Qarabag.com presents a material about one of the founders of the Azerbaijani national sculpture school, a native of Shusha – Jalal Garyaghdi.

The sculptor Jalal Maharram oglu Garyaghdi was born on July 15, 1915 in the city of Shusha, in a merchant family. However, in the book of 1962 “Brief Art Encyclopedia”, the date of his birth is indicated as June 2 (15), 1914, and in the book of 1995, “Artists of the Peoples of the USSR. Bibliographic Dictionary” as February 22, 1914. He is the nephew of Azerbaijani khanende Jabbar Garyaghdi oglu.
[“Bakinskiy Rabochiy” newspaper № 142 (23931) 3.01.2001., p. 3]
[F.Shushinskiy. Shusha. 1968, p. 132]
[Jalal Garyaghdi.1914-2001. 2013, p. 3]
[Artists of the peoples of the USSR. Bibliographic dictionary. Volume four. Second book. 1995, p. 282]
[Brief Art Encyclopedia. Art of countries and peoples of the world. Volume 1. 1962, p. 58]

In 1928-1932, Jalal Garyaghdi studied at the Baku Art College (now the College of Arts under the Azerbaijan State Academy of Arts), and in 1932-1935 at the Tbilisi Academy of Arts (now the Tbilisi State Academy of Arts, Georgia). However, in the book of 2013, “Jalal Garyaghdi. 1914-2001”, his studies at the academy are dated 1934-1937.
[F.Shushinskiy. Shusha. 1968, p. 132]
[“Bakinskiy Rabochiy” newspaper № 142 (23931) 3.01.2001., p. 3]
[Jalal Garyaghdi.1914-2001. 2013, p. 98]
[Brief Art Encyclopedia”. Art of countries and peoples of the world. Volume 1. 1962, p. 58]

Among his first works are the bas-reliefs “A.S.Pushkin”; “Molla Panah Vagif” (1938-1939), “Animal Husbandry”, “Gardening” (1938-1939), “Farhad cleaving the Bisutun rocks” (1946), the statue “Kolkhoz farmer” (1939-1940) for the Samur-Devechi canal (now Samur-The Absheron Canal) and the sculpture of the Azerbaijani poet Molla Panah Vagif on the facade of the Museum of Azerbaijani Literature named after Nizami Ganjavi in Baku (1940-1941).
[F.Shushinskiy. Shusha. 1968, p. 132-133]
[Jalal Garyaghdi.1914-2001. 2013, p. 9-10;13;19;15]
[“Bakinskiy Rabochiy” newspaper № 142 (23931) 3.01.2001., p. 3]
[Artists of the peoples of the USSR. Bibliographic dictionary. Volume four. Second book. 1995, p. 282]
[Brief Art Encyclopedia. Art of countries and peoples of the world. Volume 1. 1962, p. 58]

During the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945), Jalal Garyaghdi drew political cartoons for frontline newspapers. He created portrait busts of the following participants of the war: Hero of the Soviet Union Hazi Aslanov, the first Azerbaijani female sniper Ziba Ganieva and bas-reliefs of heroes of the Soviet Union Israfil Mammadov and Adil Guliyev.
[“Bakinskiy Rabochiy” newspaper № 142 (23931) 3.01.2001., p. 3]
[F.Shushinskiy. Shusha. 1968, p. 133]
[Artists of the peoples of the USSR. Bibliographic dictionary. Volume four. Second book. 1995, p. 282]

In 1948, Garyaghdi with the composition of “Shepherd” participated in the All-Union Exhibition of Fine Arts.
[Jalal Garyaghdi.1914-2001. 2013, p. 98]

In 1950, Jalal Garyaghdi became the winner of the competition for the best design of a monument to the founder of the Soviet Union V.I. Lenin. In 1955, it was erected in front of the Government House of the Azerbaijan SSR (now the Government House of Azerbaijan). After the restoration of Azerbaijan’s independence in 1991, the monument was dismantled. In its place the flag of the Republic of Azerbaijan was installed.
[Jalal Garyaghdi.1914-2001. 2013, p. 32;98]
[Artists of the peoples of the USSR. Bibliographic dictionary. Volume four. Second book. 1995, p. 282]
[F.Shushinskiy. Shusha. 1968, p. 133]
[L.Bretanitsky. A. Salamzadeh. Architecture of Soviet Azerbaijan. 1973, pp. 130-131]

In 1954, Jalal Garyaghdi was awarded the title of Honored Artist of the Azerbaijan SSR.
[Jalal Garyaghdi.1914-2001. 2013, p. 98]
[Artists of the peoples of the USSR. Bibliographic dictionary. Volume four. Second book. 1995, p. 282]

In 1957, Jalal Garyaghdi represented Azerbaijan at the first All-Union Congress of Artists. He created sculptural portraits of many figures of Azerbaijani literature, art and music – poet Khurshidbanu Natavan, conductor maestro Niyazi, kamancha player Gabil Aliyev, opera singers Bulbul, Rashid Behbudov and composers Gara Garayev, Fikret Amirov and Jahangir Jahangirov.
[Jalal Garyaghdi.1914-2001. 2013, p. 17;19;59;98]
[Artists of the peoples of the USSR. Bibliographic dictionary. Volume four. Second book. 1995, p. 282]

In 1960, Jalal was awarded the title of People’s Artist of the Azerbaijan SSR. He was twice elected as a deputy of the Baku City Council.
[Jalal Garyaghdi.1914-2001. 2013, p. 98]

Jalal Garyaghdi is the author of monuments to prominent figures of Azerbaijan – poet Mirza Alakbar Sabir (1958) and writer Nariman Narimanov (1972) in Baku; poet Samad Vurgun in Gazakh (1966\1972), Hazi Aslanov (1983) in Lankaran, academician Yusif Mammadaliyev in Ordubad (1977), playwright Jafar Jabbarli in Khizi (1999).
[F.Shushinskiy. Shusha. 1968, p. 133]
[Jalal Garyaghdi.1914-2001. 2013, p. 50;52;98]
[Artists of the peoples of the USSR. Bibliographic dictionary. Volume four. Second book. 1995, p. 282]

Jalal Garyaghdi died on January 1 , 2001. He was buried in Baku, in the Alley of Honor.
[“Bakinskiy Rabochiy” newspaper № 142 (23931) 3.01.2001., p. 3]