In Memoriam Ziya Buniyadov. Part 3

The famous Azerbaijani orientalist died 15 years ago: on the 21st of February, 1997, he was murdered at the entrance to his apartment in Baku. Ziya’s father was Azerbaijani, his mother was Russia. A brilliant scholar, he also translated the works of his colleagues from English,  Arabic, Russian and Turkish. His own books were published in many countries. The scholar’s widow Tagira Buniyadova shared her memories of him with our ‘VK’ correspondent.

- How did Buniyadov become an Azerbaijani MP?

- He always tried to run for the elections, but they never let him. But after Heydar Aliyev came to power he drew up a list of candidates he wanted to become MPs from his party. Ziya was first on that list. He had only been an MP for a year and a half, but he managed to help a lot of people – he arranged jobs, saved some from imprisonment… He always looked personally into all matters. I was going home once and I saw an old man standing on our doorstep. I asked him who he was waiting for, and he said he was waiting for Ziya. I asked him to come in, but he refused and waited for another three hours in the door. It turned out that this man’s son was in prison, and it had been suggested he give a large bribe to free his child. He said that he had sold all he had and got the money, but still he wanted some advice from my husband. Ziya heard him out and phoned the chief prosecutor right away. And it turns out that this man’s son was due  to be amnestied, so they were extorting the money for nothing. The man started crying from happiness and Ziya promised him it would be alright. When Ziya was killed, this man came to our home and mourned him. Ziya helped a lot of people.

- And what did he do in his free time?

- He read a lot and he liked travelling. He had been to Japan and China. Ziya was a very creative person, and with a rich fantasy. He took up fretwork. He was fascinated by nature’s beauty. He once brought back a whole lot of sea-pebbles from his Mediterranean business trip, he said they were so beautiful that he couldn’t help it.

- Was he emotional?

- When he watched TV on Victory Day, he cried. He remembered the horrible war to the end of his days. Our sons-interpreters served in conflict zones. I remember that in Ziya’s institute there was a young scholar of Iranian origin who evaded conscription. Ziya said that he also had to serve, like his sons did. In a quarrel this young man reproached Ziya that he had a Russian mother. Ziya crossed out his ‘nationality’ column in his passport and wrote ‘Russian’, saying that it didn’t change a thing and that the young man still had to serve in the army.

He used to be very upset about the Karabakh war and he wanted to join the army. When the Sumgait pogrom took place he wrote a book on it uncovering the plans of Armenian secret organizations.

-Did he keep in touch with his fellow students from the institute?

- A lot of our institute’s alumni became Academicians, or ambassadors, or journalists, or intelligence agents. A lot of our fellow-students became famous: Farid Seiful-Mulykov, Vladimir Tsvetov, Arkady Alexin. Ziya was friends with every one of them, they were in touch. Evgeniy Primakov often visited us in Baku.

Ziya was also friends with Yulian Semenov, and there’s an interesting story about that. In 1951 there was the notorious Doctor’s Plot case. And someone at  the university found out that Semenov was a relative of one of the accused doctors. The students’ assembly condemned Semenov, they wanted to expel him from the Komsomol, from the Institute, etc. Ziya , who came to the Institute that day, was surprised that rooms were empty, and when he found out that there was this ‘trial’ against a student, he became furious. He broke into the assembly room and shouted that they have never seen real enemies if they are trying to make one out of Semenov only because of his family connections. He, a Hero of the Soviet Union, vouched for him. No one expected such a happy ending, especially Semenov himself. If Ziya hadn’t helped him that day, we probably wouldn’t have seen the famous ‘Seventeen Moments of Spring’, based on a novel by that very Semenov.

- Did Ziya have friends from his work?

- Ziya liked Dzhahangir Kahramanov very much. The latter was a very quite person, intelligent, almost possessed by his scientific interests. And Ziya could see that in him, and understood the good it could bring to the oriental studies especially in the office of director of the Manuscript Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences. Ziya used to bring rare books, true treasures, to his Institute from wherever he went. He knew that Kahramanov will keep them safe and use them to promote the studies. We celebrated Kahramanov’s 70th anniversary in 1997, he has already passed away. Ziya sid back than that he saw his friend in a dream, and he looked sad. And Ziya told him not to be as they would meet again soon. These words were almost prophetic as he himself passed away not long after that.

He also was friends with Azad Mirzadzhanzade. Ziya called him ‘the conscience of the Academy’. He told me that Azad authored a quite important law named after him when he was only 30. They said that Azad could have become a millionaire abroad, but after making yet another sensational presentation in the US or Europe, he hurried back home. I knew that Azad, as well as my husband were uncompromising as far as the search for truth is concerned. Almost everyone loved Ziya. Of course, there were some envious people, but he never bended to their pressure. Ziya always stood till the end in scientific discussions, even if he was one against many, and he still managed to prove that he was right.

- What is your life like after Ziya passed away?

- I feel that I’m loved by the people, without this love I would have died. I’ve worked in Azeri Parliament for 14 years now, prior to that I worked on TV, but vice-speaker Muruz Aleskerov invited me to work for the parliament as I was their only connection to late Ziya. Even total strangers often offer me their help. But I don’t need any help, I’m just glad they remember Ziya. I still feel great love for him and I miss him.

I didn’t ask Tagir about the day Ziya died, as I know she still believes all could have turned out differently if only…

As she said herself, he ‘died like a man, not in bed, but fighting armed scums who would have never dared to challenge him for an honest fight. He was a true Hero till the end. And it is possible that one of the people whose life he fought to protect at war organized his murder. And he knew that he could never compete with Ziya honestly… And I believe god will punish those who did this in the end”.