ALISOHBAT SUMBAT SUMBATZADE (1907–1992) Historian

Alisohbat Sumbatzade was born in 1907. He graduated from Baku Teachers` Seminary. From 1926 to 1930, he studied history and ethnography at Azerbaijan State University, Faculty of Oriental Studies. From 1926 to 1957, he worked at higher schools as well as the Institute of History and Philosophy, Academy of Sciences, Azerbaijan SSR. He defended a PhD thesis in 1930, achieving a ScD degree in 1948 and professorship in 1954. In 1955, he was elected a corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences, Azerbaijan SSR, becoming its full member in 1958. From 1957 to 1959, Alisohbat Sumbatzade served as vice-president of the Academy of Sciences, Azerbaijan SSR, from 1959 to 1963 as department head at the Institute of Economy, from 1963 to 1969 as director of the Institute of Near and Middle East Countries, from 1970 to 1972 as director of the Institute of History, from 1970 to 1981 as academic secretary at the Department of Public Sciences, Azerbaijan SSR Academy of Sciences, and from 1982 to 1992 as department head at Public Sciences Data Center. Having studied extensively socio-economic history of Azerbaijan in early 19th-20th centuries, he was the author and editor of a number of books and works, including “History of Azerbaijan”, “History of the USSR”, “Economic Development of Soviet Azerbaijan at the Modern Stage”, “Soviet Historical Science in 1975–1979”, and “Ethnogenesis of the Azerbaijani People”. Academician Sumbatzade gave lectures at the Faculty of History, Azerbaijan State University, and considerably contributed to the preparation of highly-skilled specialists and establishment of the Department of General History. He sat on problem commissions addressing the emergence of capitalism in the territory of the USSR, and was a member of the department of history at the Committee granting Lenin orders in the fields of science and technology, and also a member of the senior editorial board of “History of the USSR” 12-volume book. He gave papers at numerous all-union and international conferences, symposia and congresses. At the 12th congress of the Azerbaijan Communist Party, his candidacy was put forward for the membership of the Central Committee. From 1959 to 1963, Alisohbat Sumbatzade was a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan SSR (5th convocation) and member of its Presidium. He was the recipient of the “Order of Red Labor Flag” and a number of medals. He was the recipient of “Merited Scientist” title of Azerbaijan SSR.