Statue of a Liberated Woman
Statue of a Liberated Woman is a statue by Fuad Abdurahmanov in Baku, Azerbaijan. It was built in 1960 at the Public Square at the intersection of Gurbanov and Jafar Jabbarly streets in Yasamal raion, and was inspired by the character of Sevil from the Jafar Jabbarly's play Sevil. The act of publicly removing the veil symbolizes the transition of Azerbaijani women from seclusion to participation in Soviet society.
Background
Fuad Aburahmanov, the designer of the statue, stated:Veil as a part of woman’s wardrobe was the trait of all cities where trade was developing. The anti-veil movement was initially started in 1908 in Baku by the liberal bourgeoisie, well before the Soviet Hujum in 1927. However, the anti-veil protests were suppressed by Islamic clergy, causing a major setback. While some women stopped wearing the veil then, many still wore the veil out of social pressure.
A prominent Azeri women's organization based in Baku, the Ali Bayramov Club, actively participated in the campaign to encourage women to take off the veil.
After Azerbaijan became part of Soviet Union, the social status of women changed. As more women became employed, they dressed more often in work clothes instead of the veil. Public displays of anti-veil sentiments, which continued to face opposition from the clergy, regained momentum in the 1920's with the implementation of the Hujum. It was not unusual for girls who stopped wearing the veil to be rejected by their family. Komsomol member Sariyya Khalilova was killed by her father for taking off the veil. The prominence of the statue reflects and honors the bravery and willpower of women who abandoned the veil.