OPENING OF MEMORIAL TO ENGINEER PAVEL POTOZKI
Addressing the ceremony President of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan appreciated the activities of Pavel Potozki, who played one of the major roles in the history of oil production in Azerbaijan.
He in particular, said: In the beginning of the 20th century, Azerbaijan extracted 50% of the world’s and 90% of the Russia’s oil. Richest oil fields were developed in the Absheron peninsula. Development of the projects on offshore oil production began in 1906. There were several projects offered. However, none of them did, and then famous Polish oil engineer Pavel Potozki was invited to Baku. He arrived in Baku in 1899 in left here for good.
He developed and directed the project on oil and gas production from artificially drained land. The first 82,5 meters deep well was drilled in 1923. He was an excellent organizer, hard-worker and a wonderful person. In 1919, he lost his sight.
“Although he was completely eyeless, he was so familiar with Bibiheibat that could point at any area on the map where activities should be started,” surprised Maxim Gorky, who visited Baku at those years.
Pavel Potozki displayed true labor heroism, and was awarded Lenin Order, the highest award in the Soviet Union.
Azerbaijani oil workers will never forget his services. His will was to bury him where he had been working – on the very shore of the Caspian Sea, in the bay he had created by his own labor.
N. Aliyev also announced that an advance copy of the book “Azerbaijani oil and Polish engineer Pavel Potozki” had already been published.
Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to Azerbaijan Kszystof Kraewski said: We have gathered here to commemorate the person who symbolically unites our two peoples. Pavel Potozki, the Polish, spent almost all his active life in Azerbaijan. He came to Baku to create conditions to extract oil form the Caspian seabed.
The Ambassador recalled that the first monument to Potozki had been created thanks to the late Heydar Aliyev’s efforts. It needed repair over the last years. We wished the monument to reflect both Polish and Azerbaijani traditions.
“It became possible thanks to project’s author, architect Rizvan Bayramov. The job was done brilliantly by master Jahiz Gadirov,” noted K. Krayewski.
The epitaph written in Polish, Azeri and English reads: Polish engineer Pavel Potozki (1879-1932). Having drained Bibiheibat bay, for the first time in the world managed to extract oil from seabed”
In conclusion, K. Krayewski thanked the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan, Baku Mayor Office and others for assistance.
