In December 2025, Azerbaijan marked the 110th anniversary of the birth of Rashid Behbudov, one of the country’s most prominent figures in music. To commemorate this significant occasion, the «The Color of Voice» exhibition dedicated to Rashid Behbudov was held at the Azerbaijan National Art Museum with the support of ABB Bank.
The event was attended by Minister of Culture Adil Karimli, Chairman of ABB Bank’s Management Board Abbas Ibrahimov, members of the Milli Majlis, and prominent figures in Azerbaijan’s culture and arts. The exhibition featured artworks dedicated to Rashid Behbudov by artists from different countries around the world.
One of the most notable works presented at the exhibition was the famous portrait of Rashid Behbudov that was lost in Shusha in 1992. The painting “Rashid Behbudov”, created in 1975 by People’s Artist of Azerbaijan Asaf Jafarov, was considered one of the gems of Azerbaijani fine art. The portrait was created in celebration of Rashid Behbudov’s 60th anniversary and was donated to the Shusha Art Gallery in 1982, when the gallery was opened in the artist’s homeland — Shusha. The artwork was displayed as part of the gallery’s permanent exhibition.
Unfortunately, during the occupation of Shusha in 1992, the “Rashid Behbudov” portrait, along with many other cultural treasures of Azerbaijan, was looted and disappeared. Efforts to locate the artwork did not produce any results.
This year, in honour of the 110th anniversary of the unforgettable artist’s birth, Azerbaijani Honored Artist Natiq Safarov recreated the “Rashid Behbudov” portrait in its original form on the initiative of ABB Bank. ABB Bank will donate the recreated artwork to the Shusha Art Gallery, which was restored with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.
Chairman of ABB Bank’s Management Board Abbas Ibrahimov said:
“This is not simply a recreated painting. It is a value brought back to life through memories, archives and recollections. Current and future generations will view this artwork as a living example of our historical memory.”
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