REPRESSED AZERBAIJANI ASHUGS

Abstract

The ideological and moral repression carried out by the Bolsheviks in the whole USSR, as well as in Azerbaijan in 1920-1950, did not go beyond the art of ashug. After the establishment of the Soviet state, the acts of repression perpetrated by this empire covered artists, including ashugs. Among the ashugs were many who were shot innocently and exiled to the Siberian steppes.

During the years of repression, the main weight of the folklore policy of the Soviet empire fell mainly on the work of ashugs. This was primarily determined by the position of the ashug in society as an artist. It was impossible to imagine the Azerbaijani society in 1920-1950 without ashugs. Therefore, Soviet ideolo­gues, as an artist, took full control of the activities and creativity of ashugs. At the beginning of the twentieth century, in the first years of Soviet rule, poets and writers, including ashugs, were required to propagate Soviet ideology. For this purpose, in 1928, the first congress of ashugs was held in Baku.

It was not without reason that the newly formed Soviet government, which had many problems, paid such attention to the art of ashug. The ideologues of the Soviet empire, knowing that the ashugs were highly respected in society and that their words were valid among the people, wanted to use them extensively in their propaganda. Therefore, the Bolsheviks often forced the ashugs to write and read about Lenin, Stalin, communism, the collective farm, the state farm. At a time when there was no television or radio, newspapers did not reach the outskirts, and the majority of the population could not read or write, ashugs were a very good means of propaganda for the Bolsheviks. The II Congress of Ashugs in 1938 and the III Congress in 1961 actually served this purpose. But, unfortunately, the violence and repression inherent in the essence of the system did not go beyond this art. Repression brought tragedies to the lovers. Among them were many innocent people who were shot and deported. Molla Juma, Agajan Jabbarli, Mashadi Hussein, Ashig Haji, Ashig Najaf, Khasta Bayramali, Ashig Mirza Bilal and others were repressed ashugs. The article talks about the life of these artists and their tragic fates.