On February 14, 2022, Vahid Jalal oglu Hajiyev, prominent geobotanical scientist, honored scientist, Doctor of Biological Sciences, professor, laureate of the “Glory” Order, active member of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences and who headed the Institute of Botany of ANAS for 20 years from 1988 to 2008 turns out 94 years old.

V.J. Hajiyev was born in 1928 in Shusha, a charming corner of Azerbaijan. After graduating from secondary school in Tartar in 1943, he entered the Azerbaijan State Agricultural Institute in Ganja.

His desire to continue his scientific research led him to graduate post graduate programmein 1949 at the Institute of Botany named after V.L. Komarov of the former USSR Academy of Sciences in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg). Here he thoroughly studied the theoretical problems of geobotany and successfully defended his PhD thesis on “Drought-resistant legumes and opportunities for their use in winter pastures in Azerbaijan” under the scientific guidance of the famous florist, doctor of sciences in botany, professor Y.G. Bobrov and returned to Azerbaijan. Realizing that the geobotanical study of high mountain meadows in the territory of Republic is very poor and at low level, V.J. Hajiyev decides to fundamentally study and develop just this field of geobotany. Intense scientific searches are bearing fruit. In 1996, he successfully defended the doctoral dissertation on “High mountainous vegetation of the Greater Caucasus (within Az. USSR), its dynamics and economic significance.

V.J. Hajiyev’s scientific-organizational activity was multi-staged. In 1952-1957, he worked as junior and then senior researcher at the Institute of Botany of Azerbaijan AS. Given his excellent organizational skills at a young age, he was assigned to actas director of the Botanical Garden in 1957-1958. Known as the only specialist on grassland science and wide-range researcher, V.J. Hajiyev was appointed director of the Research Institute of Fodder Crops and Pastures by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Azerbaijan on condition that he remain the head of the Geobotany Department which he founded at the Institute of Botany in 1972-1973. Vahid Hajiyev worked as Deputy Director for Scientific Affairs of the Institute of Botany of the Academy of Sciences of the Azerbaijan SSR in 1958-1972 and then in 1978-1988. Many years of work in the same position and paying special attention to the comrepehsive development of botanical science in the Republic gave grounds to characterize V.J.Hajiyev as a capable and good scientific organizer. The scientific level of scientist, his excellent organizational skills did not escape the attention of the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences, which promoted him to the position of director of the Institute in 1988. During his tenure, the research work carried out at the Institute became more modern, which in turn necessitated the opening of laboratories for new specialties.The map “Vegetation of Azerbaijan”, revised in 1992 under the leadership and with the direct participation of the academician and published in Russian and English in the following years, is a complete mirror of the vegetation of the republic.

Wide scientific researches of V.J. Hajiyev covered the classification area of the plants. He gave scientific description of 84 species belonging to 5 families, 25 genera for volumes V-VIII  of 8-volume “Flora of Azerbaijan” where he is one of the authors. Inthe book “Red Book of Azerbaijan”, which was compiled and publishedin 1989 as a result of the joint efforts of the team and covered 140 plants of rare, relict, endemic species of Azerbaijani flora, V.J. Hajiyev gave practical proposals for the distribution and protection of these plants.

V.J. Hajiyev is the author of more than 350 scientific works published in our republic, as well as in the former Soviet Union and other foreign countries, including 7 monographs, scientific editor of more than 30 books on flora, vegetation and plant resources, as well as textbooks and terminological dictionaries.

For his scientific achievements, V.J. Hajiyev became a professor in 1970, corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of the Azerbaijan SSR in 1983, active member (academician) of the Academy of Sciences of the Azerbaijan SSR in 1989.

Academician V.J. Hajiyev’s merits were highly appreciated by the state and was awarded the “Glory”, “Badge of Honor” orders, the “Labor Veteran” medal, the Honorary Decree of the Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as 1 gold and 2 silver medals of the ENEA (Exhibition of National Economy Achievements). Academician V.J. Hajiyev had been repeatedly awarded “Honorary Decrees” of a number of international scientific organizations and medals established in the name of prominent scientists for his intensive scientific and public activities.

The memory of academician Vahid Hajiyev lives forever in the hearts of his students.

Rest in peace!

Academician Vahid Hajiyev’s student, General Director of the Institute of Botany of ANAS, Doctor of Biological Sciences, professor Sayyara Jamshid gizi Ibadullayeva