The Azerbaijani cultural community has suffered a great loss. A prominent representative of Azerbaijani theatre, Chief Director of the S. Vurgun Azerbaijan State Academic Russian Drama Theatre, recipient of an individual pension from the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, People's Artist Aleksandr Yakovlevich Sharovsky passed away on September 9, 2026, in the 79th year of his life.
Aleksandr Sharovsky was born in Baku on February 10, 1948. After graduating from secondary school, he received higher education at the Faculty of English Language and Literature of the Azerbaijan Pedagogical Institute of Foreign Languages from 1968 to 1973. Aleksandr Sharovsky began his professional career at the Azerbaijan State Young Spectators Theatre while he was still a student.
Devoting his life to theatre, he worked at the S. Vurgun Azerbaijan State Academic Russian Drama Theatre for half a century from 1976, serving as an actor, assistant director and stage director, and as chief director from 1993. Aleksandr Sharovsky made a significant contribution to the achievements of Azerbaijani theatre as an artist who skillfully drew on the classical traditions of theatre as well as contemporary trends in its development.
He created characters distinguished by their naturalness on the theatre stage. As a director, through his extensive creative work and artistic searches, he staged numerous valuable works from Azerbaijani and world dramatic literature. Many of these productions stood out for their strong stage interpretations and were warmly received by the theatre community.
These productions were also successfully performed at prestigious theatres outside the country, contributing to the promotion of Azerbaijani culture. Aleksandr Sharovsky was also known for his extensive public activities. 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 devoted all his efforts to bringing the realities of Azerbaijan to the attention of the international community and preserving multicultural values in the country.
Aleksandr Sharovsky's services to the development of Azerbaijani culture were duly recognised by the state. He was awarded the honorary titles of Honored Artist (1987) and People's Artist (1998), as well as the Shohrat (Glory) Order (2008), the Sharaf (Honour) Order (2018), among the highest state awards of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and the Honorary Diploma of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan (2023). The cherished memory of Aleksandr Yakovlevich Sharovsky, a renowned artist and public figure, as well as a sincere and kind person, will forever live in the hearts of those who knew him.
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