Azernashr

Azernashr, also written Azərnəşr, is a major Azerbaijani publishing house headquartered in Baku. It is the official state publishing house of Azerbaijan and has played a central role in the country’s educational, literary, cultural, and political publishing systems for more than a century. Its origins lie in the centralization of publishing after the establishment of Soviet rule in Azerbaijan. On 9 June 1920, Nariman Narimanov, then chairman of Azerbaijan’s Revolutionary Committee, signed a decree creating the Press and State Publishing Department, known as Azərmərkəzimətbuat, under the People’s Commissariat for Education. The organization was charged with bringing state, party, and public publishing activities under a coordinated structure, with scientific-popular works and school textbooks identified as early priorities. Ağababa Yusifzadə is identified in Azerbaijani historical accounts as the department’s first director. The publishing operation began under the Azərnəşr name during the 1920s and is generally dated to 1923 in accounts of the publisher’s operating history. During its formative period, Azernashr helped establish editorial practices, publishing categories, and book-design conventions in Azerbaijan. Its early output included textbooks, children’s books, fiction, propaganda literature, academic works, and translations. Archival figures cited in historical accounts state that more than 5,600 titles were issued in Azerbaijani and Russian between 1923 and 1933, with total circulation approaching 20 million copies. The organization also developed a substantial translation function, publishing Azerbaijani versions of works from world literature and employing or collaborating with prominent writers, editors, and translators. Among the cultural figures associated with its work were Ahmed Javad, Yusif Vazir Chamanzaminli, Jafar Jabbarly, Mammed Said Ordubadi, Nigar Rafibeyli, Omar Faig Nemanzadeh, and Vəli Xuluflu. Azernashr’s institutional importance was reinforced by its long association with Baku’s Press Palace. Construction of the building began on 8 November 1927, and it opened in 1933. The building housed Azernashr and other publishing and printing organizations for decades. Azernashr remained there until 1995, when it and several other state publishing and printing bodies were relocated. The Press Palace later became associated with Bank Standard and subsequently remained vacant after the bank’s closure. Journalists and cultural figures have periodically argued that the building should be returned to publishing and media use, citing its historical role and its connection with Azernashr. For much of the Soviet period, Azernashr was one of the country’s leading publishing institutions and at times accounted for a substantial share of Azerbaijan’s book production. Its output expanded particularly during the 1970s, when major works of fiction, scholarship, educational literature, and translated classics were issued. In 1975, the publisher’s fiftieth anniversary was marked at state level, and it became the first publishing house in the Soviet Union to receive the Order of Friendship of Peoples. Azernashr continued operating after Azerbaijan’s independence and broadened its focus to include Azerbaijani history, national identity, political thought, and international-language publications. It secretly issued a Russian-language edition of Qara Yanvar (Black January) in 1990, documenting the January 20 tragedy shortly after the events. In the post-Soviet era it also published multilingual works presenting Azerbaijan’s position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and related historical disputes. Since 2001, the publisher has operated under Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Culture. Beginning in 2008, it undertook publication of the multi-volume İnkişaf — Məqsədimizdir (Development Is Our Goal) series concerning the political activities of President Ilham Aliyev; reference material states that 146 volumes had been prepared by 2025. The publisher’s contemporary catalogue includes Azerbaijani-language literature, textbooks, scholarly and historical studies, translations, children’s books, and works concerning Karabakh, Shusha, cultural heritage, and the memory of fallen soldiers. Although Azerbaijani is its principal language, Azernashr has also published in Russian, English, French, and other major languages, as well as minority languages spoken in Azerbaijan, including Talysh, Tat, Lezgi, Kurdish, Udi, and Khinalug. Its role is therefore broader than that of a commercial imprint: it functions as a state-supported mechanism for education, cultural preservation, literary circulation, and the dissemination of official historical and political narratives.

