President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has signed an obituary on the death of People's Artist Aleksandr Sharovski.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports that the obituary says:
"The cultural community of Azerbaijan has suffered a heavy loss. Aleksandr Yakovlevich Sharovski, a prominent representative of Azerbaijani theater, chief director of the Samad Vurgun Azerbaijan State Academic Russian Drama Theater, a recipient of an individual presidential pension of the Republic of Azerbaijan and People's Artist, died on Sept. 9, 2026, at the age of 78.
Aleksandr Sharovski was born in Baku on Feb. 10, 1948. After graduating from secondary school, he studied at the Faculty of English Language and Literature of the Azerbaijan Pedagogical Institute of Foreign Languages from 1968 to 1973.
Sharovski began his professional career at the Azerbaijan State Young Spectators Theater while still a student. He devoted his life to theater and, from 1976, worked at the Samad Vurgun Azerbaijan State Academic Russian Drama Theater for nearly half a century as an actor, assistant director and stage director. He had served as chief director since 1993.
Aleksandr Sharovski made a significant contribution to the achievements of Azerbaijani stage art as an artist who skillfully drew on the classical traditions of theater and modern development trends. He portrayed characters distinguished by their naturalness on stage. Through his extensive creative searches as a director, he staged numerous works from Azerbaijan's and the world's dramatic heritage. Many of these productions stood out for their vivid stage interpretations and were warmly received in theater circles. They were also successfully shown at prominent theaters outside Azerbaijan, contributing to the promotion of Azerbaijani culture.
Aleksandr Sharovski was also known for his broad public activity. As a member of the Board of Trustees of the Baku International Multiculturalism Centre and head of the Baku religious community of European Jews, he spared no effort to bring the realities of Azerbaijan to the attention of the international community and preserve multicultural values in the country.
The state duly recognized Aleksandr Sharovski's services to the development of Azerbaijani culture. He was awarded the honorary titles of Honored Artist (1987) and People's Artist (1998), as well as the Shohrat (2008) and Sharaf (2018) orders, among Azerbaijan's highest state awards, and the Honorary Diploma of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan (2023).
The cherished memory of Aleksandr Yakovlevich Sharovski, a prominent artist and public figure and a sincere person, will always live in the hearts of those who knew him.
May he rest in peace.
Ilham Aliyev
Mehriban Aliyeva
Ali Asadov
Sahiba Gafarova
Samir Nuriyev
Eldar Azizov
Farah Aliyeva
Adil Karimli
Ramin Mammadov
Polad Bulbuloglu
Anar Rzayev
Haji Ismayilov
Shafika Mammadova
Lyudmila Dukhovnaya"
