The beginning of every work is beautiful, responsible and important. Academician Isa Habibbayli realized one of these firsts in 2018 by signing the establishment of the "Azerbaijan Children's Literature" department at the Nizami Ganjavi Institute of Literature of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences. In his speeches, he constantly emphasized how important it is to create such a department, and stated the importance of managing issues related to children's literature from a single center. Another of the wonderful initiatives was that the management of this department was entrusted to Elnara Akimova, an employee of our Institute, doctor of philological sciences, whose signature we respect. He trusted his scientific strength and potential, perseverance and ability. Time proved how correct the decision was.
Over the years, the "Children's literature" department has been distinguished by many successful works. Various presentations, researches, articles analyzing newly published examples of children's literature, "Khanimana Alibayli" monograph, which is the result of joint work, systematic scientific research in the direction of studying the history of children's literature became the main driving force of the selection of the department in a short time, active intervention in the process. One of the successes of the department was the establishment of joint cooperation with Turkey, bringing practical activities in this direction to the agenda. Back in 2019, at the "6th International Symposium on Children's and Youth Literature" organized by Mr. Bican Veysel Yıldız, the head of the Union of Children and Youth Writers, our Institute (let me note that I am the Azerbaijani representative of the symposium - M.N.), especially the head of the department, Mrs. Elnara The active participation and contribution of the "Children's Numeracy" department led to the perfect realization of this conference. Later, the head of the "Children's Literature" department in Turkey, poet Bijan Veysel Yıldız, was the guest of the editor-in-chief of the "Literature Newspaper", respected Azer Turan and Elnara Akimova, and interesting discussions were held about the children's literature of both countries.
Finally, a new job has been created. The book "Selected Works from Azerbaijani Children's Literature" containing poems, stories and plays celebrating the feelings of freedom, independence, and victory has been published in Turkey. The compiler of the texts in the book and the author of the foreword "Ideology in Azerbaijani children's literature" is Elnara Akimova, doctor of philological sciences, literary critic-critic. Turkish colleagues Soner Sağlam, Yaşar Sozen, Özgür Koray Yılmaz also participated in the preparation of the book, and they did not spare their efforts in the creation of the book.
Today, we can say with great pride that the friendship and brotherhood of our heads of state, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, and the President of the Republic of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, further strengthens our unity. In the foreword of the book, the Turkish scientist Fikret Turkmen's example from Bakhtiyar Vahabzade also beautifully expresses that our friendship and equality will always exist:
Bir millət, iki dövlət,
Eyni arzu, eyni niyyət,
Dinimiz bir, dilimiz bir,
Eşqimiz bir, yolumuz bir,
Azərbaycan Türkiyə.
The valuable preface written by Elnara Akimova to the book entitled "Ideology in Azerbaijani children's literature" indicates that she has already formed as a professional children's literature expert. The author first talks about the strengthening friendship and cooperation relations with brother Turkey. Then, Azerbaijani children's literature is divided into three main stages in terms of periodization - in the direction of creation, organization and development:
1) Ideological wave in children's literature at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century
2) Azerbaijaniism in children's literature of the Soviet period
3) Children's literature of the period of independence
Based on this periodization system, the author is able to form a complete idea about the path of children's literature in Azerbaijan.
As mentioned in the collection "Selected works from Azerbaijani children's literature", poems, stories and plays were collected. The most important thing is that the developer Elnara Akimova was not satisfied only with the examples of children's literature published in the years of independence, but looked at the topic on a broader level and included the examples of children's literature created by the genius Nizami Ganjavi in the 12th century, and then at the beginning of the 20th century, as well as patriotic children's texts created in the Soviet era. collected in this collection. The book opens with "Azerbaijani Anthem" and "Azerbaijan Flag" by Ahmet Javad, "Dardanel Azhar" by Ali Bey Huseyinzadeh, "My Country" by Jafar Jabbarli, "In the Girl's School" by Huseyn Javid, "My Prisoner of Azerbaijan" by Almas Ildırım, "My Motherland" by Abdulla Shaig. The homeland is good", "Azerbaijan" by Samad Vurgu, "My Tabriz" by Suleyman Rustam, "Shusha" by Rasul Rza, "My Azerbaijan" by Mirvarid Dilbazi, "Olar yurdu" by Fikret Sadykh, "My homeland" by Nigar Rafibeyli, "Martyrs" by Bakhtiyar Vahabzadeh, "Bairag" ", "Azerbaijan-Turkey", "I say Motherland" by Isa Ismayilzade, "Holy Quran" by Khanimana Alibeyli, "Beautiful Country" by Teymur Elchin, "Azerbaijan" by Khalil Reza Ulutürk, "Motherland" by Mammad Ismayil, "Motherland" by Sabir Rustamkhanli and others there are examples of instilling love in dozens of countries.
