Mehdi Mammadov

(1918 - 1985)

Theatre director, actor, theatre theorist. Doctor of Arts, Professor, People’s Artist of the USSR, laureate of the State Prize.

In 1969-1976 he was chairman of the Azerbaijan Theatre Society.

In the performances staged by Mehdi Mamedov, who occupied a special place in the school of national direction, the power of reason was transmitted to the audience, combined with tenderness and emotions, lyricism with psychological undertones. 

The unhurried rhythm of the narration of his productions came from the philosophical depth of artistic interpretation, winged ideas in the director’s interpretation, the setting of the scene in the episodes and the variety of means of expression in the disclosure of the characters.

Mehdi Mammadov was born on May 22, 1918 in Shusha, but received a school education in Baku. Mehdi Mammadov, who from the seventh grade acted in the crowd scenes of performances in the Baku Theatre of Turkic Workers, graduated from the Baku Theatre School (1935). In the same year he went to Moscow for the highest directing courses. In 1940, in the Ganja State Drama Theatre, as a graduation performance, he set up Mammadhuseyn Tahmasib’s drama “Spring”. A young director was directed to Ganja and after working here until the summer season of 1945 returned to Baku in September. Here he staged mostly monumental performances in various theatres.

Over the years, he was the chief director at Ganja State Theatre (1942-1945), National Drama Theatre (1960-1963), Opera and Ballet Theatre (1956-1960), Azerbaijan State Russian Drama Theatre (1978-1982). As an ordinary director, he mostly staged the performances in the National Dramatic Theatre. From 1945 until the end of his life, he taught at the Azerbaijan State Theatre Institute and here he was a head of the department. In 1968 he defended his doctoral thesis on the topic “The aesthetic problems of Azerbaijani drama”. Doctor of Arts, Mehdi Mammadov, who was a professor since 1960, is the author of the books “Aesthetic Problems of Azerbaijani Drama”, “Theatrical Reflections”, “Theatres. Actors. Performances”, “Huseyn Arablinsky”, “The Star of His Art”, “Moscow Academic Art Theatre”, “Alexander Tuganov” (in Russian), “Art of Directing”, “Sabit Rahman” and others.

For his creative achievements, Mehdi Mammadov was awarded the title of Honored Artist of the Republic (July 21, 1949), People’s Artist of the Republic (April 26, 1958) and People’s Artist of the USSR (August 7, 1974). For setting the tragedy of Huseyn Javid “Iblis” on the stage of the Academic National Drama Theatre in 1984, he was awarded the State Prize of Azerbaijan. Mehdi Asadulla oglu Mammadov died suddenly on January 28, 1985. He is buried at the Honorary Alley in Baku.