Azernashr’s institutional predecessor was created during the consolidation of Soviet authority in Azerbaijan. On 9 June 1920, Nariman Narimanov signed Decree No. 40 establishing the Press and State Publishing Department, Azərmərkəzimətbuat, within the People’s Commissariat for Education. The decree sought to centralize publishing by state, party, and public bodies and emphasized textbooks and scientific-popular literature. Ağababa Yusifzadə served as the first director. The organization later developed into the publishing house known as Azərnəşr, whose operating history is commonly dated from 1923, with the name established during the mid-1920s. In its first decade, Azernashr became a principal producer of schoolbooks, children’s literature, fiction, political works, academic titles, and translations. Historical accounts report more than 5,600 titles and almost 20 million copies in Azerbaijani and Russian between 1923 and 1933. The publisher helped shape Azerbaijan’s editorial standards, book formats, and visual design. Its translation department connected Azerbaijani readers with world literature and involved leading writers and translators, including Ahmed Javad, Yusif Vazir Chamanzaminli, Jafar Jabbarly, Mammed Said Ordubadi, and Nigar Rafibeyli. Other prominent literary and intellectual figures, such as Omar Faig Nemanzadeh and Vəli Xuluflu, also worked with the institution in different roles. The Press Palace became the publisher’s best-known physical setting. Construction started in central Baku on 8 November 1927, and the building opened in 1933. It housed Azernashr alongside other publishing and printing organizations until 1995. The building was later assigned to Bank Standard and remained unused after the bank closed. Because of its architectural and cultural significance, journalists and cultural advocates have periodically called for the Press Palace to resume its original publishing and media function. Throughout the Soviet period, Azernashr was a dominant part of Azerbaijan’s book-production infrastructure. Its activity expanded during the 1970s, when it issued fiction, scholarship, educational works, and translated classics on a large scale. The publisher’s fiftieth anniversary was celebrated in 1975, when it also became the first Soviet publishing house to receive the Order of Friendship of Peoples. Azernashr continued after independence and increasingly published works concerning Azerbaijani history, national identity, political thought, and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. In 1990 it secretly issued Qara Yanvar, a Russian-language account of the January 20 tragedy. After independence it produced multilingual studies presenting Azerbaijan’s position in historical and political disputes, including a 2015 series of 17 books in four languages by international scholars. From 2001 onward it operated under the Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan. Beginning in 2008, it published the İnkişaf — Məqsədimizdir series on President Ilham Aliyev’s political activities; reference material records 146 prepared volumes by 2025. In the period after the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, Azernashr intensified publication of works about Karabakh’s claimed liberation, fallen soldiers, Shusha, and regional cultural heritage. Its catalogue also extends beyond Azerbaijani to Russian, English, French, and minority languages including Talysh, Tat, Lezgi, Kurdish, Udi, and Khinalug. The publisher remains an important state-supported channel for education, literature, translation, historical interpretation, and cultural communication in Azerbaijan.

• 2025

  Centenary-era focus on institutional heritage

  [1]Azernashren.wikipedia.org

  The publisher’s centenary period intensified public calls for the historic Press Palace to be restored to publishing and media use.

• 2008

  Launch of the Development Is Our Goal series

  [1]Azernashren.wikipedia.org

  The publisher began issuing the multi-volume İnkişaf — Məqsədimizdir series concerning President Ilham Aliyev’s political activities.

• 2001

  Placed under the Ministry of Culture

  [1]Azernashren.wikipedia.org

  Azernashr began operating under Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Culture after a period as an independent state enterprise.

• 1995

  Relocation from the Press Palace

  [1]Azernashren.wikipedia.org

  Azernashr and several other state publishing and printing organizations moved out of the historic Press Palace and subsequently operated from a smaller facility on Mehdi Hüseyn Street.

• 1990

  Secret publication of Qara Yanvar

  [1]Azernashren.wikipedia.org

  Azernashr secretly released a Russian-language book documenting the January 20 tragedy, also known as Black January.

