Actress Barat Habib kizi Shekinskaya was born on June 28 (15), 1914 in the city of Shusha in a noble family. However, in the book of Azerbaijani journalist Ilham Rahimli “Barat Shekinskaya” (2005) her date of birth is indicated as June 28, 1915.
[I.Rahimli. Barat Shekinskaya. 2005, p. 19]
[Theater Encyclopedia. Volume V. 1967, p. 855]
Barat Shekinskaya’s father was a bailiff in Zangezur. He owned the villages of Muradkhanli, Akara and Novruzlar of Gubadli district, Zangezur uyezd. After the Sovietization of Azerbaijan (1920), Habib khan Shekinskiy was forced to emigrate to Iran. His further attempt to take his family with him was unsuccessful.
[I.Rahimli. Barat Shekinskaya. 2005, pp. 9-11;19]
[N.Heydarov. In the mountains of Zangezur. 2016, p. 31]
Her primary education Barat received in Shusha. On August 12, 1920 Barat for the first time played in the play “Shebih” (religious drama, mystery) in Shusha.
[I.Rahimli. Barat Shekinskaya. 2005, p. 13]
On August 21, 1920, Barat and her family moved to the village of Goytepe in Agdam district, and after a while they settled in Ganja.
[I.Rahimli. Barat Shekinskaya. 2005, pp. 9; 19]
In 1923, Barat Shekinskaya continued her studies at the female school № 2 of the first degree in Ganja. In 1927-1929 (1930), Barat studied at the Ganja Pedagogical College (school), where she participated in a drama club.
[I.Rahimli. Barat Shekinskaya. 2005, p. 19]
[Theater Encyclopedia. Volume V. 1967, p. 855]
In 1929, Barat acted as an actress in the “Workers’ Club” of the Ganja trade union, and in 1933-1935 in Kirovabad Drama Theater (now Ganja State Drama Theater).
[I.Rahimli. Barat Shekinskaya. 2005, p. 19-20]
[Theater Encyclopedia. Volume V. 1967, p. 855]
In 1935 (1936) -1978, the actress performed on the stage of the Azerbaijan State Academic National Drama Theater.
[Encyclopedia of Uzeyir Hajibeyov. 2003, p. 214]
[I.Rahimli. Barat Shekinskaya. 2005, p. 22]
Barat Shekinskaya is one of the best performers of roles in the plays of the English playwright William Shakespeare. On January 14, 1937, she for the first time played the role of “Juliet” in “Romeo and Juliet”. After that, she was nicknamed the “Juliet of the Azerbaijani scene”.
[I.Rahimli. Barat Shekinskaya. 2005, p. 21; 55-56]
In addition, the actress performed the roles in such works as: “King Lear” (Cordelia), “Twelfth Night” (Viola), “Othello” (Desdemona), “Macbeth” (Lady) by William Shakespeare, “Guile and Love” (Louise) by German poet Friedrich Schiller, “Dance Teacher” (Florella) by Spanish playwright Lope de Vega, “Peri Jadu” (Peri) by Azerbaijani writer Abdurrahim bey Hagverdiyev, “Siyavush” (Sudaba), “Sheikh Sanan” (Humar) by Azerbaijani poet Huseyn Javid, “Haji Kara” (Sona) by Azerbaijani playwright Mirza Fatali Akhundov, etc.
[Barat Shekinskaya. 1974, pp. 2-3]
[I.Rahimli. Barat Shekinskaya. 2005, p. 23; 25-26]
[Theater Encyclopedia. Volume V. 1967, p. 855]
Barat Shekinskaya is one of the first travesti actresses (an actress playing the roles of boys, teenagers and girls) of Azerbaijan.
[I.Rahimli. Barat Shekinskaya. 2005, p. 112]
In 1940, the actress was awarded the title of Honored Artist, and in 1949 (1947) – People’s Artist of the Azerbaijan SSR.
[I. Rahimli. Barat Shekinskaya. 2005, p. 21-22]
[Encyclopedia of Uzeyir Hajibeyov. 2003, p. 214]
[Theater Encyclopedia. Volume V. 1967, p. 855]
Barat Shekinskaya played the role of “Senem” in the film “Not that one, so this one” (1956), as well as in such films as “The Meeting” (1955), “Under the baking sun” (1957), “Shadows Creep” (1961), “The Telephone Operator” (1962), etc.
[I.Rahimli. Barat Shekinskaya. 2005, p. 22; 30-31]
[Encyclopedia of Uzeyir Hajibeyov. 2003, p. 214]
In August 1958, the actress participated in the International Film Festival in Tashkent (Uzbekistan).
[I.Rahimli. Barat Shekinskaya. 2005, p. 22]
In 1970-1971, Barat worked as an actress at the Sumgait Drama Theater named after Huseyn Arablinski.
[I.Rahimli. Barat Shekinskaya. 2005, p. 22]
Barat Shekinskaya died on January 13, 1999. She was buried in the second alley of honor burial in Baku.
[I.Rahimli. Barat Shekinskaya. 2005, p. 22]
[“Bakinskiy rabochiy” newspaper. № 9 (23435) 15.01.1999, p. 2]
