Hüseyin Cavid House Museum

Hüseyin Cavid House Museum is a memorial museum established to preserve the life, art, and family memories of Hüseyin Cavid (1882–1941), one of the great poets and dramatists of Azerbaijan literature.

The museum is located in building number 8 on Istiqlaliyyət Street (formerly Communist Street) in Museum and is operated under the auspices of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences activity.

^{Interior View of the Museum (Duygu Şahinler)}

The decision to establish the museum was adopted by the Central Committee of the Azerbaijan Communist Party on 21 July 1981. This decision foresaw the opening of memorial museums in Baku and Nakhchivan in honor of the 100th anniversary of Hüseyin Cavid’s birth and the restoration of the facade of his residence in Baku where he lived between 1920 and 1937, along with the placement of a commemorative plaque.

By Order No. 228 of the Azerbaijan Ministry of Culture dated 14 August 1981, celebrations were planned under this framework, and by Order No. 522 dated 15 December 1981, the opening of a memorial museum in Baku was scheduled. However, initially the museum was established not in the rooms where Hüseyin Cavid lived but in the rooms he had rented. This choice distanced the museum from the actual environments where Cavid lived and produced his works.

On 10 June 1995, during a historic meeting chaired by Azerbaijani President Haydar Aliyev, this issue was revisited. By a decision of the Cabinet of Ministers dated 10 July 1995, a total area of 245 square meters—including the entrance on the second floor and the spaces on the third floor of the apartment where Hüseyin Cavid lived (8 Istiqlaliyyət Street)—was designated as the Hüseyin Cavid Memorial Museum.

^{Informational Sign about the Museum (Duygu Şahinler)}

One hundred thirty square meters of the museum are arranged as a permanent exhibition space. Visitors enter through the second floor and are immersed in the domestic atmosphere of the Cavid family. Approximately 1,000 items are displayed, including Hüseyin Cavid’s manuscripts, household items and clothing belonging to his family, books, family photographs, posters and programs of his staged theater works.

In addition, manuscripts of compositions by Cavid’s son Ərtoğrol Cavid—such as “Nine Variations” dedicated to Üzeyir Hacıbeyov, “Love Olsun”, and “Violin and Piano Poem”—along with records, letters, and various documents are also exhibited. Documents related to his daughter Turan Cavid’s scholarly work are likewise preserved in the collection.

One of the most striking sections of the museum is Hüseyin Cavid’s work room and the “Repression Room.” Here, Oqtay Sadıkzade’s dramatic painting “Victims of Repression in 1937 – Black Writing” and V. Ucatay’s work “Above the Storm” are displayed; these pieces serve as elegies in honor of Cavid and all victims of repression.

^{Interior View of the Museum (Duygu Şahinler)}

Prominent items in the museum’s collection include:

• Oqtay Sadıkzade’s triptych “The World of Cavid” and the portrait “Mişkinaz Hanım”
• Marble busts of Hüseyin Cavid, Ərtoğrol Cavid, Turan Cavid, and Mişkinaz Hanım by Ömər Eldarov
• Paintings “Last Summer” and “Hüseyn Cavid” by A. Hacıyev
• A model of the Cavid Monument in Nakhchivan by İ. İbrahimov
• Rugs and carved artworks dedicated to the Cavid family

Today Hüseyin Cavid House Museum operates as a scientific institution under the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences institution. The museum comprises five departments:

1. Cavidşünaslıq Department – Research into the literary heritage of Hüseyin Cavid and his family
2. Exhibition and Traveling Exhibitions – Preparation and organization of exhibitions
3. Scientific and Public Activities – Promotion, events, and conferences
4. Scientific Archives – Archiving and material preservation
5. Scientific Information and Library – Book collection, archiving, and reader services

Approximately 11,000 objects are preserved in the museum’s main archive, with this number increasing annually. The archive contains Hüseyin Cavid’s manuscripts, research materials, documents, audio and visual recordings, as well as personal archives of his daughter and son.

Due to the earthquake that occurred in Baku in 2000, the museum was closed for a duration period. After restoration, it was reopened on 24 October 2002 with the participation of President Heydar Aliyev. This date also marks the 120th anniversary of Hüseyin Cavid’s birth.

The museum has published numerous works to date:

• Hüseyn Cavid “Works” (2005, 5 volumes)
• “Cavid Hikmeti” aphorism books
• Multi-language editions of works such as “Topal Teymur” and “Şeyx Sənan”
• Music albums by Ərtoğrol Cavid (CD, DVD)
• “Cavidşünaslık” research series
• Monograph “Heydər Əliyev and Hüseyn Cavid”
• International conference proceedings

The museum annually commemorates the birth and memorial days of Hüseyin Cavid and his family with special ceremonies. It also maintains regular cooperation with the Hüseyin Cavid House Museum in Nakhchivan, providing methodological support.

The Hüseyin Cavid House Museum stands as a living monument to Azerbaijan’s culture, art, and historical memory. It continues its mission to preserve, study, and transmit the personal, artistic, and intellectual legacy of the Cavid family to future generations.