| Official Name | Azerbaijan Animation Museum named after Nazim Mammadov |
|---|---|
| Original Name | Nazim Məmmədov adına Azərbaycan Animasiya Muzeyi |
| Museum Type | Online animation museum and digital archive |
| Established | 2015 |
| Focus | History, films, filmmakers and archival material connected with Azerbaijani animation |
| Initiative | Arts Council Azerbaijan |
| Official Website | animation.az |
The Azerbaijan Animation Museum named after Nazim Mammadov is an online museum devoted to Azerbaijani animation. It was established in 2015 at the initiative of Arts Council Azerbaijan, with support from the Youth Foundation under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the country’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Arts Council Azerbaijan is based in Baku, but the museum is presented primarily as a digital resource rather than a conventional museum building with published visitor hours.
A Digital Archive of Azerbaijani Animation
The museum brings together information that would otherwise be scattered across film histories, individual productions and personal archives. Its website includes sections devoted to the history of animation, Nazim Mammadov, directors, films, photographs and museum exhibits.
When the virtual museum project was announced publicly in 2016, it was described as a database intended to preserve and present Azerbaijani animated films, information about their creators and historical photographs. The original project description placed particular attention on animation from the 1960s through the 1990s. The museum’s present film catalogue reaches further back, with chronological sections covering 1933–1969, 1969–1979, 1980–1985, 1986–1989 and 1990–1996.
Films and Production Records
The film pages document individual Azerbaijani animated productions rather than presenting only a list of titles. Entries may include a description of the film, its source material and production credits such as the screenwriter, director and other members of the creative team. This makes the museum useful for identifying the people behind films as well as placing individual works within the development of Azerbaijani animation.
The earliest chronological section begins with material from the 1930s, when animation techniques were being introduced into Azerbaijani film production. Later sections follow the renewed production of animated films from the late 1960s and continue through the Soviet and early post-Soviet periods. The site’s separate photo archive, director records and exhibits section add material beyond the film chronology.
Nazim Mammadov and the Museum’s Name
The museum is named after Nazim Mammadov (3 July 1934 – 29 October 2004), an artist and animation director closely associated with the development of Azerbaijani animation. He worked for many years at the Jafar Jabbarly Azerbaijanfilm studio and is described by the museum and Azerbaijani cinema sources as one of the founders of the country’s animation tradition.
Mammadov’s work extended beyond animated cinema. He was also active in painting and graphic art and created illustrations for more than 400 children’s books. The museum therefore documents a figure whose career connected film animation with drawing, illustration and visual storytelling for children.
Online Access
The museum can be accessed through its official website, where its film chronology and archival sections are available online. Because it operates as a virtual museum, it should not be confused with a permanently accessible public museum building in Baku. Its association with the Baku-based Arts Council Azerbaijan explains its connection with the city while its principal museum collection is presented digitally.