A series of paintings that depict the life of Azerbaijani oil workers holds a prominent place in the works of Tahir Salahov (1928-2021), a Peoples Artist of the USSR, Azerbaijan, and Russia, and a key representative of the ‘Severe Style.’ These works capture the heroic ethos of the era along with the grandeur of steel structures rising above the Caspian Sea. In his painting ‘Repairmen,’ which embodies the most characteristic features of Salahov’s style, the artist portrays his favored images of oil workers. The characters in the painting intrigue viewers with their simplicity, inner strength, and monumental presence. Salahov noted in his memoirs that he had originally intended to visit the Oil Rocks to create a group portrait of oil workers. However, a maritime accident occurring at that time made him rethink his plans and led him to create a piece dedicated to the repairmen instead. In this painting, calm and courageous repairmen are depicted on a boat, crossing the waves as they head toward the scene of the accident. In contrast to their stern expressions, one of the repairmen holds a white rose—a symbolic reminder of the tradition among shift workers to take something from home as a memento when going to sea.