Baku: Choreographer, People's Artist, and presidential pensioner Magsud Mammadov has passed away at the age of 97, APA reports, citing the Ministry of Culture.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, Magsud Davud oghlu Mammadov was born on May 30, 1929, in Ganja and began engaging in dance from an early age. He dedicated his career to the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater starting in 1951. Mammadov, along with his wife, People's Artist Rafiga Akhundova, staged various ballets, including Tofig Bakikhanov's 'Caspian Ballad,' Fikrat Amirov's 'Shadows of Gobustan,' 'Kaleidoscope,' Rauf Hajiyev's 'Azerbaijan Suite,' Nazim Aliverdibayov's 'Mugham,' and Akshin Alizadeh's 'Babek.'

Magsud Mammadov's significant contributions to the development of national culture earned him the title of 'Honored Artist' in 1955 and 'People's Artist' in 1970. In recognition of his lifelong dedication, he was awarded the 'Shohrat' Order in 2019 and had been a presidential pensioner since 2002.