Mir-Ali Mir-Kasimov

Miralasgar Mirgasimov (; 9 February 1924 in Baku – 9 November 2003 in Baku) was an Azerbaijani and Soviet sculptor, member of the Union of Artists of Azerbaijan, professor, Honoured Art Worker of the Azerbaijan SSR, and People' Artist of the Azerbaijan SSR. He is the son of the first president of the Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences, Mirasadulla Mirgasimov.

Miralasgar is the first Azerbaijani sculptor who received a full specialized higher education. In 1944, he graduated with honours from the Azerbaijan Art School, and in 1951 - from the Repin Institute. He is the author of the monuments to Jafar Jabbarli (Baku), Nariman Narimanov (Sumgayit), Jalil Mammadguluzade (Nakhchivan). Some of Mirgasimovs works, such as the "Portrait of an Oilman", the "Portrait of a Girl", the"Girl with a Dove", are exhibited at the National Art Museum of Azerbaijan in Baku.

He participated in world exhibitions, including the 1967 World Exhibition in Montreal. Mirgasimovs works were also exhibited in Russia, Poland, Bulgaria, Germany, Egypt, and other countries. He was awarded with various orders and medals, including the Shohrat Order of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Biography Childhood and youth

Miralasgar Mirgasimov was born on 9 February 1924 in Baku in the family of the doctor Mirasadulla Mirgasimov and his wife Jeyran khanim. The family had four more children. Miralasgar was the second child. Since childhood, everyone called him Alik. When Miralasgar was six years old, he experienced an epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis. Later he recovered, but soon, as a result of the atrophy of the auditory nerve, the little Miralasgar completely lost his hearing ability.

It was impossible to return the child's hearing at that time. Miralasgar's father, Mirasadulla Mirgasimov, also understood this. Despite the risk of the speech loss, thanks to his mother, who constantly communicated with her son and, using a special method she had invented, she has taught her son the alphabet, abandoning the ABC book for the deaf and dumb, consequently Miralasgar did not become dumb, therefore Miralasgar was not sent to a special school for the deaf. Soon Miralasgar learned to read, and his mother continued his education according to the method of teaching literacy and reading by the lips and the face expression of the speaker proposed by the Moscow speech therapist Natalya Rau. Miralasgar has mastered this technique well.

Miralasgar's mother, later in her book "The notes of a Mother", which she dedicated to her son, wrote about him: Miralasgar Mirgasimov was also tested by M.Gerasimov. Soon, special classes began with the boy at the Azerbaijan Art School. Mirgasimov worked a lot in Baku. One of his sculptural works entitled "The portrait of a Girl", carved in marble, was especially popular. Before Mirgasimov, none of the Azerbaijani sculptors worked with stone. Taking part with this work in the frame of the republican and Transcaucasian exhibitions, Mirgasimov also presented this sculpture at the all-Union exhibition, and then at the 5th World Youth Festival in Warsaw, becoming the first Azerbaijani sculptor to win an international competition. by Mirgasimov who also made a speech at the ceremony. This monument is considered one of the most famous works of the sculptor.

The last years of life In 1994, Miralasgar Mirgasimov had a severe stroke and was paralyzed, but soon recovered. Even then, it was difficult for him to work. The sculptor's eyesight deteriorated, speech was difficult, his hands did not obey. Despite this, Mirgasimov continued to create.

Miralasgar Mirgasimov was awarded various orders and medals, as well as the Order of Glory of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The artist's dream was to create the image of Koroglu and the sculpture of the sea.

The last decades of his life, Miralasgar Mirgasimov spent together with his family in a house located on Nariman Narimanov Avenue in Baku. The sculptor died on 9 November 2003.