“I did not sell the factory to that cursed Lenin” – Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev who defied the Bolsheviks
September 1 marks the memorial day of Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev, one of Azerbaijan’s greatest philanthropists, a millionaire and a champion of education.
TodayPress TV recalls that Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev was born in Baku in 1838 into a poor family. He began trading at a young age and accumulated a vast fortune in the oil industry, textiles and other fields. However, he did not accumulate his wealth solely for himself. Throughout his life, he spent it on the education, culture and well-being of his people.
One of his greatest contributions was the construction of the Taghiyev Theatre in Baku (now the Azerbaijan State Academic National Drama Theatre). He had the theatre built at his own expense and donated it to the people. He also established a school for girls, helped hundreds of young people pursue education abroad, and consistently supported the poor, widows and orphans.
An incident recorded in the memoirs of National Council founder Nagi bey Sheikhzamanli clearly illustrates Taghiyev’s character and patriotism. When the Bolsheviks renamed his textile factory the “Lenin Textile Factory,” Haji strongly objected. He went to Nariman Narimanov and said:
“I built a theatre for the Turkish people with my own money and donated it to our people... You took away the textile factory I built with my own money. I have no objection to that either... My only objection is that you named it after that cursed Lenin. I did not sell the factory to that scoundrel Lenin. If you had changed the name of the factory to Nariman, I would not have objected either!”
These words demonstrate that Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev was a figure who refused to bow to any ideology.
He died in 1924. However, he remains in the memory of the Azerbaijani people as a great philanthropist, advocate of education and patriot. His name continues to be remembered with respect in Azerbaijan, and his contributions have not been forgotten.
Turkan Iskandarli
