Zardabi, Gasanbek

(also Gasanbek Melikov Zardabi). Born Nov. 12 (24), 1837, in the village of Zardob; died there Nov. 15 (28), 1907. Azerbaijani public figure and journalist.

Zardabi graduated from the department of natural sciences and mathematics of Moscow University. He worked as a teacher in Baku. In 1873, together with N. Vezirov, he ar-ranged a production of M. F. Akhundov’s play The Miser’s Adventure, which marked the beginning of the Azerbaijani national theater. Zardabi published Ekinchi (The Plowman, 1875-77), the first enlightened, democratic Azerbaijani-language newspaper, whose contributors included such writers as M. F. Akhundov, S. A. Shirvani, and N. Vezirov. Advocating realism in literature, Zardabi came out against religious and mystical poetry in his articles.