Murtuza Mukhtarov, philanthropist, petroleum millionaire, knowledgeable intelligent
In the second half of the 19th century in the history of Azerbaijan, the entrepreneurial class did a lot of charity work related to the development of the country and took care of its people. At the beginning of the 20th century, millionaire local petroleum tycoons came from the lowest social classes - workers in mines, foremen's assistants, or foremen.
Unfortunately, in the Soviet empire, it was strictly forbidden to talk about the representatives of the national bourgeoisie and the work they did for the people, so their activities remained unidentified to the people for a long time, and were learned only after the collapse of the Soviet government. One of those oil millionaires is Murtuza Mukhtarov, a philanthropist, knowledgeable intelligent, petroleum millionaire.
Murtuza Mukhtarov, a prominent representative of the petroleum industry of Azerbaijan like Haji Zeynalabdin Tagiyev, Shamsi Asadullayev, and Musa Nagiyev, was born in 1857 in the village of Amirjan, Baku, in the family of a poor cart driver. Adhering to the family tradition, Murtuza, who first earned money by driving carts, worked as a plasterer for a long time. After working as a market worker, he was engaged in oil stone contracting with a cart.
In 1870, he sold his cart and from an early age started working in the drilling office of an entrepreneur named Martov in one of the mines built around Balakhani-Zabrat villages, extracting oil from shallow wells.
Seeing this young man's intelligence, passion for work, responsibility, capability and will, the entrepreneur Martov taught him the secrets of mechanical tools and devices, promoted him to the position of foreman in a very short period of time, assigned him the mining workshop and appointed him a driller in a short period of time. Seeing that he is getting old after a while, the entrepreneur Martov sells his personal workshop along with the drilling equipment and goes to Russia.
Murtuza could determine the situation in the deep layers of the well from the sound of machines, the harmony of axes and pipes, and the rumble of equipment. They begin to invite Mukhtarov to various mines as an indispensable master in the repair and elimination of malfunctions in wells. Young Murtuza enriches his innate flexibility with theoretical knowledge - he hires teachers from among engineers, and with their help, he acquires technical training.
Mukhtarov's name is mostly associated with the development of oil extraction technology in Baku. In 1890, 25-year-old Murtuza Mukhtarov opened a private drilling office, began to receive orders for drilling the most complex and deep wells, and cooperated with many countries. This is where his ingenuity comes to the fore - the many changes he made in a short period of time to the Canadian-made semi-mechanized Molot drilling machine helped to increase the productivity of the equipment and extend its useful life.
The development of oil extraction technology in Baku is connected with the name of Mukhtarov. M. Mukhtarov was also known as an oil engineer without a diploma. In that period, fragile, oily, etc. digging wells in rocks was considered a miracle. Although he did not receive a high technical education, among the oil tycoons there was no entrepreneur who knew the secrets of oil fields and drilling like him.
In 1890, M. Mukhtarov further expanded his office, naming it "Mukhtarov podrat". Semi-mechanized "Molt" has improved its drilling equipment, made several changes to its rig, and drilled a 1100-meter well for the first time in Absheron.
For the first time, in 1895, he installed a hammer drill with metal rods and received a Patent-Certificate for it from the State. Mukhtarov named his invention "Baku drilling system". Mukhtarov's machine was the most perfect of all drilling machines known up to that time. He opens a branch of his office in the Russian cities of Grozny and Maykop. Murtuza works day and night, making a name for himself as a rescue master.
At the end of the 19th century, Murtuza Mukhtarov built the drilling equipment factory in Bibiheybet, the first industrial enterprise producing oil equipment in Russia. He built a three-story residential building for workers and servants near the plant, gathered the best workforce of Baku with the created conditions and was able to obtain new information on oil extraction.
It invests in improving the literacy and technical knowledge of its engineers to meet the demands of the century. Machine tools and equipment produced at the factory were sold on the Russian market or exported abroad. At the same time, Mukhtarov himself brought a lot of tools, machines, devices and equipment to Baku from abroad, especially from America. Even after Azerbaijan was occupied by Soviet Russia - after the Revolution, these instructions continued, and equipment was sent in his name. Neftkhuda also had special mines.
