The Ganja State National Drama Theater hosted a performance of the Azerbaijan State Academic National Drama Theater “Thank you“, staged by Honored Artist of Azerbaijan Bahram Osmanov based on the play Javid Zeynallithe press service told Day.Az Azdramy. The performance was met with applause from the audience.
The performance was shown as part of tours of capital theaters organized by the Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan in the regions of the country with the aim of intensifying the cultural life of the regions, improving the quality of leisure time for the population, especially youth, as well as exchanging experience with local creative groups.
Honored Artist Munevver Aliyeva played the main role of Shukri. People’s artists Nuraddin Mehtikhanly, Ali Nur, honored artists Mehriban Khanlarova, Vyafa Rzaeva, Shalala Shahveladgizy, actors Afet Mamedova, Rada Nasibova, Lyaman Imanova, Dilyara Nazarova, Rustam Rustamov, Ailin Hashimova, Lala Suleymanova, Nazrin Abdullayeva, Elsevar Ragimov and Tural Ibrahimov. Scenic design – Samira Hasanova, costume designer – Aigun Makhmudova, lighting designer – Rafael Hasanov, musical design – Kamil Ismailov, assistant director – Narmin Hasanova.
The work tells the story of Shukria Akhundzada – the wife of the poet, writer, translator, publicist, author of the words of the National Anthem of Azerbaijan Ahmed Javad (Javad Akhundzada, 1892-1937) – one of the leading representatives of romanticism and realism in Azerbaijani literature, who was subjected to Stalinist repressions.
During interrogations, she was offered to file for divorce from her husband and change her last name in order to mitigate the punishment, but she refused. Then all the property of the spouses was confiscated, and their four children Niyazi, Almaz, Aydin and Tugai were assigned to the children’s reception center of the NKVD.
In October 1937, Shukria Khanum was deported to Kazakhstan, to the 17th women’s camp special department of the Karaganda ITL in the Akmola region, which was colloquially called “A.L.Z.I.R.” (Akmola camp for wives of traitors to the Motherland). It was the largest Soviet women’s camp, one of the three “islands” of the “GULAG Archipelago”. For eight years she had to endure all the horrors of camp life.
And only after receiving a positive description of Shukruya Khanum and her eldest sons, who volunteered to go to the front and received military medals, was an order given for her release in July 1945. But she was not allowed to live in Baku, and was forced to go to the Shamkhor region (now Shamkir). After Stalin’s death, in December 1955, she was rehabilitated. The good name of this woman, who was not broken by the terrible hardships of life, was restored, as was the name of the wonderful companion of their short life together, Ahmed Javad, a full 18 years later…