Saadat Agakishiyeva

Mingachevir State University

Senior Lecturer at the Department of Humanities,

Doctor of Philosophy in Philology

National Self-Awareness in Bakhtiyar Vahabzade’s Journalism

Bakhtiyar Vahabzade is a people’s poet who emerged from among the people and deeply loved his homeland and nation. He felt the pain of the nation as his own pain and the suffering of the people as his own sorrow; in other words, he lived and continues to live the joy and grief of his people with his entire being.

At times, we see him in the image of “a worker in the slave market,” at other times as the mother or sister of a martyr during the January 20 tragedy, a barefoot orphan wandering through tent camps, or a Karabakh refugee forcibly displaced from his native land. As he himself stated: “I am not Vahabzade; I am the voice of my nation.”

Vahabzade was truly among the people. It is entirely natural for a person who regards the pain of the people as his own to create works in the field of journalism. Bakhtiyar Vahabzade’s journalism represents the artistic and journalistic expression of national ideas, the spiritual and moral values of the people, and aspirations for freedom and independence. In his journalistic writings, issues of national identity, language, and spirituality always occupy a central place. The most important aspect of the poet’s journalistic activity is that he approached the socio-political events of his time not only as an observer, but also as a citizen bearing the responsibility of an intellectual.

In Vahabzade’s journalism, the fate of the nation, the idea of national independence, patriotic feelings, and issues of moral integrity come to the forefront as the main themes. His approach to such concepts as “Nation,” “Mother Tongue,” “Freedom,” “Homeland,” “History,” and “Conscience” carries not only artistic but also philosophical significance.

One of the main characteristics distinguishing the writer’s journalism from others is its originality, aesthetic beauty, and the harmony between scientific-philosophical thought and artistic emotion. In these writings, the reader feels both the depth of thought and the delicate heartbeat of a poet’s soul. In 1976, scholar Bakir Nabiyev, in the preface to the poet’s first collection of journalistic writings, drew attention to this feature of Vahabzade’s journalism and wrote:

“On every page of the articles before us, one can feel the thought of an analytical scholar together with the heartbeat of a delicate poet, and this increases the power of the idea.”

Continuing his thoughts, B. Nabiyev came to the following conclusion:

“The main feature distinguishing this journalism from others is its successful combination of political influence with artistic expression. Whenever necessary, he enriches the aesthetic level of his articles and adds deep emotional impact to his works by drawing examples from his own poems, the works of fellow writers, and the inexhaustible treasury of folk literature.”

Artistic thought and aesthetic taste are united with scientific thought in B. Vahabzade’s journalism, which increases the impact and expressive power of his journalistic writings. This characteristic has been repeatedly emphasized by specialists studying his literary legacy.

Bakhtiyar Vahabzade’s journalism is extremely broad and rich in terms of subject matter. His journalistic thinking and the issues he raises in this field are based on a deep sense of national consciousness, philosophical lyricism, and poetic inspiration that remain sensitive to events occurring around the world; all these themes pass through the filter of the author’s intellect and reflection. Although he presents the issues he addresses within a historical context, these matters always resonate with the socio-political realities of his own era and remain fully relevant to them.

As in his artistic творчество, the main themes in his journalism are the homeland, patriotism, and national identity. He expresses the sanctity of the homeland, native lands, and mother tongue in both his poems and journalistic writings in a clear, sincere, and understandable language. In his article titled “Love for the Homeland,” he explains this love as follows:

“Love for the homeland is the highest, noblest, and most sacred of all human feelings. By loving the homeland to which he belongs, a person fulfills his duty to himself and to society. A person deprived of feelings for the homeland and the people is deprived of all human emotions. A person who loves his homeland loves life and loves the world, because he knows why he lives and for what purpose he strives. Love for the homeland gives a person a sacred purpose. And a sacred purpose gives courage to the heart, strength to the arms, and light to the eyes.”

Bakhtiyar Vahabzade approaches word and language from two perspectives: on the one hand, from the standpoint of artistry, and on the other, as a symbol of national identity and an inseparable part of the homeland and national existence. While examining his journalistic activity, we witness this clearly once again:

“B. Vahabzade carried love for the homeland, the nation, and the mother tongue in his heart like a mountain and tried to convey it to his readers. Despite all the obstacles he faced on the path of truth and justice, he never abandoned his struggle even for a single moment.”

During the harsh and oppressive years of the Soviet regime, he subtly raised the issue of independence through hidden meanings in order to protect himself from ruthless repression and called upon his people to struggle for independence.

When historical conditions matured for the struggle for national independence, the feeling of national self-awareness naturally strengthened as well. In his article “The Road Leading to Saturday Night,” the journalist B. Vahabzade — an eternal master of the courageous sword of truth, who played a major role in public and political life and in strengthening national consciousness — tried to draw conclusions amidst turbulent political events between national memory and regression, truth and lies, courage and cowardice, patriotism and national betrayal, intelligence and ignorance. The national self-awareness in the publicist’s thinking became evident when he left the Communist Party to which he had belonged for many years. Delving into the darkest layers of history — the events of seventy years earlier — he condemned Shaumyan, whose statues had once been erected, and his supporter Lalayev, the perpetrators of the massacres committed in Azerbaijan in 1918. He exposed Armenian claims regarding Nagorno-Karabakh, attempts to falsify history, and the goals and motives behind the genocide committed against our people. With convincing arguments, he revealed the slanderous policies of Armenian nationalists and did not hesitate to criticize the ineffective activities of Azerbaijani leaders who, in pursuit of praise from Gorbachev and Moscow, remained silent and considered themselves heroes despite being unable to properly speak their native language.

B. Vahabzade’s devotion to truth rises so strongly above his sense of national self-awareness that, at times, he reproaches his own people for remaining passive and asleep amid political developments. In general, in the article “The Road Leading to Saturday Night,” it is impossible not to feel the pain in the heart of a delicate poet possessing the analytical thinking of a scholar alongside journalism imbued with national spirit. Yet, at the end of the work, the author’s great faith in the bright future of his people becomes especially noticeable. In this article, where the boundary between emotion and logic is difficult to define, the publicist firmly believes in the victory of his nation despite the severe barriers faced after the bloody tragedy of Saturday night:

“I became convinced once again that this people may be killed, may be oppressed, but can never be broken.”

He sharply exposes Armenia’s aggression and the intensifying Armenian nationalism with factual evidence, demonstrating that the claims put forward by Armenian supporters are baseless and devoid of foundation.

He expresses the importance of not sacrificing independence for personal interests with the following words:

“May only our independence never be taken away from us. Let us not sacrifice our independence to the demands of our stomachs. If we preserve our independence, I believe that everything else will fall into place in the shortest possible time.”

With all of its outstanding qualities, B. Vahabzade’s journalism created a new stage in Azerbaijani national journalism.

His journalistic heritage remains relevant today because the issues raised by Vahabzade — preserving the purity of language, protecting national identity from being forgotten, and maintaining moral values — continue to be among the main directions of public thought in the modern era.

Thus, Bakhtiyar Vahabzade’s journalistic legacy, distinguished by ideological integrity, civic position, and artistic mastery, occupies an exceptional place in Azerbaijani literary thought.