In addition, in 1917, the first wood-burning bench was invented by him. Currently, this machine is stored in the "Mining" Institute in St. Petersburg.
The business relations of Murtuza Mukhtarov's office were extensive, his activities in the petroleum industry did not cover only Azerbaijan. He often visited different governorates of Russia and made business deals. In particular, he maintained close relations with the oil industrialists of the North Caucasus, mine owners in Maykop and Grozny, established relations, and concluded technical contracts with design bureaus.
M.Mukhtarov, a prominent philanthropist, has financially supported the construction of buildings that have preserved their splendor in Baku, its surrounding villages, Russian cities and some European countries. Murtuza Mukhtarov was also a great builder and a great philanthropist. The mosque building he built in the village of Amirjan is still eye-catching with its architectural structure and grandeur.
Although the local population started building the mosque in 1901, later the financial resources to complete the construction ran out and they turned to Mukhtarov. A millionaire is interested in building a mosque and invites architects for his project. After consulting several architects, he undertakes the cost of completing the construction. In 1908, the mosque was built in the village of Amirjan based on the project of the famous architect Zivarbay Ahmadbayov.
At the beginning of the construction of the mosque, a 25 kg Koran book engraved with the words of God in golden water was made to order in Istanbul, Turkey. Even now, this holy book is kept as a deposit in the Amirjan mosque. Considered one of the most beautiful pearls of Eastern architecture in Azerbaijan, this magnificent mosque with double minarets is included in the UNESCO list of protected historical monuments.
Also, the charity work of the millionaire did not end there. In 1902, a school for children in the village of M.Mukhtarov Amirjan and in Vladikavkaz, a lighthouse as a memorial to the sinking of a ship near Pirallahi in the Caspian Sea in 1913, a dome over the grave of Akhund Mirza Abu Turab in the area of Mardakan called Pirhasan, a mosque in Vladikavkaz, a mosque in Kislovodsk, Russia beautiful buildings in many cities, in Europe, in the city of Florence, Italy, were built at the expense of M.Mukhtarov and live his name.
During the revolution in 1911, M. Mukhtarov did not spare his help to his people and nation, so he registered the Turkish prisoners of war who were brought to Baku from Iran and Turkey as "captives who died" from thirst, unsanitary conditions, and infectious diseases, and placed them on Nargin Island in Baku. threw it into the sea in sacks.
Known for his kindness, Murtuza Mukhtarov helped many poor families and invested in their treatment and education. Even in those days, he adopted a shy girl named Katya and named her Fatma. Fatma is known as a great opera soloist and Azerbaijani actress in our Republic.
In 1927, during the period when there was no electricity in the northern DRES and Shuvalan, Murtuza Mukhtarov established the electricity dynamics for the first time and supplied the villages of Shuvalan and Mardakan with a little electricity.
The personal life of Murtuza Mukhtarov, who was successful in his business activities, was not so encouraging. Agha Murtuza's first family life ended with a very tragic end. For the first time, he got married to a woman named Gonchanaz, the daughter of Haji Yusif, a representative of one of the 4 older generations of Amirjan, and two daughters were born to her. Both children died tragically.
While Murtuza Mukhtarov was on a trip to Vladikavkaz, his children fell ill, and both of his children died due to delayed treatment. After returning from the trip, the oil entrepreneur could not recover from the impact of this unfortunate event for a long time. This misfortune follows him until the end of his life. Seeing all the sins of this tragedy in Gonchanaz, he kicks the lady out of the house and the family breaks up.
Murtuza Mukhtarov's second wife is Elizaveta Tuganova. During one of his visits to Besland, Mukhtarov met General Hambi Tuganov, who was praying in Circassian clothes on the station platform. The famous general from Vladikavkaz invites Mukhtarov to his house and introduces him to his family.
Here Murtuza sees his future wife - Elizaveta, the general's middle daughter, and falls in love with her at first sight. Murtuza Mukhtarov's embassy and wedding ceremonies are very luxurious and luxurious. At Murtuza and Liza's engagement, 30 brave girls dressed in white Circassian chukka, white Bukhara hats and swords brought home 30 luxurious khonchas, and the wedding lasted 7 days and 7 nights.
