Celal Kasımov, Edebi Mahkemeler

Abstract

Prof. Dr. Celal Kasımov’s book Edebi Mahkemeler (Literary Courts) is an in-depth study of the literary and cultural pressures applied in Azerbaijan during the Soviet era. The book reveals, through archival documents, how Soviet authorities used literary works as ideological tools in their efforts to erase national identities. The repressions, exiles, and control over literature during the Lenin and Stalin periods are thoroughly analyzed. The book discusses the literary courts that judged the characters of works such as M. Celil’s Ölüler (The Dead), C. Cabbarlı’s Aydın and H. Cavid’s Şeyh Sanan (Sheikh Sanan). Additionally, the trial of Azerbaijan’s national musical instrument, the tar, is examined. The Edebi Mahkemeler (Literary Courts) book aims to document the impact of the Soviet regime on Azerbaijani literature and culture.