Non-Cultural Minister or How Muslim Magomayev Gave Up Azerbaijani Citizenship because of Bülbüloğlu

• 10.11.2017, 13:42
•  Region,  World

Ruskino.ru

"If I were not an artist, but someone else, I would come to Baku, but as a representative of culture I cannot come to Azerbaijan until Polad Bülbüloğlu heads the Ministry of Culture," as REGNUM reports, in 2005 the People’s Artist of the USSR Muslim Magomayev stated in a talk to the "Azeri-Pess" news agency. He also revealed the reasons that caused him to give up the citizenship of Azerbaijan and accept Russian citizenship, particularly noting: "The reason for changing citizenship is that I don’t want to live in a country where its culture is destroyed continuously and methodically by the Minister of Culture." This was addressed to a person, who is the current ambassador of Azerbaijan in Russia and pretended for the post of Director-General of UNESCO - Polad Bülbüloğlu.

Polad Mamedov, who later became known as Polad Bülbüloğlu, was born on February 4, 1945 in Baku in  the family of People’s Artist of the USSR singer Murtuza Mamedov, who received the nickname Bulbul ("Nightingale"). With Muslim Magomayev, they lived on the same floor in a prestigious apartment in Baku, where the party and cultural elite of the republic lived, since Muslim was raised in the family of his uncle Djamal (Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Azerbaijan SSR), who for Muslim was both father and grandfather. When children, they went to cinema together, played in the same yard, while at home they communicated tapping at the wall.

According to Magomayev, he was the very person, who "took by hand" and brought Polad Bülbüloğlu to Moscow to become a famous composer, REGNUM reports.

"I always reacted radically and negatively to the well-known proverb "Do not do good - you will not get evil. " I, always tried to do good and never regretted for it, but after the case of my childhood friend Polad Bülbüloğlu, who, turned out not to be the one, for the first time I started to think that this Russian proverb is right. When young, I helped him a little, I supported him at first. He himself played, sang his songs and became favorite. Along with easily gained glory he turned arrogant. He decided that he was no less famous than me, and started to be rude to me, quarreled with me.  After small friendly gatherings he tore up a lot of bills and threw glasses on Kirov Avenue: now he bears the name of "Bul-Bul". After my kind parodies of famous singers, neither Rashid Beibutov nor Georg Ots were offended. Only my childhood friend was offended.

But, when his popularity sharply faded away, and this old joke was re-screened , he called in uttermost delight and asked: "Have you seen?" I was surprised: "Once you did not talk  with me for a whole year because of that." The answer was clear: "Now it is allowed" ..., Magomayev told, Trend.az reports.

And, of course, Muslim Magomayev was offended by the demonstrative and symbolic decision of Polad, to open a museum devoted to the Azerbaijani singer Bul-Bul (father of Palad) in the former apartment of the Magomayevs. In the very apartment, where the famous grandfather of Muslim, in which he himself was also raised.

Surely it would be more logical to open a museum after Bülbüloğlu in his former apartment, while open another museum in the neighboring apartment after M.  Magomayev – the founder of the Azerbaijani classical music, Peoples.ru reports. However, it seems to be typical to Azerbaijanis, to cease other’s territory, own it and declare the museum to be after your ancestors.  And such "non- culture minister" could pretend today for the post of UNESCO Director General!...