The bride was escorted in a silver-trimmed phaeton, accompanied by a cavalcade of honor on white horses, dressed in white from head to toe. Despite the fact that Lisa was much younger than her husband and both of them belonged to different social classes, this did not prevent them from living happily together.
After a luxurious wedding ceremony in Vladikavkaz, they went on a wedding trip to Europe, and after returning from the trip, they lived in Vladikavkaz for several years. Although they did not have children from their joint family life, they took care of many children and gave them higher education. They also took Fatma Mukhtarova, a famous stage master, as a bride.
As an expression of his gratitude to the Ossetian land for his family happiness, Mukhtarov built a Sunni mosque in Vladikavkaz in 1908 with his own funds, which is a rare example of architecture due to its many parameters. The Sunni mosque built by the Shiite Mukhtarov in honor of Liza Tuganova on the banks of the Terek River is still considered one of the largest mosques in the North Caucasus.
According to experts, this mosque built by Mukhtarov is one of the richest mosques in Russia in terms of its beauty. As Ossetian historians wrote: "Authorized representatives of the Sunni community of Vladikavkaz city, Lieutenant-General Inal Kusov and Idris Shanayev, decide to call the mosque "Mukhtarov's Juma Mosque" as an expression of sincere gratitude on behalf of all Vladikavkaz Muslims to Baku merchant Murtuza Agha Mukhtarov, who built the mosque."
Mukhtarov provided financial support to almost all charitable societies of Baku. He was an admirer of Western European culture and fought against superstition in society. The oil millionaire also contributed to the development of the media. "Tərəqqi" newspaper operating in Baku was published with his financial support.
Such as Mukhtarov, his wife Liza did not lag behind in charity work. Liza Mukhtarova was one of the members of "İşıq" newspaper, the first women's press organ established in Baku on January 22, 1911 by Mrs. Khadija Alibayova. She actively fought for women's rights to gain knowledge and education.
While Murtuza Mukhtarov was on a wedding trip in Europe, his young wife was fascinated by the wonderful architecture of the city of Venice, the architecture of Italian buildings, and he expressed this fascination to his wife. Admiring a very beautiful and magnificent building while walking in Venice, he built a palace in Baku for his beloved lady in the architectural style of buildings in Venice, Italy (1911-1912).
The current Palace of Happiness was designed by the architect Iosif Ploshko in the French Gothic style. Mukhtarov specially invited Ploshko from Moscow to Baku and sent him to Italy to get to know the palace. Ploshko thought that he would design the project for Mukhtarov in the Eastern style, but because he liked M.Mukhtarov's "Ismailiyya" building, he decided to build a palace in the "Gothic" architectural style, not in the national-oriental interpretation.
Although the construction of Murtuza Mukhtarov's palace was planned on the central highway of the city (then Nikolayev, now Istiglaliyyat Street), later it was decided to build the building in the neighborhood of Nikolayev Street.
Since the owner of the land refused to sell the land, Mukhtarov bought the land opposite the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (architect R.R. Marfeld, 1888-1889, builder Y.V.Goslavsky) on the opposite side of Persidsky (now Murtuza Mukhtarov Street) and Wrangel (now Ahmed Javad Street) streets. Every column, arches, bushes and flowers, windows and doors of the palace is a unique work of art, an architectural gem, and these details fascinate everyone who enters.
The vertical towers, reminiscent of the minarets of Cairo mosques, embodied the oriental color very well. Facade details of the palace, known as Saadat Palace, in the spirit of French Gothic, elegantly carved columns, the central tower give the building a special beauty. In the vestibule opening to the palace's classically shaped three-course marble staircase, more order methods were used. The front staircase is ornate, and the semicircular ceiling is filled with decorative elements. While designing Mukhtarov's palace in 1911-1912, I.Ploshko benefited from the effective corner composition in the project of H.D.Grimm, who was awarded the prize in 1900 and gave his own interpretation by revisiting the tract of French Gothic style. Despite being located next to such a huge and monumental church, the palace had a very favorable urban planning position. After the demolition of the church in 1930, the surroundings of the palace were completely opened.
