N.S.Tikhonov who was best known in the Soviet Russian poetry as a peace-seaker, had respect ta Azarbaijan’s literature, as well as to some of its poets and writers. One of these poets was our immortal poet, the leader of the Soviet-Azerbaijan poetry Samad Vurghun, whose poetry and personality were highly appreciated by N.S.Tikhonov. In his diary named “Pages from My memories” Tikhonov dedicated a certain part of it to the unforgettable days and meetings in Azerbaijan.
N.S.Tikhonov wrote: “S.Vurghun is an eternal symbol of life not only for me, but also for those who knew him. Vurghun’s poems knew neither borders, nor directions. They flied to the North, South, East and West like birds. Vurghun’s poems found their ways to the hearts of those who lived in Moscow, Leningrad and even abroad” (1).
N.S.Tikhonov had been to Azerbaijan many times. He was writing about Azerbaijan literature and culture with heart of a poet, critic and publicist. One of his writings was dedicated to our immortal poet Samad Vurghun’s personality and creative work. And this way the result of the great Russian poet Tikhonov’s sincere attitude for Azerbaijan and its great poet S.Vurghun. Professor S.Q.Asadullayev wrote about this relationship: “This “Caucasian Russian” was a great friend of Azerbaijani people an Azerbaijan’s literature and made friends with S.Vurghun personally” (2).
Tikhonov wrote about Vurghun as a national poet, as a classical poet of Soviet-Azerbaijan poetry and as a person. Whenever he wrote about Vurghun, Tikhonov connected him with Nizami. These genius poets bothered Tikhonov’s
creative mind in positive way. Eight centuries separated two poets from one another. One of them is great thinker Nizami who lived and wrote in the XII century being presently known as Reneissance in the Eastern world. And the other one is S.Vurghun who lived and wrote in the XX century being modern Reneissance epoch when science and technology progressed, and culture, poetry, education flourished. Both of these epochs were distinguished by their negative sides, such as bloody wars, political repressions. Both the positive and negative sides of these two centuries have become part of history. But over this historical precipice a poetic grandeur sparkles, profound philosophy and humane poetry
stands. This poetry shows the right direction to the future generation of poets, becomes national property and enriches its moral treasury.
Our poetic peaks-Nizami and Vurghun’s literary activity thrived from one root — from nation’s talednt and spirit. And nowadays creative works of these two geniuses are not considered the different historical stages of the literary process,
but also considered to be the two peaks that are bound together and complement one another. Being respected figure in Soviet poetry Tikhonov accepted Nizami’s and Vurghun’s creative works this way, too. When Tikhonov wrote about Vurghun
he either connected Vurghun’s personality and poetry with Nizami, or compared their poetic traditions from historical predecessor point of view.
After having participated in Nizami’s 800th anniversary Tikhonov dedicated an article called “Roads, footsteps” to Samad Vurghun, in which he united these two great men spiritually. Creating a special portraiy of Vurghun, Tikhonov was
proud to write about him, as Vurghun was the first to write about such a thinker as Nizami. Tikhonov wrote: “Samad’s thick eyerbrows, his eagle – looking eyes, facial expressions betokened his great strength and fortitude. Who could be the first to write about Nizami other than him?! Wasn’t it Vurghun who wrote very concisely about the bases oh his creative work himself?! He considered Nizami to be his master” (3).
Now bronze monuments of these two great poets decorate Baku’s different squares. Tikhonov said: “It’s strange for me to think about Vurghun’s monument which is standing in the center of a big park in front of a square. He looks with bronzeeyes, and his bronze hands rest on his bronze chest. Undermeath his feet there are written words expressing his love for his motherland. And this monument was sculptured by F.Abdurrahman – bayov who as well sculptured Nizami’s monument. Ages and poets meet this way”.
As it was mentioned above, Tikhonov said these words remembering the time he had spent during Nizami’s jubilee. In that article Tikhonov further writers about the journey he made to Azerbaijan’s different regions with Vurghun and
A.Fadeyev. Talking about the ceremonial jubilee highly pleased, Tikhonov called it anational holiday, a holiday of poetry andculture. He writes: “Great Nizami’s holiday was just over, but the ceremonial jubilee’s lively pictures were still in our thoughts…In Azerbaijan’s young people we remembered Nizami’s time. Verses were being recited about people who are in love”. Among the participants and guests Tikhonov held two people apart in his mind. One of them was Alexander Fadeyev whom Tikhonov called “main guest” , and the other one was Fadeyev’s close friend and our prominent poet Samad Vurghun whom Tikhonov called “host of the celebration”. Tikhonov considered: “Without any doubt, Vurghun was a
national poet and he got the honour of introducing his master to the guests and the nation”.
