Authors

Gunay Garayeva¹;  ¹ Institute of Literature, ANA (Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences), Azerbaidjan

Discussion

This paper explores the ideological transformation of mythological models and symbols in Soviet-era Azerbaijani poetry from the 1920s to the 1950s, highlighting the Soviet influence on symbolic expression and cultural identity. During this period, deeply ingrained symbols in the Azerbaijani collective consciousness—such as red (in crimson and golden hues), spring, hawk, falcon, raven, and the “div” (mythological creature)—were adapted to align with Soviet ideological frameworks. Themes of collective hope, faith in a prosperous future, and shifts in societal consciousness introduced new interpretations and character archetypes, reflecting Soviet ideals.
In Soviet Azerbaijani poetry, mythological motifs and images were recontextualized, as traditional symbols from Turkish mythology and folklore, including gold, hawk, falcon, spring, and sun, were detached from their original meanings and presented in new ideological narratives. Concurrently, the realities of Soviet life and propaganda fostered the development of novel mythological symbols, incorporating figures, objects, and places—such as Lenin, and Red Square—as cultural and ideological icons.
Following the 1930s, mythology itself transformed into a social mechanism, with literary heroes replaced by ideological figures and sacred spaces (e.g., Mecca and Medina) symbolically supplanted by Soviet spaces, notably Red Square. This paper examines the transformation of mythological models and symbolic systems in Soviet Azerbaijani poetry, analyzing their impact on poetic thought, identity, and cultural expression under Soviet ideological constraints.
Keywords: Soviet ideology, Azerbaijani poetry, symbolism, mythological transformation, cultural identity