Ayaz Mutallibov

Ayaz Mutallibov was a leader. He was the first president of Azerbaijan.

He grew up in a city called Baku. As a young man, he liked sports. He played on a volleyball team. He also loved jazz music.

He worked in many big jobs. He led a large factory for a time. Later, he became a leader for his land.

He helped change the name of his country. He was the leader when his land became independent. This was a very big change.

He lived a very long life. He died when he was 83 years old. He was a person who shaped his home.

Ayaz Mutallibov was a leader in Azerbaijan. He was the first president of the country.

He was born in Baku in 1938. His parents were doctors. As a young man, Ayaz loved jazz music. He also played on a school volleyball team. He studied chemistry in college. Later, he ran a large factory.

Mutallibov worked his way up in politics. He held many roles in the government. In 1990, he became a top leader. He was soon elected as the first president. During his time in power, he helped change the country's name. He also helped the land become independent from the Soviet Union.

His time as leader was full of big changes. In 1992, he faced much pressure from other groups. He tried to stop an election, but he was removed from power. He lived in Moscow for many years. He returned to Azerbaijan in 2012 for his son's funeral. He died in Baku in 2022 at age 83.

Ayaz Mutallibov was a very important leader in Azerbaijan. He served as the country's first president during a time of huge change.

He lived through the years when the Soviet Union was ending. This made his job very difficult and full of big decisions. He helped lead the land as it became its own independent nation. His life shows how much a country can change in a short time.

Before he was a leader, Mutallibov studied hard in school. He was born in Baku on May 12, 1938. His parents were both doctors from a place called Shamakhi.

As a young man, he loved listening to jazz music. He also enjoyed playing on his school volleyball team. He studied chemistry at the Azerbaijan State Institute of Petroleum and Chemistry from 1956 to 1962. Later, he ran large companies like the Baku Refrigerator Factory.

Mutallibov rose through the ranks of the government very steadily. He worked in many different roles within the Azerbaijan Communist Party. In 1979, he became a minister for local industry. By 1982, he was the Chairman of the State Planning Committee.

In January 1990, he was named the First Secretary of the party. Soon after, the Supreme Soviet elected him as the first President of Azerbaijan SSR. He even helped rename the country to the Azerbaijan Republic in December 1990.

His time as president was marked by many fast changes. In September 1991, he was elected president in an election with no other candidates. However, he faced a lot of pressure from a group called the Popular Front.

In May 1992, he tried to cancel a planned election. This led to a conflict where armed forces took control of government offices. Because of this, he had to leave his country and live in Moscow.

Mutallibov lived in exile in Moscow for twenty years. He finally returned to Azerbaijan in July 2012 to attend his son's funeral.

His son, Azad, had passed away from cancer in 2011. Mutallibov lived the rest of his life in Baku. He died there on March 27, 2022, at the age of 83. His story is a big part of how Azerbaijan became the nation it is today.

Ayaz Mutallibov was a central figure in the modern history of Azerbaijan. He served as the nation's first president during a period of massive political shifts. His leadership spanned the transition from a Soviet republic to an independent nation. He was the final leader of Soviet Azerbaijan. He also served as the first President of Azerbaijan during two different periods in the early 1990s. His life reflects the complex process of a country gaining its sovereignty.

Mutallibov was born on May 12, 1938, in Baku. His parents were both from Shamakhi. His father, Niyazi, was a physician and a veteran of World War II. His mother, Kubra, was a gynecologist. During his youth, Mutallibov had interests outside of politics. He was a member of his school volleyball team. He also enjoyed listening to jazz music, as well as artists like Elvis Presley and The Beatles. He attended the Azerbaijan State Institute of Petroleum and Chemistry from 1956 to 1962. This education in chemistry helped him begin a career in industry. He later directed the Baku Refrigerator Factory and the "BakElectroBytMash" State Industrial Company.

His political career began within the Azerbaijan Communist Party. He moved through several high-level administrative roles. In 1977, he served as Second Secretary in the Narimanov District of Baku. By 1979, he was the Minister of Local Industry for the Azerbaijan SSR. He then became the Chairman of the State Planning Committee in 1982. In January 1989, he was appointed Chairman of the Council of Ministers. This role placed him at the top of the government structure. On January 24, 1990, he was appointed First Secretary of the Azerbaijan Communist Party. Shortly after, the Supreme Soviet elected him as the first President of the Azerbaijan SSR on May 18, 1990.

As president, Mutallibov oversaw significant changes to the country's identity. In December 1990, he helped lead the effort to rename the country to the Azerbaijan Republic. During this same time, the Supreme Soviet adopted the Declaration of Sovereignty. In September 1991, as the Soviet Union began to collapse, Mutallibov dissolved the Communist Party of Azerbaijan. He then declared himself President of Azerbaijan in an election that had no other candidates. He also had to negotiate with political opposition groups. One major group was the Popular Front party. He eventually helped establish a parliament to divide power between the old guard and the opposition.

His presidency faced intense pressure due to regional conflicts and political unrest. In May 1992, Mutallibov faced criticism regarding losses in the First Nagorno-Karabakh War. Under pressure from the Azerbaijan Popular Front, he resigned his position on March 6, 1992. He passed the presidency to his ally, Yaqub Mammadov. However, the Supreme Soviet later reversed this decision. They relieved Mutallibov of responsibility regarding the Khojaly Massacre and restored him to power. Upon returning to office, Mutallibov attempted to cancel the presidential elections scheduled for June 7, 1992. This decision led to a direct confrontation with the Popular Front.

This confrontation resulted in a sudden change of power. On May 15, 1992, armed forces led by Colonel Isgandar Hamidov took control of the Parliament and State Radio and Television. This event officially deposed Mutallibov. He left the country and went into exile in Moscow. The Supreme Soviet was dissolved, and the National Assembly took over. Isa Gambar of the Popular Front became the acting president. He reinstated the elections, which were eventually won by Abulfaz Elchibey. Mutallibov remained in Moscow for twenty years. He did not return to Azerbaijan until July 2012. He returned only to attend the funeral of his son, Azad, who had died of cancer.

Mutallibov's later years were spent participating in politics from abroad. In 2000, his followers formed the Civil Union Party in Baku. In 2003, he joined the Azerbaijan Social Democratic Party as a co-chairman in exile. He lived a long life and saw many changes in his homeland. He died in Baku on March 27, 2022, at the age of 83. He had been hospitalized for a long illness before his death. His career remains a significant example of the political transitions within the former Soviet Union. His life connects the era of Soviet industry to the era of Azerbaijani independence.