Tikhonov starts the story by describing the close friendship of two persons in ways that are accepted in Oriental poetry. Having great respect for poetry, Azeri people respected Fadeyev too. Tikhonov wrote: “He felt it, that’s why he was
pleased. He was tall, very quick and smiled heartly. He looked brave; he would look very nice if he dressed like Circassian. When Fadeyev was young he wore a black shirt, and a Caucasian silver belt. And he didn’t do it in vain. His white hair sparkled his smile was tender and jingly. He smiled all the time”.
Understanding Vurghun’s great capability of an innovator, Tikhonov has created work in the context of Azerbaijan’s poetic traditions. He describes Vurghun’s poetic work by means of the latter’s own poem:
Now nature every breath is here.
And also the name of everybody and everything.
Neither a poet nor an inhabitant of hand.
Will exchange a handful af land.
Tikhonov wrote: “It’s not an easy thing to find way into peoples hearts in order to be famous in Azerbaijan, land of poets where such great poets as Nizami, Khagani, Vagif and others are highly appreciated and respected. Vurghun has shared all the griefs and troubles of his nation and gone through the revolutionary way that this people went. That’s he had the right to say these words in a loud voice in one of his very well-known poems:
Who knows not you are mine,
You are my nest, my shrine,
My native land evershine,
You are my heart, I am your son,
Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan.
So, this way Tikhonov opens the secret of Vurghun’s innovation. Tikhonov describes Vurghun in a number of situations during their travels of different regions of Azerbaijan. He describes him as a poet, citizen, theorist, a close friend of hard – working country people, as a wise and midest man, passionate hunter and as a person who loves his mptherland endlessly. Tikhonov created his character very sincerely, because he discovered all those qualities of Vurghun in real life experience. And their friendship became still stronger over the years that went by.
After Vurghun died Tikhonov recalled all his memories with him with pain on heart. Tikhonov created a real character of a hunter remembering the times when he went hunting with Vurghun: “When talking about my friendship with them I couldn’t have helped mentioning the energy that they got if I didn’t see them wear like hunters from head to feet, stepping forward without getting tired and leading the others behind them”.
Tikhonov especially emphasizes Vurghun’s ideas about “poetic character in poetry”, “about national roots in literature” and “about great poetic heroes”.
In his essay “Roads – footsteps” Tikhonov highly praises Azerbaijan’s wonderful nature – its forests, rivers, Shamakhy’s fields and mountains, Goychay, Ganja, Mingachevir, Shaki, Lankaran and the beauty of the river Kur. Tikhonov
Has created Vurghun’s character who glorified Azerbaijan’s fascinating nature and he proves his points by his friend’s own poem:
Forest! Forest! Youu are indeed
Spring in summer and winter too.
You are what stops the wind
How hind you are!
Tikhonov also describes Vurghun as a unique person having great sense of humour and as a person being able to challenge his companion by recalling forgotten historical facts. “Vurghun is able to create a friendly atmosphere among
his friends with these qualities” – Tikhonov says.
Tikhonov describes a scene about himself, S.Vurghun, A.Fadeyev and Georgian poet Sandro Shanshiashvili: “Samad Vurghun shouts in a loud voice looking with fake anger:
- Sandro, give back the gate!
Sandro understood the joke very well, but without imagining the real meaning of this joke he continued playing Samad’s tricky game in a very professional way.
- Which gate shall I give back?! I don’t have a gate. If you don’t believe me, then go to the balcony and see it for yourself.
If I had a gate, I’d have given it to you right away! What should I do? Where should I get it from?
- Samad answered swinging around spit like a sword:
- Give back the gate!
- Which gate do you mean, Samad?
- I mean the gate of Ganja. You came and took the gate away when there was a terrible earthquake and everything was destroyed.
- I haven’t any gate away, my dear. I swear, I haven’ When has this happened?
Samad laughed for Sandro’s being confused and answered:
- Two hundred years ago.
They both laughed for acting out the scene well”. Tikhonov’s writings about Vurghun have attracted a number of critics’ attention such as S.Asadullayev, M.Arif, K.Hasanov and so on. M.Arif wrote an article called “Nikolay Tikhonov” where he mentioned the two poets’ friendship. “A lot of speeches have been delivered and a lot of articles written about S.Vurghun . But his pen-friend Tikhonov’s article occupies a special place among the articles written. There’s a special power in his article. His extraordinary ability of understanding Vurghun’s poems, and ability of analyzing sensitively astonished even those who knew him from his childhood and those who research his life and work” (4).
