Jeyhun Hajibeyli

Jeyhun Hajibeyli (Hajibeyov, Gadjibekoff) (1891–1962) was an Azerbaijani publicist, journalist and ethnographer.

Jeyhun was born in Shusha, and was a brother of the great composer Uzeyir Hajibeyov. After graduating from the Russian-Tatar Azeri school in Shusha, he continued his education in Baku. Later he went to St. Petersburg under the sponsorship of oil baron millionaire Murtuza Mukhtarov where he entered the Law Department of the university there. After this, he continued his education at the Sorbonne University in Paris. For many years in Paris, he was one of the two most active authors of Kaspi Newspaper. For some time he was the editor of the daily literary-social newspaper called "Azerbaydjan" published in Russian.

In 1919 Jeyhun Hajibeyli went to France as a member of the delegation led by Alimardan Topchubashev to take part in the Versailles Peace Conference. Due to the political events that took place in Baku and throughout Azerbaijan in 1920, he was not able to return to Baku and had to live out his life in France never to return. Jeyhun bey brought his Motherland that he always longed for and carried in his dreams, with him to France. He lived two lives in Paris. One was the real Paris life, the other one was the life related to his Motherland which he created in his dreams and longings and memories. Dreaming was the only way he could “communicate with his dear ones” because all mail was cut off.

He wrote in his diary:

"Yes, I have to admit that during these 40 years of separation from my dear ones that I have often longed for my sisters; and sometimes the images of my mom and my middle brother (Uzeyir) replaced the images of my sisters in my mind.

Both of them were crying bitterly when we were saying good-bye. I was trying to convince them that I was going away for only two months. I was asking them why they were crying? Now I tell myself, Jeyhun bey, you deceived them because you yourself were not aware of what would happen. Now you’re living 41 years separated from them. You never saw them again nor will you ever see them in the future - your dear ones—men and women are passing away one by one... And you yourself will, too."

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