Famous Azerbaijani Men

Heydar Aliyev was an Azerbaijani politician. From 1993 to 2003, Aliyev served as the president of Azerbaijan. His presidency has attracted criticism and Aliyev was accused of establishing a dictatorial, repressive, and authoritarian regime. He was also accused of muzzling the press and rigging elections. He died of ill health on 12 December 2003.

Vagit Alekperov is a Russian-Azerbaijani entrepreneur best known for his service as the president of the PJSC Lukoil Oil Company from 1993 to 2022. Counted among the richest people in the world, Vagit Alekperov is also known for his philanthropic efforts. In 2007, he established a non-profit organization called Our Future, which aims at promoting social entrepreneurship in Russia.

Abulfaz Elchibey was an Azerbaijani political figure who served as the President of Azerbaijan from 17 June 1992 to 24 June 1993. He was stripped of his presidency in a coup d'état in 1993. After the end of his presidency, Abulfaz Elchibey served as the leader of the opposition. 

Imadaddin Nasimi was an Azerbaijani Ḥurūfī poet who wrote in Persian, Azerbaijani, and Arabic. He is counted among the greatest and most influential Turkic mystical poets of the 14th and 15th centuries. His work has influenced many Turkic language authors and poets such as Khata'i, Fuzûlî, and Pir Sultan Abdal. Imadaddin Nasimi's life and career inspired the 1973 biopic Nesimi.   

Belarusian kick-boxer Chingiz Allazov has so-far achieved a kickboxing record of 59 wins out of 65, of which 36 wins were secured through knockout. He became the 2017 K-1 World GP -70kg World Tournament Champion and successfully defended the title in 2018. Presently signed with ONE Championship, Allazov is ranked as the #3 lightweight in the world by Combat Press.

Artur Rasizade is an Azerbaijani politician known for his service as the Prime Minister of Azerbaijan. He served as the Prime Minister on two occasions between 1996 and 2018 and also served as an acting Prime Minister on a couple of occasions. Over the course of his career, Rasizade has been honored with prestigious awards, including the USSR State Prize.

Iranian Azerbaijani author and philosopher Mirza Fatali Akhundov was the first literary critic and realist writer from his country. He developed the Azerbaijani alphabets and script. The 19th-century author is also remembered as the pioneer of atheism and nationalism in his country. He also criticized Islam and other religions.

Ivan Khristoforovich Bagramyan, also known as Hovhannes Baghramian, was a Marshal of the Soviet Union. Born in Yelizavetpol , present-day Azerbaijan, he grew up to be one of the finest military commanders of the Soviet army during World War II and later joined the Communist Party, too.

Kurban Said was an author who wrote the famous novel, Ali and Nino, which has been published in over 30 languages. While Kurban Said is the author's pseudonym, the real identity of the writer is in dispute. 

Nariman Narimanov was an Azerbaijani Bolshevik revolutionary, writer, publicist, and politician. He headed the government of Soviet Azerbaijan for just over one year in 1920-21 and served as the chairman of the Azerbaijani Revolutionary Committee (Azrevkom). As a literary expert, he translated into Turkic Nikolai Gogol's The Government Inspector and authored many plays, stories, and novels. 

Bakhtiyar Vahabzadeh was an Azerbaijani dramatist, poet, translator, and lyricist. Counted among the greatest poets of Azerbaijan, Vahabzadeh received several prestigious awards such as the Azerbaijan SSR state prize in 1974. Bakhtiyar Vahabzadeh also served as a politician and college professor.

Jalil Mammadguluzadeh was an Azerbaijani writer and satirist. He is credited with founding a satirical magazine called Molla Nasraddin, which had a great influence on the genre of satire in the Central Asia and Middle East. Best remembered as one of the earliest women's rights activists in Azerbaijan, Jalil Mammadguluzadeh played a key role in establishing Azerbaijan's first women's magazine.