Nariman Narimanov - The Revolutionary

The Revolutionary

Born April 2 (14), 1870, in Tiflis, into a poor Azerbaijani family. After graduating from the Transcaucasian Teachers Seminary, he received the position of teacher in a village of Gizel-Adjal, Tiflis Province, where he became closely acquainted with the hard life of the local peasantry. Later, Narimanov became a teacher in a private pro-gimnasia in Baku, where he founded the first public free-access library and reading hall. This became a cultural center of the entire Transcaucasia. In 1902, at the age of 32, Narimanov entered the Medical Department of Novorossiysk University. During the revolution of 1905-1907, Narimanov took an active part and led the student movement in Odessa. In 1905 he joined the Russian Social-Democratic Workers' Party. Upon his return to Baku, Narimanov guided the Congress of Transcaucasian Turkic Teachers; under his influence, the Congress adopted a resolution on national self-determination of Transcaucasia. A little later, Nariman Narimanov became one of the organizers of the Persian socialist democratic party Isheyun-Asheyun. Soon, Narimanov was exiled to Astrakhan for five years for his activities. After the October Revolution of 1917, Nariman Narimanov became the chairman of Azerbaijani social democratic organization Hummet (Endeavor).