The Chairman of the Culture Committee of the Milli Majlis, former ambassador Polad Bülbüloğlu, is once again on the agenda. This time, it is related to his son's appointment to a new position.
The deputy's son Murtuza Bülbül has been appointed conductor of the Uzeyir Hajibeyli Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra.
So, how many children does Polad Bülbüloğlu have?
The Modern.az website has investigated the topic.
The 80-year-old Polad Bülbüloğlu has been engaged in political and diplomatic activities for many years. Currently, as a deputy in the Milli Majlis, he chairs the Culture Committee.
Born in Baku in 1945 into the family of the famous khananda Bülbül, Polad Bülbüloğlu was awarded the title of Honored Art Worker in 1973 and People's Artist of Azerbaijan in 1982. In 1987, he served as the director and artistic director of the Azerbaijan State Philharmonic.
In 1988, he was appointed Minister of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan. At that time, the late Abdurrahman Vazirov led Azerbaijan.
Later, leadership changed four times in Azerbaijan, and Polad Bülbüloğlu was retained in the ministerial post by all presidents who came to power. First Ayaz Mutallibov, then Abulfaz Elchibey, then Heydar Aliyev, and subsequently Ilham Aliyev.
Polad Bülbüloğlu served as Minister of Culture from 1988 to 2006. In addition to his ministerial duties, he was also a deputy of the Milli Majlis from 1995 to 2000.
Three years after Heydar Aliyev left power, Polad Bülbüloğlu was relieved of his duties. In 2006, by decree of President Ilham Aliyev, he was appointed Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the Russian Federation. And he served as ambassador until 2024.
He was elected a deputy of the VII convocation of the Milli Majlis in the snap parliamentary elections held on September 1, 2024. On September 23, 2024, by presidential decree, he was recalled from his position as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Azerbaijan to the Russian Federation.
Polad Bülbüloğlu is not only the Chairman of the Culture Committee in the Milli Majlis, but also the head of the Azerbaijan-Russia inter-parliamentary relations working group.
If we claim that Polad Bülbüloğlu is the only person who has served in office from the time of Abdurrahman Vazirov, the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan, until now, we would probably not be mistaken.
Polad Bülbüloğlu has not only engaged in political and diplomatic activities, but is also known as a composer and singer. He is the author and performer of several songs.
He was awarded the "Istiglal" Order in 2005, the "Sharaf" Order in 2015, and the "Heydar Aliyev" Order in 2020.
It should be noted that Polad Bülbüloğlu has three children – 2 sons, one daughter.
His eldest son Teymur Mammadov was born from Polad Bülbüloğlu's first marriage to the famous Ukrainian opera singer Bella Rudenko.
Bella Rudenko was 12 years older than Polad Bülbüloğlu. They met at one of the events at the reception house of the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs. At the time of this acquaintance, Polad Bülbüloğlu was 25 years old, and Bella Rudenko was 37.
Bella Rudenko was known in the former USSR by the nicknames “Soviet Prima Donna” and “Ukrainian Nightingale”. She frequently toured the USSR republics and foreign countries, giving concerts. Long before her marriage to Polad Bülbüloğlu, in 1960, she was awarded the title of People's Artist of the USSR.
In 1975, a son named Teymur was born from the marriage of Polad Bülbüloğlu and Bella Rudenko. When Polad Bülbüloğlu and Bella Rudenko divorced, Teymur stayed with his mother, but continued to see his father, and their relationship was never severed.
Teymur Polad oglu Mammadov continued his parents' artistic path, dedicating his life to music.
He graduated from the bassoon class of the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory under the guidance of Professor Popov. In 1996, while still a student at the Moscow Conservatory, Teymur began his activity in the Tchaikovsky Academic Orchestra. Two years later, after graduating from the Conservatory, he became a concertmaster for the bassoon section in the orchestra. During this period, he participated in numerous performances of the orchestra in Russia and foreign countries. During his short tenure as concertmaster in the orchestra, Teymur created a new, organic bassoon ensemble. His repertoire includes various solo parts for symphony orchestra. In addition to his activities in the orchestra, he participated in various programs.
In 2005, Teymur Polad oglu Mammadov was elevated to the title of Honored Artist of the Russian Federation as concertmaster of the Pyotr Tchaikovsky State Academic Grand Orchestra under the leadership of the world-renowned conductor Vladimir Fedoseyev.
Teymur Mammadov is currently engaged in business activities in Russia. Various companies are registered in his name as an entrepreneur in Russia.
As we noted, Teymur Mammadov never severed ties with his father Polad Bülbüloğlu, and their father-son relationship continues normally to this day. He even has warm relations with his father's second family, his step-siblings; it is said that Teymur actively participates in family events.
Teymur Mammadov's mother, Bella Rudenko, passed away on October 14, 2021, at the age of 88.
“Do I regret my first meeting and marriage with Polad?! No, that marriage was a beautiful time that brought us together. It was a great love that later faded to nothing. We should thank God for allowing us to feel such a pleasant emotion. What happened after the feelings faded must be accepted as it is. I believe that this is precisely the wisdom of life,” the late Bella Rudenko had stated when sharing her memories of her married life with Polad Bülbüloğlu with the Russian press during her lifetime...
Polad Bülbüloğlu's second marriage took place while he was serving as Minister of Culture. According to information, Gulnara Shikhalieva was Polad Bülbüloğlu's assistant when he was minister. And their relationship developed from there.
Two children were born to the couple Polad Bülbüloğlu-Gulnara Shikhalieva: their daughter Leyla and son Murtuza.
Murtuza was named after Polad Bülbüloğlu's father (Bülbül's real name and surname is Murtuza Mammadov)
Murtuza Bülbül was born in 2001. He began his music education at the Beethoven Children's Music School in Moscow.
In 2020, he graduated with honors from the Academic Music College operating under the P.I. Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory (foreign conducting department, Leonid Pavlov's class), and subsequently from the opera-symphonic conducting faculty of the Moscow Conservatory (Vyacheslav Valeev's class). He also honed his skills under the guidance of Günter Neuhold in Vienna and Johannes Wildermann in Berlin.
Murtuza Bülbül's debut as a conductor was in 2015 in Baku with the Uzeyir Hajibeyli Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra. He has performed with the Azerbaijan State Academic Musical Theater, the Academic Symphony Orchestra of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, the Russian State Symphony Orchestra of Cinematography, the Moscow Youth Chamber Orchestra, and other prestigious ensembles.
As a conductor, Murtuza Bülbül has been on tour in Germany, Italy, and Kazakhstan. Two days ago, he was appointed conductor of the Uzeyir Hajibeyli Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra.
Polad Bülbüloğlu's other child, Leyla, is 27 years old. Leyla also followed in her father's footsteps and received a musical education. Leyla Bülbül is reported to be married.
In February 2025, his eldest son Teymur, daughter Leyla, and grandchildren also participated in the concert held to mark Polad Bülbüloğlu's 80th birthday.
They appeared on stage together to congratulate Polad Bülbüloğlu on his 80th birthday.
“You are not only our support but also our closest friend. You taught us to pursue our dreams in life and never give up. When we look at you, we see not just a father, but also a brilliant personality who has left an indelible mark on the hearts of millions,” said the artist's daughter Leyla.
A.Qorxmaz
