May 16 marks the birthday of Azerbaijan's People's Artist Arif Guliyev.
He was born in 1950 in Shirvan city.
In 1965, he entered the Faculty of Drama and Film Acting at the Baku Cultural and Educational College.
After graduating in 1968, he was assigned to the Mingachevir State Drama Theatre.
In 1973, he enrolled in the Faculty of Musical Comedy Acting at the Azerbaijan State Institute of Arts, and in 1975 was invited to the Musical Comedy Theatre.
He created many memorable characters on stage, including Sherbeteli, Salyanski, Ali, Dursun, Mursel, Ibishov, Dursunov, Tofig, Hambal, Mirzagulu, and Sebzeli.
He also acted in TV plays such as Shans, Gayinana, Lift Ehvalati, and Evleri Kondelen Yar.
Guliyev worked at the Yerevan State Azerbaijan Drama Theatre and from 1988 served as artistic director of the Private Satire Theatre.
He received the Republican Youth Award in 1982, Honored Artist title in 1989, and Humay Award in 1993.
In 1993, he was invited to the National Drama Theatre and was awarded the title of People's Artist the same year.
He was honored with the Golden Dervish Award in 2006, Zirve Award in 2012, and Senetkar Medal in 2014.
Arif Guliyev died on May 7, 2021 due to COVID-19. He was buried in Gurd Gapisi cemetery.