In this book, both the successes and the pains of Azerbaijan's path as a country can be seen. January 20, the tragedy of Khojaly, the loss of land, the cost of the gains of independence are exhibited on the basis of various examples of poems. In the poems of Ulvi Bunyadzade, Mammad Aslan, Nariman Hasanzade, Zalimkhan Yagub, Nabi Khazri, Mammad Araz, Hikmet Mahmud, Gasham Isabayli, Sevinj Nurugizi, Mina Rashid, Kamil Araz, Sevinj Elsavar, Allahshukur Agha and other poets expressing this pain, history itself is also appears:
Sinələr güllə-güllə,
Qan axır, dönür gülə.
Qərənfillər ağlayır,
Düşmənə gülə-gülə.
Ağla, qərənfil, ağla!
Məmməd Aslan
Sevinj Elsever's message to children in his poem "After Khojaly", even if he wants to keep children away from the tragedy of Khojaly, the need to explain what happened with the word "jizza" brings us back to those days like an incurable wound of the recent past:
Sən baxma televizora,
Körpə bala.
Sən oyuncağınla oyna,
İnamla böyü.
Televizorda gördüklərin səni qorxutmasın,
Xocalıda insanlar inanları öldürmədi ki,
Heç adam da adamı öldürərmi?
Sənin kimi mənə də
Öyrədilən ikl kəlmədi "cızza!"
Yəni, "əlin yanar, toxunma!"
Ürəyim od tutub,yanır, balaca.
Sən baxma televizora,
Üzünü o yana çevir.
Cızza!!!
The anthology also includes poetic texts written about our most recent history, poems created about the feelings of pride and victory. In the poems of Zahid Khalil, Rafig Yusifoglu, Ibrahim Yusifoglu, Sevinj Nurugyzi, Gasham Najafzade, the joy of victory is prominent. In Zahid Khalil's poem entitled "Ilham Aliyev-Iron Fist", one can see the respect and love for the Commander-in-Chief:
Dəmir yumruq - bu gözəl söz,
El-obanın dilindədir.
Dəmir yumruq dəmir kimi,
Bir kişinin əlindədir.
Rafik Yusifoglu's "Gözlərin aydın, Şuşa!" In this sense, his poem brings the joy of victory to our children and declares to the world the pride of Turkish unity and brotherhood:
Dost kimdir, düşmən kimdir,
Dur ayağa tanınar.
Görüşünə gələcəm,
Türk qardaşınla qoşa.
Gözlərin aydın, Şuşa!
Dozens of short stories have been published in the anthology. Nizami Ganjavi, Ali Bey Huseynzade, Mehdi Huseyn, Ali Samadli, Zahid Khalil, Reyhan Yusifgizi, Rafiq Yusifoglu, Sevinj Nurugizi, Gachay Kocharli, Gasham Isabayli, Mina Rashid, and other authors are united by one theme: loyalty to the motherland, love for the flag. , the duty to uphold the national and moral values of the people, the responsibility to protect the homeland. In the two plays included in the collection - Aygün Bunyadzade's "Anxious Angels" and Arzu Soltan's "Red, Green, Blue" - the main goal is to pursue this idea. The damage caused to babies in the war, the effect of the tragedies on the psychology of children, and the cry of no to wars are emphasized in both plays.
The title page of the book caught my attention: "To the 270th year of the foundation of Shusha, the cultural capital of Azerbaijan and the Turkic World, the beating heart of Karabakh, and to the Alpine-hearted children of Oghuz...". That is to say, this wonderful work was also carried out within the framework of "Shusha Year", and it was produced with great love and a sense of duty. It is for this reason that every text, every example in the collection originates from love for the motherland. Undoubtedly, the book will play a big role in creating the image of Azerbaijani children's literature. But another important point is the usefulness quality of these relations in the direction of convergence and recognition of literature. In both countries, in the spirit of love for the Turkish ideology, in the upbringing of the youth committed to their own nation, in the formation and integration of the new generation, who hold the values of their state and people high and are loyal to them, such valuable examples are valuable mission bearers.
May our relations continue, may our successes not run out, may our friendship be eternal!
