Rasim Balayev

Rasim Balayev — Biography

Rasim Ahmed oglu Balayev, born on 8 August 1948 in Ağsu, was a Soviet- and Azerbaijani-era stage and screen performer who also worked as a voice actor. He trained at the Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts and took leading parts in more than sixty Azerbaijani films, among them the title role of the poet in the 1973 biographical drama Nasimi. He was named People’s Artist of the Azerbaijan SSR in 1982, received the Azerbaijan SSR State Prize in 1986 and the Shohrat Order in 1998, and was later awarded the Order of Independence. From 1990 to 2013 he served as secretary of the Azerbaijan Filmmakers’ Union, returning in 2022 to lead the organization as its chairman until his death. A recipient of a presidential pension, Balayev died in Istanbul on 29 March 2026 at age 77.