Famous People Born In Baku

Garry Kasparov is a Russian chess player. A grandmaster, Kasparov is a former World Chess Champion who was ranked No. 1 for 255 months during his career that spanned 21 years. After his retirement, Garry Kasparov focused on writing and politics; he founded a social movement called the United Civil Front, which is part of an opposition coalition in Moscow.

Nobel Prize-winning Russian physicist Lev Landau is remembered for his pathbreaking research in quantum mechanics. A math prodigy, he had learned calculus at 13. He failed to receive his Nobel in person due to a near-fatal car crash which caused him injuries that eventually caused his death 6 years later.

Richard Sorge was a German journalist and Soviet military intelligence officer. He was active before and during the Second World War. He worked undercover in both Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan under the codename, "Ramsay." He was arrested, tortured, and hanged in 1944. In 1964, he was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Mehriban Aliyeva is an Azerbaijani physician and politician. She is the current Vice President of Azerbaijan. The wife of Ilham Aliyev, Aliyeva is also the current First Lady of Azerbaijan. Mehriban Aliyeva is also the current Deputy Leader of the New Azerbaijan Party.

Vagit Alekperov is a Russian-Azerbaijani entrepreneur best known for his service as the president of the PJSC Lukoil Oil Company from 1993 to 2022. Counted among the richest people in the world, Vagit Alekperov is also known for his philanthropic efforts. In 2007, he established a non-profit organization called Our Future, which aims at promoting social entrepreneurship in Russia.

Nadezhda Alliluyeva was the second wife of Soviet politician Joseph Stalin. Although Alliluyeva wanted to pursue an independent career, Stalin wanted her to maintain a domestic role, which led to frequent arguments between the two. She even contemplated leaving Stalin on several occasions before taking her own life at the age of 31.

Vladimir Menshov was a Soviet and Russian film director and actor. He is best remembered for his portrayal of the working class in his films. Menshov is also remembered for directing the 1979 film Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears, which received the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. Vladimir Menshov won several awards, including the Golden Eagle Award.

Israeli chess Grandmaster Emil Sutovsky has also been associated with FIDE as its director-general since 2018. While he began playing chess at 4, he later won many tournaments with his distinctive uncompromising style. He took Israel to the third place in the 2010 Chess Olympiad. He is also a columnist for Europe Échecs.

Kurban Said was an author who wrote the famous novel, Ali and Nino, which has been published in over 30 languages. While Kurban Said is the author's pseudonym, the real identity of the writer is in dispute. 

Ashot Nadanian is an Armenian chess player, coach, and chess theoretician. Renowned for his imaginative attacking style, Nadanian is considered one of the best players not to have fulfilled his true potential. However, he has achieved immense popularity as a coach and theoretician. Ashot Nadanian is credited with bringing up three grandmasters and coaching national teams of Singapore and Kuwait.