper Rider", M. Gorky's "Childhood", I.Turgenev's proses. European works, such as Shakespeare's "Othello", F. Rabelais's "Gargantua and Pantagruel", K. Gamsun's "Hunger".

In his case, there is a photo of prisoner Ahmad Javad, number 1112. The last sentence reads: “The death sentence of Ahmad Javad was executed on October 13, 1937, in Baku”.

In December 1955, Ahmad Javad got rehabilitation. His works, such as "Poems" (1958), "Don't cry, I will do" (1991), translations: F. Rabelais's "Gargantua and Pantagruel" (1961), tragedies: Shakespeare's "Otello" and "Romeo and Juliett (1962), poem: Rustaveli's "The Knight in tiger skin" (1978). The documents charged that in addition to being a member of the Musavat Party, Ahmad Javad was a friend of M.A.Rasulzade, the founder of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, as well as the poets Mushfig and Javid.

His wife Shukriya Khanum was questioned in the infamous “ inner jail “ for the first and last time. This innocent woman separated from her children sentenced to eight years in a Siberian Labor camps. As many Azerbaijani women – the wives of progressive minded Writers and poets, she didn’t know why her husband was sentenced to death.

Yellowed official documents vividly recount the tragedy of his case. From the archives of the former Azerbaijan People’s Commissariat of Internal Affairs (KGB) come many cases that are absolutely impossible to read without feeling pain in one’s heart.