Milikh Yevdayev

Milikh Yevdayev is the chairman of the Religious Community of Mountain Jews of Baku and one of the most respected figures in the Jewish community of Azerbaijan. His life’s work is the preservation and strengthening of the spiritual, cultural, and social foundations of Mountain Jewish life in the country.

Under his leadership, work is underway on the construction of the largest Jewish cultural center in the South Caucasus — a project that aims to become not only a community space, but also a symbol of the centuries-old Jewish presence on Azerbaijani soil.

Milikh Yevdayev is an active participant in interfaith dialogue, consistently advocating the idea that the peaceful coexistence of Jews and Muslims in Azerbaijan is not a political slogan, but a centuries-old lived reality. His public activities are aimed at strengthening this tradition and sharing it with the world.

In 2015, in a landmark ceremony in Los Angeles, Milikh Yevdayev donated a Sefer Torah — a sacred Torah scroll — reinforcing the connection between the Mountain Jewish communities of Azerbaijan and the diaspora. This gesture became a symbol of spiritual unity across borders.

For his outstanding contributions to public life and the strengthening of interethnic harmony, Milikh Yevdayev was awarded the Order of Shokhrat (Glory) — one of the highest state awards of the Republic of Azerbaijan.