Miralasgar Mirgasimov

The last decades of his life, Miralasgar Mirgasimov spent together with his family in a house located on Nariman Narimanov Avenue in Baku. The sculptor died on 9 November 2003.

In 1994, Miralasgar Mirgasimov had a severe stroke and was paralyzed, but soon recovered. Even then, it was difficult for him to work. The sculptor's eyesight deteriorated, speech was difficult, his hands did not obey. Despite this, Mirgasimov continued to create.

In 1982, a monument to the prominent Azerbaijani poet and playwright Jafar Jabbarli, made of pink granite by Mirgasimov, was raised in Baku. For the pedestal, Mirgasimov, together with his wife Gultekin Khanym, travelled to Ukraine, to the Novo-Danilovsky quarry.

Soon, the work, which Mirgasimov considered one of the most important in his life, was completed. The monument was opened on 23 March 1982 by Heydar Aliyev himself, who also made a speech at the ceremony. This monument is considered one of the most famous works of the sculptor.

Despite the fact that the sculptor had already begun the work, the strive for minimalism, widespread during those years of Khrushchev's rule, and the fight against "excesses", suspended the process for a long time. In the late 70s, they remembered about the monument again, but the case was again frozen. Soon the first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev, intervened in the situation. He personally supervised the progress of the work, provided Mirgasimov with help and support, and back in 1979 he came to the sculptor's workshop and got acquainted with the sketches of the works, consequently Aliyev liked those.

He participated in world exhibitions, including the 1967 World Exhibition in Montreal. Mirgasimovs works were also exhibited in Russia, Poland, Bulgaria, Germany, Egypt, and other countries. He was awarded with various orders and medals, including the Shohrat Order of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

In 1963 Mirgasimov was awarded the title of the Honoured Art Worker of the Azerbaijan SSR.

Later Mirgasimov made other female sculptural portraits in marble: "Nana" and the "Girl with a Dove". His work the "Portrait of an Oilman" made of bronze was firstly exhibited in the opening hall of the 1961 World Art Exhibition, then, along with other works of the sculptor, it was exhibited at the 1967 World Exhibition in Montreal (Mirgasimov considered this sculpture his most successful work, since it was not made by an ordered). Today this work, as well as his "Portrait of a Girl", "Girl with a Dove", and "Naila" are exhibited at the National Art Museum of Azerbaijan in Baku. Also, the works of Mirgasimov were exhibited in Russia, Bulgaria, Germany, Egypt, and other countries.

Also, Miralasgar Mirgasimov became the author of a bronze bust of the twice Hero of the Socialist Labor - Basti Bagirova, which was installed in her homeland, the Goranboy region, a portrait of his father, the academician Mirasadulla Mirgasimov, a half-figure of Nariman Narimanov in Sumgayit, a portrait of his mother, etc. In Nakhchivan, a monument to Jalil Mammadguluzade by Mirgasimov (created in 1959, installed in 1974) was raised.

The decision to establish the monument to the playwright on the square in front of the Baku railway station was made in 1959. In the same year, a stone was placed on the site of the future monument announcing that a monument to Jafar Jabbarli would be raised there. A competition was announced for the best project which was won by Miralasgar Mirgasimov.

In 1951, he graduated from the institute and together with S. Guliyev created a monument to V. I. Lenin for the city of Khankendi. Mirgasimov worked a lot in Baku. One of his sculptural works entitled "The portrait of a Girl", carved in marble, was especially popular. Before Mirgasimov, none of the Azerbaijani sculptors worked with stone. Taking part with this work in the frame of the republican and Transcaucasian exhibitions, Mirgasimov also presented this sculpture at the all-Union exhibition, and then at the 5th World Youth Festival in Warsaw, becoming the first Azerbaijani sculptor to win an international competition.

Miralasgar is the first Azerbaijani sculptor who received a full specialized higher education. In 1944, he graduated with honours from the Azerbaijan Art School, and in 1951 - from the Repin Institute. He is the author of the monuments to Jafar Jabbarli (Baku), Nariman Narimanov (Sumgayit), Jalil Mammadguluzade (Nakhchivan). Some of Mirgasimovs works, such as the "Portrait of an Oilman", the "Portrait of a Girl", the"Girl with a Dove", are exhibited at the National Art Museum of Azerbaijan in Baku.

In 1944, Miralasgar Mirgasimov graduated with honours from the Azerbaijan Art School. At this time, the World War II was still going on. Nevertheless, Miralasgar decided to go to the post-blockade Leningrad and enter the Repin Institute. In one of his letters sent home, Miralasgar writes:

Miralasgar Mirgasimov (Azerbaijani: Mirələsgər Mirqasımov: 9 February 1924, Baku - 9 November 2003, Baku) was an Azerbaijani and Soviet sculptor, member of the Union of Artists of Azerbaijan, professor, Honoured Art Worker of the Azerbaijan SSR, and People' Artist of the Azerbaijan SSR. He is the son of the first president of the Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences, Mirasadulla Mirgasimov.

Miralasgar Mirgasimov was born on 9 February 1924 in Baku in the family of the doctor Mirasadulla Mirgasimov and his wife Jeyran khanim. The family had four more children. Miralasgar was the second child. Since childhood, everyone called him Alik. When Miralasgar was six years old, he experienced an epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis. Later he recovered, but soon, as a result of the atrophy of the auditory nerve, the little Miralasgar completely lost his hearing ability.