9 September 2026
The day the theatre was left without him
The news of Alexander Sharovsky's death came on the morning of 9 September 2026. He was 78; he died in Baku, in his seventy-ninth year.
His death was reported by the state news agencies and by Azerbaijan's Ministry of Culture. First Vice-President of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva expressed her condolences on social media.
Later the same day, on 9 September, the farewell ceremony was held in the building of the Samad Vurgun Russian Drama Theatre. Alexander Sharovsky was buried in the Second Alley of Honour in Baku.
Baku · 1948 — 2026Chronicle
9 September 2026
- Morning
- The news of Alexander Sharovsky's death; First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva was the first to offer condolences.
- Daytime
- Azerbaijan's Ministry of Culture publishes an obituary: “Azerbaijani culture has suffered a heavy loss.”
- 14:30
- The farewell ceremony in the building of the Samad Vurgun Russian Drama Theatre on Khagani Street.
- Burial
- The Second Alley of Honour in Baku.
What remainsWhat remains
The theatre he left standing
What remains after him is a working theatre — the hardest and rarest inheritance a director can leave. The Russian Drama survived the nineties, kept its company, its auditorium and its repertoire, and entered 2026 as a living stage rather than a monument.
What remains are 54 productions, more than fifty roles played, four films and several generations of Baku theatregoers for whom an evening on Khagani Street was a family tradition.
And the figure itself remains: a Jew at the head of a Russian theatre in Azerbaijan, the head of a community, and a man this city simply called the Master.
In memory of Alexander Sharovsky — 1948–2026
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