Azernews.Az

Laman Ismayilova

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June 28 marks the 189th birth anniversary of Hasan bey Zardabi, one of Azerbaijan's most influential intellectuals and the pioneering founder of the country's national press, AzerNEWS reports.

A visionary educator, scientist, and public figure, Zardabi dedicated his life to promoting education, enlightenment, and social progress.

Through his groundbreaking journalistic work, he laid the foundations of modern Azerbaijani media, using the press as a powerful tool to raise public awareness, encourage critical thinking, and strengthen national identity.

Although 189 years have passed since his birth, Hasan bey Zardabi continues to be remembered with great respect.

Hasan bey Zardabi was born on June 28, 1837, in the village of Zardab, then part of the Goychay district. He received his early education at a traditional religious school before completing his secondary education in Tbilisi. He later graduated from Moscow University, specializing in the natural sciences.

In 1869, Zardabi began teaching natural sciences at a Russian-language secondary school in Baku. Four years later, in 1873, together with Najaf bey Vazirov and Asgar agha Adigozalov, he staged Mirza Fatali Akhundzade's comedies "Haji Gara" and "The Vizier of the Lankaran Khan", making a significant contribution to the emergence of Azerbaijan's national theater.

He also played a key role in the establishment of the first school for Azerbaijani girls in Baku, which opened in 1901.

On July 22, 1875, Zardabi founded "Akinchi", Azerbaijan's first national newspaper. Although the publication had a short lifespan and ceased publication on September 29, 1877, it laid the foundation for the country's independent national press.

During the 1880s and 1890s, he published numerous popular science articles in Azerbaijani and Russian in newspapers such as Ziya, Kashkul, Kaspi, Novoye Obozreniye, and other periodicals.

In the final years of his life, he served in the Education Department of the Baku City Duma, continuing his lifelong commitment to public education and enlightenment.

Hasan bey Zardabi passed away on November 28, 1907. He was initially buried near the old Bibi-Heybat Mosque, and in 1957, his remains were reinterred in the Alley of Honor in Baku, where he is commemorated as one of Azerbaijan's most influential intellectuals and nation-builders.