The image of Uzeyir Hajibeyli in memorial representations

Abstract

The article explores the artistic image of Uzeyir Hajibeyli, the founder of professional Azerbaijani music, as represented in memorial depictions. Based on an analysis of commemorative objects—monuments, sculptural works, bas-reliefs, memorial plaques, as well as numismatic materials and jubilee attributes—the study examines the forms through which the composer is preserved in visual memory. Special emphasis is placed on the role of realist portrait traditions, national stylistic features, and symbolic elements in shaping Hajibeyli’s image. It is argued that in memorial representations, his image goes beyond an individual portrait, functioning as a carrier of national cultural values with ideological and aesthetic significance. As a result, these images, not only fulfilled a commemorative function, but also became an artistic and socio-political symbol that strengthened the legacy of the great composer in the cultural memory of the Azerbaijani people.