Visions of Azerbaijan International magazine on Azerbaijan

BP Azerbaijan President David Woodward has been made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in the New Year’s Honour list, announced on 1 January.

The honour, which was established by the Prince Regent, later King George IV, in 1818, is given for “extraordinary and important service” by UK citizens working overseas. It recognises Mr Woodward’s achievements during his seven years leading BP‘s activities in Azerbaijan. He was appointed President of BP Azerbaijan in January 1999.
Through BP‘s role as operator, he has overall responsibility for development and operation of the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) offshore oilfield, the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline project, the Shah Deniz offshore gas development and pipeline project, and BP’s ...more ››

Mr Burnett, tell us a little about yourself?

Age - 32,
Education - Eton College and Newcastle University, reading law. I worked as a researcher for Environmental Resources Management (ERM) Ltd, before coming to Azerbaijan to found Long Forest LLC. In my seven years in Azerbaijan I have worked in a number of fields including being chairman of the AMCHAM Tourism Committee, being a founding member and director of the Azerbaijan Agribusiness Marketing Council, chieftain of the Baku Caledonian Society, instigator and organiser of the Guba Agricultural show which ran from 2001-04. I’m a founding member of Baku Rugby Club and currently director of sponsorship for the Azerbaijan Rugby ...more ››

Young people educated abroad have always been highly respected in Azerbaijan. As a rule they have been seen as leaders of the community and have played a major role in education and social awareness in the country.

Today the United Kingdom is a popular destination for Azerbaijani students. According to unofficial information, every year dozens ...more ››

Andy Williams, director of the British Council in Azerbaijan, talks about the council‘s role and its work in education and culture in particular.
Andy Williams has worked for the British Council since 1992, in Poland, Syria, Thailand, the UK and since 2004 in Azerbaijan. He studied drama at university and worked for a while in the theatre in the UK. The British Council gave him the opportunity to travel and work in other cultures and he started teaching English in Poland in 1992. Since 1992, in Poland, Syria, Thailand, the UK and since 2004 in Azerbaijan. He studied drama at university and worked for a while in the theatre in the UK. The British Council gave him the opportunity to travel and work in other cultures and he started teaching English in Poland in 1992. Since then he has worked in a variety of roles for the British Council and is currently enjoying ...more ››

The Foreign Office and British Council run a programme of scholarships for one year’s post-graduate study in the United Kingdom. The Chevening scholarships are aimed at young people who have the potential to become future leaders and decision-makers in Azerbaijan. The scheme operates in many countries and, since it started here in 1994, Azerbaijan has sent 44 scholars to the UK.
Farid Akhundov was one of the first scholars in 1994-95 ...more ››

by Prof. Musa Qasimly

Britain’s policy towards the Caucasus and Azerbaijan during World War I makes an interesting page in the history of international relations. Soviet historiography branded as imperialist aggression and occupation the expedition to Azerbaijan of British and Allied forces led by Gen Dunsterville towards the end of the war and the later expedition led ...more ››

by Farida Mamedova

Caucasian Albania should not to be confused with the country of Albania in the Balkans. The Caucasian Albanian kingdom covered much of present-day Azerbaijan between the 1st and 8th centuries AD.
The origins and formation of the Albanian Church are closely associated with the history of eastern Christianity. As the new Christian faith spread, theology was interpreted creatively to meet uniquely Albanian interests.

Mountain Jews - descendants of lost tribes of Israel?
Christianity first spread to the countries where Jews banished from their motherland had settled. Dispersed Jews were amongst the first to spread Christianity. Ancient Jewish settlements in Caucasian Albania were fertile soil for the acceptance of Christianity in the region.
Today there can be no doubt that the Mountain Jews included ...more ››

by Rovshan Didavari

Looking back
The British invaded Baku in the 1990s. But this wasn’t the first time the Brits had turned up in Azerbaijan. According to historical sources, back in the 16th century the Azerbaijani Safavid state built strong relations with Britain. Closer to our own time, in 1918 two British expeditions came to Baku. You can read more about them, and Britain’s recognition of the independent Azerbaijani Democratic Republic, in Prof Qasimli’s article ...more ››

by Alex Burnett

To many in Azerbaijan, the idea of rugby is a strange sport with complicated rules similar to American football. The reality however is fortunately very different. Once played in Baku over 30 years ago, rugby suffered a long hibernation until the summer of 2000 when ...more ››

by Prof. Azer Rzayev

Leyli and Majnun was first performed on 12 January 1908 (25 January in the modern calendar). Ninety-five years later the opera remains a popular fixture in the repertoire of the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre.
Uzeyir Hajibayov made Azerbaijani opera history when he composed Leyli and Majnun. The opera is based on Azerbaijani mugam and folklore, which gives it originality and endears it to audiences ...more ››

National holidays are connected with myths, history and national identity. They grow out of a people’s spiritual world, the world of their imagination.
Since ancient times the spring new year has been welcomed by holidays in Azerbaijan, Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and other Eastern countries. This ceremony is called Novruz, which means "new day" in Persian. It is marked in the northern hemisphere on the day of the equinox (21-22 March), which is the beginning of spring. The date 21 ...more ››