Mashadi Azizbeyov

Mashadi Azizbeyov, born on January eighteenth, eighteen seventy-six, emerged as a prominent figure in the revolutionary movement of Azerbaijan. He was one of the pioneering Azeri Marxists and played a significant role as a Provincial Commissioner and Deputy People's Commissar of Internal Affairs. His leadership extended to his position as the gubernial commissar for Baku, where he became one of the notable twenty-six Baku Commissars.

Azizbeyov's political journey began with his membership in the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party, where he quickly rose to prominence as one of the leaders of the Muslim Social Democratic Party. Following the October Revolution, he joined the ranks of the Baku Commissars, contributing to the political landscape of the time.

However, the political tides turned in July nineteen eighteen when the Baku Commune was ousted from power. In the face of adversity, Azizbeyov and his fellow Commissars fled Baku, seeking refuge across the Caspian Sea. Unfortunately, they were captured by anti-Soviet forces, leading to a tragic end for Azizbeyov. On the night of September twentieth, he was executed by a firing squad in a secluded area between the Pereval and Akhcha-Kuyma stations along the Trans-Caspian railway.

Today, perceptions of Mashadi Azizbeyov in Azerbaijan are varied. While Azerbaijani nationalists, the ruling New Azerbaijan Party, and major opposition parties such as Musavat and APFP regard him unfavorably, the Azerbaijan Communist Party and numerous left-wing politicians celebrate him as a significant and positive figure in the nation’s history.