Historian Jamil Quliyev would have turned 94 today

Today the Soviet and Azerbaijani historian, Doctor of Historical sciences, Professor, Academician of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, Chief editor of the Azerbaijan Soviet Encyclopedia Jamil Quliyev would have turned 94 years old.

He was born on December 16, 1927 in Shusha. After graduating from school in Aghdam, he entered the history department of the Azerbaijan State University, and two years later, in 1946, he continued his education at the history department at the Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov, where he also defended his candidate (in 1952) and doctoral (in 1971) dissertations.

While studying at Moscow State University in the difficult post-war years, he kept a diary, where he wrote that students starved, it was considered happiness to find a few crumbs of stale bread (since then, the academician had been anxious about bread all his life), but much greater happiness was that despite all the hardships, he had the opportunity to study at Moscow State University, where he received an excellent education.

"Love for his land, for the Motherland - Karabakh and the Azerbaijani language, respect for work, arose in childhood, in his youth, and his student years at Moscow University, in the difficult post-war period, became for him a school of internationalism and taught him to pave his way to life with hard everyday work. The origin of his patriotism, principle and steadfastness is from that time," said the son of the academician, Professor Rustam Quliev, a famous mathematician who defended his dissertation in the UK during the Soviet years.

When in the late 1940s - early 1950s the central building of the Moscow State University's university complex on Vorobyovy Gory, the largest of the seven built Stalinist skyscrapers, was being built, Jamil Quliyev, along with other students and graduate students, took an active part in cleaning days, helping the builders. He was very fond of Moscow University, often came there after graduating from graduate school, being both a teacher at Baku State University, and Deputy director for scientific affairs at the Institute of Party History under the Central Committee of the Azerbaijan Communist Party, and Director of the Institute of History of the Academy of Sciences of the Azerbaijan SSR.  In 1974, he was awarded the State Prize of the Azerbaijani Republic for his research in the field of history and in the following year became the editor-in-chief of the Azerbaijan Soviet Encyclopedia (to which he dedicated 13 years of his life), and a year later he was elected vice-president of the Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan.

In 1983, the son of Jamil Guliyev, Tair, entered the history faculty of Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov and Professor Guliev began to come to the House of Students of Moscow State University on Vernadsky Avenue. Judging from his appearance, he was a formidable man,similar to a lion, and not only in appearance, but also in character - he seemed the personification of nobility and courage. But when he was talking to his students, they felt special warmth from this man, and they felt the deepest respect for him.

History students of the 1980s have kept this respect for Jamil Quliyev for the rest of their lives. In conversations with them, the professor tirelessly repeated: "Do not forget that you are studying at the best university, at the best faculty, where the best teachers of the whole country, authors of the best textbooks work with you. You receive exclusive information, and your task is to adopt this knowledge. Later, you will understand how this knowledge of yours is qualitatively different from those obtained in other educational institutions." A kind, intelligent, strict and demanding teacher with incredible energy. Work was his passion, he was always in a hurry, as if he wanted to get ahead of time. He considered it important to do as much good as possible, to be useful to his country and his people. He achieved everything in life himself, earning the respect of those with whom he worked.

Fellow students and colleagues of Jamil Quliev’s sons noticed their special respect for their father. So the young people always spoke to him on the phone only standing up.  One day, the colleagues asked Rustam: "Why do you jump up? Father does not see you!" To which Rustam Dzhamilovich answered with bewilderment: "What does it change? I’m talking to my father!"

In the late 1980s - early 1990s, Jamil Quliyev was the rector of the Azerbaijan State University, worked at the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan, was a member of the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences, while remaining a very modest person. He wore similar coats with his chauffeur, both were in suits and ties, so people often confused them, not understanding who got out of the car - an academician or a driver. Guliyev himself treated academics, drivers, and greengrocers with equal respect. And they all loved and respected this Man.

Quliyev was appointed the rector of the Azerbaijan State University not only because of his indisputable professionalism, but also because he was a crystal-clear person. “He never used his position for personal gain. Being a modest man, he did not like anniversaries and lavish celebrations, preferring simple family feasts with relatives and friends. For me, he was a kind, loving, very strict and demanding father. Our family was very proud of him, he was loved and respected. My father was an optimist by nature, loved humor, loved to joke, and his infectious laughter did not leave anyone indifferent and cheered those around him in the most serious situations, - said Professor Rustam Quliyev. - During his school years, my father was engaged in wrestling, hence the love for sports. He loved football very much. My father often took me to the championship matches with the participation of our beloved "Neftchi". We sometimes even went to stand-in games. Father was very happy and proud of the successes of our athletes. My father loved music, Azerbaijani and classical, which is not surprising for a person from Karabakh. At the same time, he loved to listen to Bach's organ music (from records), the beautiful piano playing by his beloved daughter Leila (music teacher), and in my performance on the piano - Bach's toccata in D minor, Oginski Polonaise, Tchaikovsky's Neapolitan dance (at least that's what I thought)".

Jamil Quliev made a great contribution to the development of historical science, wrote many books and monographs, hundreds of articles. Under his guidance and with his direct participation, not only the ten-volume Azerbaijani Soviet Encyclopedia, but also the two-volume Children’s Encyclopedia, the Nakhchivan Encyclopedia, as well as the seven-volume "History of Azerbaijan" were brought to light. For two decades he headed the Academic Council for the defense of doctoral dissertations, considering the training of Azerbaijani historians to be his life's work; he himself represented the Azerbaijani historical science at international conferences and symposia, was a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan of the X-XI convocations.

It was very hard for him to endure the occupation of Karabakh, the pearl of Azerbaijan - his native Shusha. At the very beginning of the conflict, when terrorist attacks and armed sabotage, organized by the members of the terrorist organization ASALA, began in Karabakh, Quliyev managed to fly over Karabakh by helicopter, where he saw countless buildings destroyed by bearded men in black from ASALA. When the management of the Academy proposed to hold a special solemn jubilee meeting in connection with his 75th birthday, and later, with his 80th birthday, he expressed gratitude, but refused, saying that he was morally not ready to do this in conditions when part of his homeland - Shusha, Karabakh - is under occupation.

Jamil Quliyev died on December 27, 2010. His tombstone depicts Shusha - the cradle of fathers and grandfathers. With pain for Karabakh, he left this world and left a reminder to his descendants where the roots, soul and heart of the Motherland are. For his merits in the development of Azerbaijani historical science, he was awarded the orders "Shohrat" and "Istiglal", and in the memory of the people who knew him he remained as a great scientist, a worthy citizen and a wise teacher.

In memory of Jamil Quliyev