The history of the Jewish community in Baku dates back to the 19th century, after the annexation of the territory of Azerbaijan to Russia by the Treaty of Gulistan in 1813. Over these more than two centuries, about 100 thousand Jews found their final resting place on the territory of this city, who were buried in five cemeteries. The first Jewish cemetery was located at the foot of the hill, a hill that extends from today's Baku funicular towards Nagorny Park. The exact location is unknown. Presumably it was located immediately behind the 6th school. Today it has completely disappeared.
The second Jewish cemetery was located roughly next to the Dağüstü Fountain and the British Soldiers' Memorial Complex. It began its work in 1883. Due to its small size and location (practically inside the Armenian cemetery), it could not expand. And therefore, by the beginning of the 20th century, 18-20 years after its founding, there were no more places in the Jewish cemetery. In the 30s of the last century it was demolished during the construction of Nagorny Park.
The third Jewish cemetery is located in the modern Yasamal district of Baku, stretching along Matbuat avenue until the intersection of the avenue with Badamdar Shosesi. Approximately in the middle of the cemetery there is a central alley parallel to Matbuat avenue.
The oldest grave dates back to 1904. This one and the other oldest graves are in the southern corner of the cemetery, adjacent to Badamdar Shosesi.  This cemetery still exists today. The residents of Baku call it the “Old Jewish Cemetery.” Its area is approximately 1.5 hectares. It is now closed, but burials with relatives are possible.  The cemetery itself is in a state of disrepair. Unfortunately, these days the appearance of these graves evokes despondency - many of them are abandoned, overgrown with weeds. However, in 2023, three Jewish communities of Azerbaijan - Mountain Jewish, European and Georgian Jewish communities, united under the auspices of the STMEGI Foundation and the Museum of the History of Mountain Jews, began joint work to clean up its territory. Restoration of the cemetery will take place in stages; first, the area will be cleared of debris and fallen branches. Today, most of the work of the first stage has been completed.
The fourth, currently active Jewish cemetery is located behind the old Jewish cemetery, to the south, in a valley called “Wolf Gate”. This cemetery has the same name.  This is a multi-religious city-wide cemetery and consists of three sections - Muslim, Jewish and Christian. The Judean section is in turn divided into three sectors.  The total area is 12 hectares. The oldest grave in the new Jewish cemetery dates from April 1973.
Unfortunately, the burial site was not chosen very well. During heavy rains it floods.
There are a total of 40-50 thousand graves in the old and new Jewish cemeteries. For more than a hundred years, thousands of representatives of the Jewish community of Azerbaijan have been buried here. World-famous rabbis, talented doctors, honored teachers, professors and prominent scientists, the flower of the Baku intelligentsia. In particular, the father of the Soviet children's writer Korney Chukovsky, Emanuel Levenson, is buried here.Ilya Yankelevich Gabay (died in 1973), a prominent participant in the human rights movement of the 1960s - 1970s, teacher, poet, writer, screenwriter, found his final resting place in this cemetery. And also Moisei Davidovich Shakhnovich (died in 1982) - officer, participant in the Second World War, hero of the Soviet Union.  I would especially like to mention the ambulance doctor, Alexander Markhevka, who, while saving a mortally wounded man, was killed on the night of January 19-20, 1990 during the suppression of political opposition by units of the Soviet Army. More than a hundred people died then.
There are also six mysterious graves in the old Jewish cemetery.  If you look closely, you will notice a lot of strange things in the memorial inscriptions on their marble slabs: “Count” and “Countess” Agayev, and on the stone of the father of the family there is an inscription: “Twice Hero of the Soviet Union.” “They were the King and Queen of the Worlds,” is inscribed on every family gravestone. But among the Jews there were never counts, only barons. And only one Jew is buried in Azerbaijan - the Hero of the Soviet Union, the above-mentioned Moisei Davidovich Shakhnovich. For now, the mystery of the strange tombstones remains unsolved.
A cemetery is one of the indispensable attributes of civilization. This is a very important element of the historical memory of peoples. We hope that Jewish cemeteries in Baku will perform this function for a long time to come.