Enver Nazimovich Mamedov
Encyclopedia
Enver Nazim oglu Mammadov (Azeri
: Ənvər Məmməd oğlu Məmmədov; born 15 August 1923 in Baku
, Azerbaijan
), is a former Soviet diplomat and a mass media manager. During his career, spent mostly in Russia and the West, he was primarily known under the Russianized form of his name, Enver Nazimovich Mamedov , or just Enver Mamedov.
, and he occasionally used it as his pen name during his media career.
After graduating from high school in Baku
, Azerbaijan
with the "excellent" grades in all subjects (including the Azeri and German
languages), in June 1941, Enver Mammadov joined a figher pilot school. After Hitler's invasion of the USSR in 1941, Enver asked to be sent to the front line, but was instead sent to be trained as a military translator at a GRU
school.
After seeing some action first as a Sr. Sergeant, later as a Sr. Lieutenant, at the Soviet Union's Caucasus Front, Mammadov was sent to work with the USSR Commissariat for Foreign Affairs, where he was posted to the Soviet embassy in Italy
as the press secretary. According to Mammadov himself, he was probably selected to that position because he spoke Italian, in addition to German, English, and French.
After the end of the war, Mammadov participated in the Nuremberg Trials
, as one of the handlers of the Soviet prosecutors' star witness, Field Marshal Friedrich Paulus
.
In the late 1950s, Mammadov edited the USSR magazine
: a Soviet English-language journal for the US audience - the Soviet counterpart of the Amerika
magazine, - and visited the US on a number of public relations missions.
Enver Mammadov was appointed the Deputy Chairman of the State Committee for Radio and Television
in 1962, and occupied this post from the late days of Nikita Khrushchev
administration and throughout the Leonid Brezhnev
era. Together with Alexander Yakovlev
, he is credited with the creation in August 1964 of Radio Mayak
, a national news and music radio broadcasting channel meant to compete with the Western radio stations broadcasting to Russia. From 1970 to 1985 he was directly in charge of Soviet television, being second in command to the Gosteleradio chief
Sergey Lapin.
At the time of his 85th birthday in 2008, Enver Mammadov still was an adviser to the Director General of RIA Novosti.
.
Azerbaijani language
Azerbaijani or Azeri or Torki is a language belonging to the Turkic language family, spoken in southwestern Asia by the Azerbaijani people, primarily in Azerbaijan and northwestern Iran...
: Ənvər Məmməd oğlu Məmmədov; born 15 August 1923 in Baku
Baku
Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...
, Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
), is a former Soviet diplomat and a mass media manager. During his career, spent mostly in Russia and the West, he was primarily known under the Russianized form of his name, Enver Nazimovich Mamedov , or just Enver Mamedov.
Early life
Enver Mammadov's mother's maiden name was IvanovIvanov
Ivanov may refer to one of the following:*Ivanov , list of real people with this last nameFictional characters*D. D. Ivanov, a fictional character in the Macross universe...
, and he occasionally used it as his pen name during his media career.
After graduating from high school in Baku
Baku
Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...
, Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
with the "excellent" grades in all subjects (including the Azeri and German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
languages), in June 1941, Enver Mammadov joined a figher pilot school. After Hitler's invasion of the USSR in 1941, Enver asked to be sent to the front line, but was instead sent to be trained as a military translator at a GRU
GRU
GRU or Glavnoye Razvedyvatel'noye Upravleniye is the foreign military intelligence directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation...
school.
After seeing some action first as a Sr. Sergeant, later as a Sr. Lieutenant, at the Soviet Union's Caucasus Front, Mammadov was sent to work with the USSR Commissariat for Foreign Affairs, where he was posted to the Soviet embassy in Italy
Italy–Russia relations
Italy–Russia relations refers to bilateral foreign relations between the two countries, Italy and Russia. Russia has an embassy in Rome and consulates in Genoa, Milan and Palermo, and Italy has an embassy in Moscow, a consulate in Saint Petersburg, two consulte generals , and two embassy branches in...
as the press secretary. According to Mammadov himself, he was probably selected to that position because he spoke Italian, in addition to German, English, and French.
After the end of the war, Mammadov participated in the Nuremberg Trials
Nuremberg Trials
The Nuremberg Trials were a series of military tribunals, held by the victorious Allied forces of World War II, most notable for the prosecution of prominent members of the political, military, and economic leadership of the defeated Nazi Germany....
, as one of the handlers of the Soviet prosecutors' star witness, Field Marshal Friedrich Paulus
Friedrich Paulus
Friedrich Wilhelm Ernst Paulus was an officer in the German military from 1910 to 1945. He attained the rank of Generalfeldmarschall during World War II, and is best known for having commanded the Sixth Army's assault on Stalingrad during Operation Blue in 1942...
.
The nation's publicist
Since ca. 1950, and for the rest of his life, Mammadov was working in Soviet mass media. In 1950-56 he was one of the officials in charge of the Soviet radio broadcasting to the UK, US, and Latin America.In the late 1950s, Mammadov edited the USSR magazine
Russian Life
Russian Life, previously known as The USSR and Soviet Life, is a 64-page color bimonthly magazine of Russian culture. It celebrated its 50th birthday in October 2006. The magazine is written and edited by American and Russian staffers and freelancers...
: a Soviet English-language journal for the US audience - the Soviet counterpart of the Amerika
Amerika (magazine)
Amerika was a Russian language magazine published by the United States Department of State during the Cold War for distribution in the Soviet Union. It was intended to inform Soviet citizens about American life. Amerika was distinguished among other Soviet publications by its high-grade paper,...
magazine, - and visited the US on a number of public relations missions.
Enver Mammadov was appointed the Deputy Chairman of the State Committee for Radio and Television
Radio in the Soviet Union
All-Union Radio was the radio broadcasting organisation for the USSR from 1924 until the dissolution of the USSR...
in 1962, and occupied this post from the late days of Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War. He served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, or Premier, from 1958 to 1964...
administration and throughout the Leonid Brezhnev
Leonid Brezhnev
Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev – 10 November 1982) was the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union , presiding over the country from 1964 until his death in 1982. His eighteen-year term as General Secretary was second only to that of Joseph Stalin in...
era. Together with Alexander Yakovlev
Alexander Nikolaevich Yakovlev
Alexander Nikolaevich Yakovlev was a Soviet politician and historian who was a Soviet governmental official in the 1980s and a member of the Politburo and Secretariat of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union...
, he is credited with the creation in August 1964 of Radio Mayak
Radio Mayak
Radio Mayak is a radio broadcasting company in Russia, owned by VGTRK. Mayak is the Russian word for "lighthouse" or "beacon". As well as Radio Mayak proper , the company is also responsible for the youth music channel Radio Yunost.Radio Mayak was established in August 1964 as a major All-Union...
, a national news and music radio broadcasting channel meant to compete with the Western radio stations broadcasting to Russia. From 1970 to 1985 he was directly in charge of Soviet television, being second in command to the Gosteleradio chief
Sergey Lapin.
At the time of his 85th birthday in 2008, Enver Mammadov still was an adviser to the Director General of RIA Novosti.
Family
Enver Mammadov's son, Georgiy Enver oglu Mammadov, is a Russian diplomat, currently serving as Russia's ambassador in CanadaEmbassy of Russia in Ottawa
The Embassy of Russia in Canada is the Russian embassy in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, It is located at 285 Charlotte, at the eastern terminus of Laurier Avenue. To the south it looks out on Strathcona Park while to the east it looks out on the Rideau River...
.