Badal bey Badalbeyli

Badal bey Bashir oglu Badalbeyli – is the Azerbaijani public figure of enlightenment, pedagogue and actor of a theatre. He was the brother of Ahmad bey Agdamski, the theatre and cinema actor and the cousin of Uzeyir Hajibeyov. He was the father of Afrasiyab Badalbeyli and Shamsi Badalbeyli.

Biography
Badal bey Badalbeyli was born in Shusha, in 1875. In 1895, he graduated from the Transcaucasian Teachers Seminary in Gori. Later, he moved to Baku, where he founded Russo-Muslim school around the Soviet street (at present-School No.6), which was also called “Badal bey’s school” and where he taught mathematics, Russian, geography, literature and music. Administration of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic quite often charged him to engage in education problems.

Being the cousin of Uzeyir Hajibeyov, Badal bey helped him in organization of the first musical theatre in Azerbaijan. He also played Majnun’s piece in “Leyli and Mejnun” opera, in 1907-1908’s. He also rescued Hajibeyov by persuading his brother Ahmad bey Badalbeyli (Agdamski) to play Leyli’s piece, as far as Abdurahim Farajov refused to play a woman’s piece because of persecution by opponents of the theatre.

He also performed in the theatre and was an active member of a charity union “Nijat”.

He died on September 12, 1932 in Baku.