“If you have to write something, don’t dip your pen into some three-copeck-worth ink, dip it into your heart and write with its blood. Then your word will count, and reach the honest souls. Otherwise, it will lack any effect and is wasted”.  Ismayil bey Gaspirali

THE HISTORY OF PRESS IN NAKHCHIVAN – By Seyid Sura

Nakhchivan, an indivisible part of Azerbaijan, enjoys an ancient and grand history. This land rich in resources both under and above ground has always attracted the attention of both the East and West, and been one of the rich, centuries-old cultural hearths of Azerbaijan.

Nakhchivan, which is associated with the most promote periods of the mankind known to history and great secular events, and has left a deep trace in the tales of different Oriental peoples, is also one of the earliest cultural centres, besides being one of the ancient cities of Azerbaijan. Here the ideas of enlightenment appropriate to their peculiar time have set wide roots; valuable works of literature, architecture, music have been created, and different fields of science have been established.

Alongside with patronizing numerous literary figures, this land has been the battle scene in the struggle fought against foreign invaders by Koroghlu and his brave warrior Eyvaz, later by Shah Ismayil Khatai, who demonstrated legendary heroism. Although repeatedly this grand land with dark clouds over its head has lost its flamboyance by being exposed to the foreign invaders’ domination, it managed to maintain its grandeur and survived.

If compared with the other regions of Azerbaijan, Nakhchivan can be considered one of the biggest centres of literary and cultural community in history. Nakhchivan’s being one of the ancient human settlements, its ties with folklore, its station at the juncture of Eastern and Western cultures, its borders with Iran and Turkey and its being the capital of Azerbaijan in different periods of history are cited as the main factors preconditioning that community.

The literary sources suggest that the literary community in Nakhchivan was established in the XIII century. And Nasraddin Tusi is considered the mightiest man of art of that century. In the subsequent periods there were many noteworthy features in the creative activities of Sheikh Naimi, Abdulla Nakhchivani and Baba Nematulla Nakhchivani, Mirza Sadig Ordubadi, Hatam bey Ordubadi, Ibrahim Nasiri, Abdurrazag bey Dunbyuli, Kosajanli Allahverdi and other men of art and literature.

The XIX century is a stage distinguished by its ideational and esthetic achievements in the artistic cultural history of Azerbaijan. Like in the ancient and medieval centuries, again poetry used to enjoy the leading status in the XIX century Azerbaijani literature, which had developed on the basis of the secure traditions of the classic legacy, at the same time is a particular phenomenon for its literary quality, rich in new, original literary forms and genres.

The standard-bearer of the early XX-century Azerbaijani literature Jalil Mammadguluzadeh, the author of the interesting stories Eynali bey Sultanov, the outstanding satirical poet Aligulu Gamkusar, the encyclopedic scholar Mahammad agha Shakhtakhtli, the outstanding founder of the national romanticism Husein Javid, the author of the historical novels Mammad Said Ordubadi are the unique personalities this ancient land gave to the Azerbaijani history, culture and science.

After the establishment of the Soviet power in Azerbaijan in the twenties of the XX century the social and cultural scene in Azerbaijan including its indivisible part Nakhchivan started to acquire a new form and content under the communist ideology.

Hundreds of intellects, who wouldn’t obey the rules of the new system, were persecuted and arrested, some of them were exiled and some turned to emigration.

Favouring the literary forces praising the socialist system, and wide advocacy of their works were among the main requirements of the period. And initiating the newspaper publication gave an impetus to the realization of these requirements.

Press is the indicator of the national development, the written chronicle of history, the structure forming the public opinion. The concept ‘a newspaper genre’, which preceded television, radio, internet and other informative means among the mass media according to their formation history, has maintained its status up today and developed to the demands of the period, by updating. After Azerbaijan gained its independence, considerable progress has been made in journalism, like in all the spheres. The conditions facilitating freedoms of speech and press in the country have provided wide opportunities for the development of journalism and the study of the press history. The Azerbaijani journalism, which acquired a new form and content back in the period when great leader Heydar Aliyev was at the head of Azerbaijan, has identified new guidelines for its activities, and entered a new stage in its development following President Ilham Aliyev’s Decree on the Social and Economic Development in the Regions.

The Nakhchivan press, which has a particular status in the history of Azerbaijani journalism, is distinguished by its almost-centennial history and rich traditions.

With the appearance of Sharg Gapisi, our regional press, which started under the titles Communist, Nakhrespublika, Javanlar Hayati and futher Fugara Sesi following the establishment of the Soviet power, has acquired a new form and content, and managed to maintain its existence up to our modern period.

In one of his interviews Heydar Aliyev, the national leader of the Azerbaijani people said evaluating the activity of this newspaper, “I have been brought up under the influence of the newspaper Sharg Gapisi. While I was still young, studying at the secondary school and pedagogical technical school, I made a lot of use of the newspaper Sharg Gapisi to learn about different issues… … Ever since I recollect it as a prestigious newspaper” .

      Sharg Gapisi is the mirror of our days…And the most profound encyclopedia of the land of Nakhchivan is the newspaper Sharg Gapisi.

The newspaper Sharg Gapisi, which has maintained and developed the rich traditions of the Azerbaijani press enjoying the history of 146 years, shed the light of enlightenment on the people, turned the chronicle of the Autonomous Republic of Nakhchivan into history on its pages, is distinguished by its great merits in the history of Nakhchivan.