Azerbaijani Writer Who Worked in Soviet-Era Armenia

Azerbaijani writer Hidayat recently reflected on his youth and literary career in an interview with APA. He began working as the literature editor for the Soviet Armenian newspaper ("Sovet Ermənistanı") at age 21, and later documented the history of oppression and forced relocation experienced by Azerbaijani residents through his literary works.

Hidayat stated, "I began my journalistic career at the republican level. At 21, I worked as the literature editor for the Soviet Armenian newspaper." Currently, a play based on his work "No Dot Remained in Yerevan (İrəvanda xal qalmadı)" is being staged at the Academic Musical Theater, drawing significant attention.

'Where a Thousand Horsemen Passed,' a Work That Fought Censorship

His representative work "Where a Thousand Horsemen Passed (Burdan min atlı keçdi)" was begun shortly after leaving Yerevan in 1984, but publication was delayed due to censorship by Soviet authorities. The authorities only permitted publication of a heavily redacted version, which Hidayat refused.

"Glavlit, the Soviet censorship authority, tried to publish a heavily abridged version of the work. I did not agree and refused that form of publication."

Eventually, persuaded by writer Yusif Samadoglu, an abridged version was published in the journal "Azerbaijan" in 1986. Hidayat explained the circumstances, saying, "I agreed on the condition that it be clearly marked as a 'journal version.'" Although much of the work's core content was deleted, even the remaining portions resonated strongly with Azerbaijani readers.

The work addresses the hardships experienced by residents of Western Azerbaijan (present-day Armenian territory). It contains historical events from that period, from the renaming of Azerbaijani place names to the forced relocation of 1948, called 'voluntary oppression,' and subsequent expulsions.

The Terror of 'Expulsion' Imprinted in Childhood

Born in 1944, Hidayat was four years old during the forced relocation of 1948. He vividly recalled memories from that time.

"In 1947, my father and older brother Kudrat began building a two-story house. At that time, there were only two two-story buildings in our Mığrı region. One was the regional party committee building, the other was the First Secretary's house. The third was our house in the small village of Maralzəmi."

The second-floor addition was completed in 1951-1952. However, during that period, the most feared word in the household was 'expulsion (köç),' he says.

"Every year at year's end, my mother would smile and say, 'Thank God, they didn't expel us this year either.' Those times were an era of anxiety and psychological oppression."

An era when people built large homes with hope for the future, yet had to fear those homes might not remain theirs. Hidayat's childhood began amid precisely such historical tragedy.

Bearing Witness to History Through Literature

Hidayat's works are not merely novels, but historical testimonies of the oppression experienced by minorities during the Soviet era. He expressed his literary philosophy by quoting Russian poet Sergey Yesenin.

"When Yesenin wrote a short autobiography and was asked 'Why is it so short?', he replied, 'The rest of my autobiography is in my poetry.' My Yerevan period and the life that followed are all contained in this book."

The interview was conducted ahead of the 150th anniversary of Azerbaijan's national press, and Hidayat conveyed congratulations to all journalists.