• 1975

  Fiftieth anniversary and Order of Friendship of Peoples

  [1]Azernashren.wikipedia.org

  Azernashr’s fiftieth anniversary was marked at state level, and it became the first Soviet publishing house to receive the Order of Friendship of Peoples.

• 1933

  Press Palace opens

  [1]Azernashren.wikipedia.org

  The Press Palace opened and housed Azernashr and other publishing and printing bodies for decades.

• 1927

  Construction of the Press Palace begins

  [1]Azernashren.wikipedia.org

  Construction began on the Baku Press Palace, which later became Azernashr’s principal home and a major publishing center.

• 1923

  Azernashr begins operating

  [1]Azernashren.wikipedia.org

  Azernashr’s operating history is generally dated to 1923, during the development of Azerbaijan’s centralized state publishing system.

• 1920

  Centralized state publishing department established

  [1]Azernashren.wikipedia.org

  Nariman Narimanov signed the decree creating Azərmərkəzimətbuat, the Press and State Publishing Department that provided the institutional foundation for the later Azernashr.

A state publishing institution focused on Azerbaijani-language literature, education, cultural preservation, translation, national history, and official public-affairs publishing.

• Education publishing

  School textbooks and educational materials

  Educational publishing was an original priority of Azerbaijan’s centralized state publishing system. Azernashr has produced school textbooks, scientific-popular works, and other instructional materials as part of its long-standing public educational role.

• Literature

  Azerbaijani literary publications

  The publisher’s literary output includes fiction, children’s literature, works by Azerbaijani authors, and editions connected with the country’s literary heritage. Literature has remained one of Azernashr’s principal areas since its formative period.

• Translation publishing

  Translated world literature

  Azernashr has maintained a translation function through which works of world literature have been made available in Azerbaijani. It has also published in Russian, English, French, and other languages, supporting international and cross-cultural literary circulation.

• Political and public-affairs publishing · 2008

  İnkişaf — Məqsədimizdir

  This multi-volume series, whose title translates as Development Is Our Goal, documents the political activities of President Ilham Aliyev. Publication began in 2008, and reference material states that 146 volumes had been prepared by 2025.

• History and cultural heritage

  Karabakh and Shusha publications

  Azernashr publishes studies and commemorative works concerning Karabakh, Shusha, regional cultural heritage, the postwar period, and fallen Azerbaijani soldiers. These publications form an important part of its contemporary national-history and public-memory output.

• Language and cultural publishing

  Minority-language publications

  In addition to Azerbaijani and major international languages, the publisher has issued works in minority languages spoken in Azerbaijan, including Talysh, Tat, Lezgi, Kurdish, Udi, and Khinalug.

• 2020

  Expansion of postwar Karabakh publishingStrategy

  Background

  Azerbaijan’s victory in the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War created increased demand for publications about the conflict, territory, cultural heritage, and wartime memory.

  Action taken

  Azernashr intensified publication of works on Karabakh, Shusha, cultural heritage, and fallen soldiers.

  Aftermath

  Conflict-related history, commemoration, and cultural-heritage titles became a more prominent part of the publisher’s contemporary output.

  Source

• 2008

  Launch of the Development Is Our Goal seriesOther

  Background

  The publisher expanded its public-affairs and political publishing activity during the post-Soviet period.

  Action taken

  Azernashr began issuing the multi-volume İnkişaf — Məqsədimizdir series about President Ilham Aliyev’s political activities.

  Aftermath

  The series continued to expand and was reported to have reached 146 prepared volumes by 2025.

  Source

• 2001

  Operation under the Ministry of CultureStrategy

  Background

  After operating as an independent state enterprise, Azernashr entered a structure in which it operated under Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Culture.

  Action taken

  The publisher continued its publishing activities within the ministry’s oversight.

  Aftermath

  Azernashr remained a state-supported publishing institution serving educational, literary, cultural, and public-affairs functions.

  Source

1. 1Azernashren.wikipedia.org