Tofig Kazimov

Tofig Kazimov was born in Baku.

He received his seven-year education in Baku and graduated from theater school (1939-1942). He participated in the Great Patriotic War. Wounded in battle, he returned in 1943 and began working as an actor at the Young Spectators Theater. He played the roles of Bulud and Amrah in the plays “Melik Mammad” (Eyyub Abbasov) and “Mother” (Abdulla Shaig).

Then he received higher directing education at the All-Union State Institute of Theater Arts in Moscow (1945-1951).

While a student, he prepared the play “On the Kur River Bank” (Hasan Gasimov) for a performance at the Agdam State Drama Theater, and staged the play “Family Honor” (Huseyn Mukhtarov) as a diploma play at the Academic National Drama Theater (1951). In 1952, he was sent to the Young Spectators Theater as a chief director. In the same year, he was appointed director of the Academic Theater.

In 1964, he was appointed chief director of this theater. He worked as a director and chief director at the Azerbaijan State Drama Theater for a long time. The performances “The Vizier of the Khan of Lankaran”, “Mary Tudor”, “The Strange Man”, “Antony and Cleopatra”, “Summer Days of the City” are his best directorial works. He directed performances at the Musical Comedy Theater, the Russian Drama Theater, the Nakhchivan Theater, and the Ganja Theater.

For a while, he worked at the “Azerbaijanfilm” film studio (1958-1960). 

He taught at the Azerbaijan State Institute of Arts. He wrote monographs about actors. He is the author of plays. He published reviews and articles on theater art and performances in the press.

He was awarded State Prizes for the performances “Antony and Cleopatra” (William Shakespeare) and “Summer Days of the City” (Anar) (1965, 1979).

Honored Artist (1961), People's Artist (1974) Tofig Kazimov died in a car accident in 1980 and was buried in the Second Alley of Honor.