Since she had no children of her own, Mrs. Liza created a boarding house in her luxurious Palace, where girls who grew up in orphaned and poor families were educated. Ms. Liza, a member of the board of directors of "Murtuza Mukhtarov" Joint Stock Company, also supported "Nicat" Baku Muslim Charitable Society. Mrs. Liza, one of the most active members of the "Children's Hospital" charitable society, which was established in 1913, helped to establish a special children's hospital in Baku. His educational and educational activity was wider.
After the October revolution, the palace functioned as a Women's club named after Ali Bayramov, and later as a museum of Shirvanshahs. Later, it was used as a marriage house for many years. As a monument of the years 1911-1912, the building was included in the "List of immovable historical and cultural monuments of national importance" as inventory №149 by the decision №132 of the Republic of Azerbaijan Cabinet of Ministers of the dated August 2, 2001. In 2007-2012, restoration works were carried out in the Palace. On July 5, 2012, the opening of the palace took place and the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, participated in the ceremony and familiarized himself with the work done.
Mrs. Liza headed the Baku Women's Charity Society established in 1914. He was able to unite Rahila Gaziyeva, Sara Vazirova, Pari Topchubashova and many others in the ranks of this society. At the same time, Ms. Liza was a member of the management board of the Baku branch of the Caucasian Society for the fight against tuberculosis. All the issues of the society are discussed in his house, it was on his initiative that cultural events were often carried out. In addition, she organized plays at the girl's school and treated the girls with motherly care.
Unfortunately, this marriage, founded on love, is not destined to be happy until the end. April 1920 was coming. On April 29, 1920, two armed Bolshevik usurpers broke the door of Mukhtarov's house and demanded that he submit to the Soviet authorities and leave the building after the murders and robberies they committed in the neighborhoods of Baku where Azerbaijanis live. Hearing this, the oil tycoon kills both Bolsheviks with his rifle, and then himself. Murtuza Mukhtarov was buried in the courtyard of the mosque he built in Amirjan. As a result, the building becomes the headquarters of the XI army.
The fate of Mrs. Liza Mukhtarova ends with a bitter end, like the fate of the oil tycoon. At first, the Bolsheviks forced Ms. Lisa to live in the basement of her house, but it became increasingly difficult to stay in Baku. Ms. Liza is going to Istanbul with the aim of escaping the danger and emigrating, and the Azerbaijani diaspora operating in Turkey helped her a lot. Little is known about the future fate of Ms. Liza Mukhtarova. Some sources state that he died in Paris in the 1950s, and some sources state that he died in Germany in 1956. There is no information about where his grave is.
Currently, the area where the "Dendrology Garden" public legal entity is located was the private garden of the petroleum millionaire and great philanthropist Murtuza Mukhtarov in 1895-1920. Murtuza Mukhtarov designed this beautiful garden house, which he bequeathed to his people, in the form of a "ship" in the "Gothic" style. The balcony of the building resembles a ship's cabin. The walls are 1 meter wide and 8 meters high. In the western direction of the palace, there are bedrooms on the right and dining rooms on the left. On the east side, a two-story building was built for the servants.
The building has acoustics and venetian system. The Dendrology Garden with a total area of 12 ha is located in the northeastern part of the Absheron Peninsula, 3.2 km from the Caspian Sea and 40 km from the city center. The average annual temperature of the area, which is 8.2 m above sea level, is about 13-150C. In winter, the temperature is 8-8.20C, and in hot summer days, the humidity drops by 35-40%. The amount of annual precipitation in the area is 120-270 mm. According to its mechanical composition, the soil is alkaline (PH 8-9), belongs to the type of gray clay and sandy soil.
The composition of soils is 80-85% lime. The soil layer of the dendrology garden was not suitable for cultivation, it was surrounded by limestone rocks at a depth of 20-40 cm. M. Mukhtarov brought soil from Lankaran to the area of the garden that was not suitable for planting, and additional soil of 60-80 cm thickness was given to the garden.