Kamal Hasanov, researcher and scientist emphasizes Tikhonov’s appreciation of S.Vurghun: “S.Vurghun and Tikhonov had been friends for long years. The former’s death was loss for him. Tikhonov dedicated many articles to Vurghun and considered him to be the disciple of Nizami, Fuzuli, Akhundov” (5).
In autumn of 1975 “Soviet literature days” were held in Azerbaijan. This even was very important in terms of expanding relationships between nations. Tikhonov took an active part in this event, gave speech in front of the readers of Baku and Lankaran and even dedicated a number of poems to Azerbaijan’s nature and its people. As Tikhonov traveled around our country and as he got to know its culture he thought of Azerbaijani nation, its culture and literature very highly. During “the literature days” in Baku S.Vurghun’s house museum had been opened. Tikhonov participated in the opening ceremony, congratulated on behalf of the Soviet poets and called it “great event for our poetry”. After stressing the nation’s everlasting love for S.Vurghun he said: “We are happy to be the first to enter the poet’s inspiration place. We are deep respect for the nation the cares about its poet and protects his memories” (6).
In the memories that Tikhonov dedicated to S.Vurghun’s 70’th anniversary, he pointed out that Vurghun was “the classical poet of Soviet Azerbaijan poetry” , “one of the prominent founders of poetry school in Azerbaijan”, and “a person possessing a great heart and brave soul”. Tikhonov expressed Vurghun’s creative work in the following way: “Samad Vurghun has been the leader of the Soviet Azerbaijan poetry, great playwright, talented theorist and the organizer of literary process. He followed the traditions which were laid down by his genius predecessors and immortal masters such as Nizami, Fuzuli, Akhundov by creating a brilliant example of poetry” (7).
Besides, Tikhonov dedicated a number of poems to S.Vurghun. He expressed his thoughts in a poetic way in poem named “I remembered Samad Vurghun”, also in essay named “Roads-footsteps”. The poem consists of two parts. In the first part Tikhonov remembers his personal contact – meeting and hunting together with Vurghun. But in the second part he talks about meeting which took place in front of a bronze monument in the center of Baku. This poem is taught to pupils during Russian lessons at secondary schools. Tikhonov evaluated Vurghun’s personality and creative work very highly. This was the result of their close friendship and their sharing common methods of writing. When writing about the principles of romantic poetry S.Vurghun said: “A romantic poet aggravates. He describes positive beginning of life consciously, often expresses the unusualness, and sometimes addresses to exceptional characters and events” (8).
These words have been taken from V.Soshin book dedicated to Tikhonov’s creative work. According to it, we can say that Tikhonov learned the secrets of romantic poetic poetry from S.Vurghun as the other poets of other nationalities did.
Other researcher Y.Knipovich wrote that Tikhonov is one of those who brought “new Oriental characters to Occidental literature, avoiding the traditional Eastern and Western conflict in these works” (9). Researching these facts we can say that knowing of the features of national poetry helped the Russian poet Tikhonov to talk about Central Asian, Precaucasian and other Eastern nations, as well as Azerbaijani one.
Literature
- Tikhonov. “Double rainbow” , (in Russian), Moscow, 1964
- Q.Asadullayev. “Nikholay Tikhonov about Samad Vurghun”, “Literary Azerbaijan” newspaper (in Russian), N 7, 2000.
- Tikhonov. “Azerbaijan’s notebook”, Baku, 1979.
- Arif. “Selected novels” (in Azeri), 3rd vol.,Baku, 1967, page 416.
- Hasanov. “Azerbaijan in Tikhonov’s creative activity” book (in Azeri), Baku, 1984.
- “Friendsip song” book (in Azeri), Baku, 1978.
- “Peoples and literatures brotherhood” book (in Azeri), Baku, 1981.
- Soshin V.A “Poet of romantic heroism” (in Russian), Moscow. E.Knipovich. “In proscenium” , journal “Banner” (in Russian), 1969, №1[schema type=»book» name=»The Russian poet N. S. Tikhonov’s creative and friendly contacts with the Azerbaijani poet Samad Vurghun » description=»Видный русский поэт Н.С.Тихонов имел творческие и дружеские связи со многими поэтами и писателями Кавказа. Одним из таких поэтов является знаменосец азербайджанской поэзии ХХ века Самед Вургун. В статье исследуются и литературные связи и дружеские отношения этих поэтов, а также рассматриваются их роль в развитии русской и азербайджанской литературных связей » author=»Kamran Kazimov» publisher=»БАСАРАНОВИЧ ЕКАТЕРИНА» pubdate=»2017-04-16″ edition=»ЕВРАЗИЙСКИЙ СОЮЗ УЧЕНЫХ_30.04.2015_4(13)» ebook=»yes» ]