The publication of an appeal to women in the Russkiy Invalid newspaper on August 1, 1914, marked the beginning of Nigar Shikhlinskaya's public medical career. As the first Azerbaijani nurse, she navigated the complex social constraints of the Russian Empire to establish medical relief efforts during World War I, ultimately overseeing hospital operations that provided critical care for wounded soldiers on the Western Front.
Early Life and Education
Born in 1878 in Tbilisi to the enlightener Huseyn Afandi Gayibov, Nigar Shikhlinskaya achieved academic distinction by graduating from the Transcaucasian Female College in 1889. Receiving a gold medal, she became the first Azerbaijani woman to obtain a higher education. Following her initial marriage to Dervish-bek Palavandov, a member of the Georgian nobility, she eventually married Colonel Aliagha Shikhlinski on October 27, 1909. The couple relocated to Tsarskoye Selo, where she engaged with the local military elite.
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In August 1914, Shikhlinskaya traveled to the Guards' Staff of the Petersburg Military District alongside her husband. She was subsequently elected to lead the Ladies' Committee at the Officers' Artillery School, where she managed a medical facility widely recognized as Shikhlinskaya Hospital. Until 1918, she co-managed a Red Cross community initially established by wives of military officers. Her clinical contributions included drafting letters for wounded soldiers in multiple foreign languages, earning her the nickname Mamasha among the patients.
Professional Legacy and Later Years
Her commitment to medical service continued through the formation of the Azerbaijani Red Crescent Society on March 10, 1920, where she served as a pioneer nurse. Her husband, who served as Deputy Defense Minister of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, later documented the impact of her death in his memoirs, describing it as a fatal blow to his own health and happiness. Shikhlinskaya died in 1931 in Baku and was interred at the Yasamal cemetery.
Fast facts
- Born: 1878, Tbilisi
- Died: 1931, Baku
- Burial site: Yasamal cemetery
- Citizenship: Russian Empire and Soviet Union
- Education: Transcaucasian Female College
- Spouse: Aliagha Shikhlinski
- Primary medical field: Nursing
Questions readers ask
What was Nigar Shikhlinskaya's role in the Red Cross?
She served as a nurse and co-managed a Red Cross community for officers' wives during World War I, later becoming a pioneer nurse for the Azerbaijani Red Crescent Society.
Did Nigar Shikhlinskaya have any children?
It remains historically uncertain whether she had children, although a photograph from the early 20th century, cited by researcher Shamistan Nazirli, depicts her with a boy identified as her son.
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