Tofig Kocharli

Tofig Kocharli was born on February 11, 1929, in İsalı village of Gadabay District, Azerbaijan SSR. After finishing secondary school, he entered Azerbaijan State University in 1945. While in university, due to good grades, Kocharli skipped his 2nd year right to the 3rd year, and graduated with Bachelor's degree in History in 1950. In 1951-1952, he finished his doctoral studies receiving Ph.D. in History from Moscow State University within a year and a half. At age 36, he was the youngest PhD in Azerbaijan SSR.[1] In 1950-1951, Kocharli worked as a teacher in Quba Pedagogical Institute, in 1952-1953 as the dean in Aghdam Pedagogical Institute, in 1953-1956 as a professor and docent in Ganja Pedagogical University.[2]

From 1957 until 1965, he was the senior scientific researcher at Communist Party History Institute under Azerbaijan Central Committee of the Communist Party. In 1965, he was appointed dean of Baku Higher Party School and in June 1972 - its rector. In 1990-1991, he worked as the senior lecturer at the same school.[1] Since 1981, Kocharli was a correspondent member and from 1989, permanent member of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences.[3][4] In 1993-2001, he served as the scientific researcher of Social Political Research Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan and from 2002 until his death in 2007 he was the senior scientific researcher of the Archeology and Ethnography Institute of the academy.[2] Kocharli has extensively researched issues related to the history of Azerbaijan and published many books, monographs, over 120 scientific articles on the subject. Four of his books were published abroad.[5] Among his contributions is research on Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, Karabakh and Nakhchivan. He served as deputy to Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan SSR and was a member of Azerbaijan National Council in 1992. He was also a member of Azerbaijan parliamentary commission for investigation of Black January massacre.[6] He has been awarded with Order of the Red Banner of Labour and many other medals and orders of the Soviet Union and Azerbaijan.[2]

In 2009 a book "Ruhla söhbət" (in Russian, translated "Open Conversation") was written by Professor Rafig Aliyev about the life and contributions of Tofig Kocharli. Most of the information was from his memoirs and his daughter Irada Kocharli.[7] He left behind 6 children and 12 grandchildren.[1]