Shafiga Mammadova

Shafiga Mammadova was born on March 30, 1945, in the city of Derbent, Dagestan. She graduated from the Musical Comedy Acting Faculty of the Azerbaijan State Theatre Institute (1968). She joined the company of the Azerbaijan National Drama Theatre in 1968. The actress has created captivating stage portrayals in the tragedies William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" (Gertrude), Alexander Shirvanzade's "The Ill-Fated Girl" (Sona), Leo Tolstoy's "The Living Corpse" (Masha), Chingiz Aitmatov's "Mother Earth" (Jenshengul's wife), Huseyn Javid's "Khayyam" (Sevda), Jalil Mammadguluzade's "The Madmen's Assembly" (Pirpiz Sona), Friedrich Schiller's "Intrigue and Love" (Lady Milford), and Eugene O'Neill's "Gold" (Susan); in the lyrical-psychological dramas Ilyas Afandiyev's "The Voice from the Gardens" (Gulcan), "My Fault" (Nurjahan), and "Destroyed Diaries" (Anjel), Bakhtiyar Vahabzade's "After the Rain" (Nihal), and Imran Gasimov's "When the Tale Begins" (Tahira); and in the plays Mirza Ibrahimov's "The Comedy of Man, or Don Juan" (Teodora), Maxim Gorky's "The Petty Bourgeois" (Elena Nikolayevna), Samad Vurgun's "Man" (Natasha), Racho Stoyanov's "Jealous Hearts" (Milkana), Jafar Jabbarli's "Aydin" (Gultakin), Nikolai Pogodin's "The Verdict of Time" (Irina), and Akram Aylisli's "The Flat Hill" (Bayaz). At the height of her career, in 1980, the actress stepped away from the theatre due to family responsibilities and began a teaching career at the Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts (formerly the Theatre Institute). Shafiga Mammadova has appeared in the feature films "Garaja Gyz" (the girl), "Dede Gorgud" (Burla Khatun), "The Investigation" (Gulya), "Our Teacher Jabish" (Jabish's wife), "Birthday" (Farida), and "On the Trail of the Caravaners" (Sariya). She served as a deputy of the First Convocation of the Milli Majlis (National Assembly) of the Republic of Azerbaijan (1995–2000). In 2012 she was elected the first chairperson of the newly established Union of Cinematographers of the Republic of Azerbaijan. In December 2022 she was unanimously re-elected chairperson of its Board. By Order of President Ilham Aliyev dated March 29, 2025, Shafiga Mammadova was awarded the Order of "Istiglal" (Independence) for her great services to the development of Azerbaijani culture. The order was presented to her that same day by President Ilham Aliyev.