Marziyya Davudova
(1901 - 1962)
Theatre actress. People’s Artist of the USSR. Laureate of the State Prize.
In 1956-61 she was the chairman of the Azerbaijan Theatre Society.
One of the first professional theatre actresses of Azerbaijan, the skillful performer of the tragic, heroic and dramatic roles of Marziyya Yusif gizi Davudova (in fact, Dautova) was considered the most influential actress of the Azerbaijani theatre.
Marziyya Davudova, born in 1901 in Astrakhan, played her first role at the age of 16. She created the character of Afifa in the play “The First theatre” (1917) at the Igbal school of Astrakhan. The first who saw and appreciated Marziyya’s talent was the unforgettable Huseyn Arablinsky. Being on tour in Astrakhan in 1918, he liked the game of this young girl and he invited her to Baku. Marziyya Davudova, who arrived Baku in 1920 and forever linked her fate with the theatre, played an indispensable role in the development of Azerbaijani culture, particular performing arts.
Despite the fact that the actress worked for a very short time at the Tiflis Azerbaijan Drama Theatre and at the Baku Theatre of Turkic Workers, until the end of her life she was one of the leading artists of the National Theatre.
For many years she played the main roles in the performances of Jafar Jabbarli “Aydin” (Gultekin), “Ogtay Eloglu” (Firangiz), “Bride of Fire” (Solmaz), “Sevil” (Gulush and Sevil), “Almaz” (Yakhshy and Almaz), “Faded flowers” (Gulnisa), “Returning” (Gulsabah and Turaj), “In the 1905th year” (Nabat and Sona), “Trablis war” (Shamsa).
Marziyya Davudova had an inner passion, a strong temperament, she was a tragic actress with expressive emotions that meet the requirements of this monumental genre.
According to the psychological drama, the ability to present the viewer with the background and the stylistic characteristics of the performed drama characters she belonged to a realistic school. In the romantic roles her acting was full of poetry, gentle lyrics, freshness, style, elegance, strength and charm.
Her natural kindness was noticeable in the work on the stage in relation to partners, especially young artists. Marziyya Khanum never violated the mise en scene for the sake of “appearing” ahead of everyone and even, if necessary, played up the situation in the back of the stage in terms of psychological realism.
Due to a serious illness, the anniversary of Marziyya Davudova took place on May 20, 1961, seven months earlier. Twenty-seven days after her sixty years, the actress died. She was buried at the Honorary Alley in Baku.